title: Mendenhall Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Mendenhall man pled guilty today to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court documents, Koda Tye Williamson, 39, a convicted felon, was found in possession of a firearm by the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department during the execution of a search warrant on his home for narcotics distribution and illegal firearms possession. It is a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Williamson has previous felony convictions for manslaughter and methamphetamine possession. Williamson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Simpson County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as 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: Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison after Illegally Possessing Firearm & Shooting at Police Officer

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, MICHAEL ANTHONY WILSON , II , of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 180 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm following a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On November 20, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Wilson with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, in October 2023, as an Oklahoma City police officer completed an unrelated report, his patrol unit was struck by gunfire. The officer was inside the car at the time of the shooting and suffered minor injuries. Public record further reflects that Wilson fired a total of six shots. After speaking with witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage, officers located and arrested Wilson. Public record further reflects that Wilson has previous felony convictions for kidnapping and domestic assault and battery in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2018-21, and second-degree burglary and unauthorized use of a vehicle in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2015-153. On February 7, 2024, Wilson pleaded guilty, and admitted he possessed the firearm despite his prior criminal record. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacquelyn M. Hutzell and Drew E. Davis prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to Serve Three Years in Federal Prison for COVID Relief Loan Fraud

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Yesterday, ADONIJAH LINDSAY , 39, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an Indictment, which charged Lindsay with two counts of wire fraud. According to the Indictment, on June 24, 2020, Lindsay applied to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan, which provided loans to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indictment alleges that in the loan application, Lindsay claimed to own a business with revenue of more than $200,000 in 2019. In fact, Lindsay did not own a business, had spent most of 2019 incarcerated in federal prison, and applied for the loan while in a Bureau of Prisons residential reentry center in Florida. Based on his false statements, Lindsay’s application was approved by the SBA for a $75,000 loan, which was disbursed to a banking account in his name in Enid, Oklahoma in June 2020. On January 10, 2024, Lindsay pleaded guilty to the Indictment, and admitted he provided false information to defraud the SBA. At the sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Lindsay to serve 36 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Heaton also ordered Lindsay to pay $75,000 in restitution to the SBA. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton noted that Lindsay committed his offense while still in federal custody on a prior conviction for armed robbery. Judge Heaton further noted that Lindsay had conspired in additional fraudulent COVID relief loan applications—totaling more than $400,000—and in doing so, took advantage of a “genuine public health emergency.” This case is the result of an investigation by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC). The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20-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, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program and EIDL program. The PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Methamphetamine Trafficker from Sabine Parish Sentenced to 12+ Years in Federal Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Rodney Waller , 45, of Many, Louisiana , was sentenced today for distribution of methamphetamine. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Waller to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to information presented in court, law enforcement agents with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team began an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking activities in the Sabine Parish area. During their investigation on September 1, 2021, Waller met with a confidential informant in the Sabine Parish area and sold methamphetamine to them which was in his possession before selling it. The amount of methamphetamine sold by Waller was found to be 77.2% pure, with a pure substance weight of 4.6 grams. Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents found Waller to have sold or possessed with intent to sell 55.7 grams of methamphetamine. Waller was charged in an indictment with distribution of methamphetamine and pleaded guilty to one count on December 13, 2023. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William C. Gaskins. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Sentencing for Man Convicted of Illegal Weapons Possession in Domestic Violence Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man was sentenced to six years in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms and destructive devices while under a court order of protection following a harrowing domestic violence incident. According to court documents, on September 14, 2022, Edward Walters , 55, knowingly possessed a firearm, ammunition, and destructive devices while under a court order of protection. The protection order, issued on July 21, 2022, found that Walters represented a credible threat and prohibited him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Despite this, Walters returned to his family’s residence, where he began accumulating an arsenal of weapons, including firearms, silencers, and pipe bombs. Walters held his wife against her will in their garage, but their son overheard the situation and called 911. The incident escalated as Walters barricaded himself inside the home, causing significant disruption to a nearby elementary school and surrounding neighborhoods. After hours of negotiations, law enforcement took Walters into custody. Upon his release from prison, Walters will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Naugatuck Resident Admits Operating Investment Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAFAEL MUZZI, 27, a citizen of Brazil residing in Naugatuck, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to an offense stemming from an investment fraud scheme. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2017 and 2018, Muzzi, at times using two entities he formed, Solace Investments LLC and Asseno LLC, induced victim-investors to provide him funds based on the representation he would use the funds for trading currencies in foreign exchange markets using a trading software program that he told his victims he had developed. Muzzi represented to victims that his software program had a feature that would cause trading to cease in the event of a certain loss in value, thus minimizing downside risk. Muzzi failed to invest a substantial portion of invested funds as he represented, and instead diverted those funds for his own personal use, and to pay other individuals who had invested with him. Through this scheme, Muzzi defrauded at least 10 victim-investors out of what the government alleges totaled more than $550,000. Muzzi sent victims fabricated monthly account statements that falsely overstated their return on investment and their account balances. These misrepresentations induced some victim-investors to provide him with additional investment funds. Muzzi also provided victims with purported tax documents reflecting fictitious investment profits, causing victims to report and pay taxes on profits that they had not realized. In response to victim complaints, the State of Connecticut’s Department of Banking investigated Muzzi’s conduct, issued orders finding that Muzzi and Solace Investments had violated state securities laws, ordered them to make restitution to victims, and fined Muzzi $300,000. On September 6, 2020, Muzzi traveled to Brazil and did not return. On August 23, 2022, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Muzzi with fraud and money laundering offenses. Muzzi was arrested on April 1, 2023, in Panama, and subsequently waived his right to contest his extradition to the U.S. Muzzi pleaded guilty to wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for October 22. Muzzi is released on a $150,000 pending sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Banking, Securities Division. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked Interpol and Panamanian authorities for their assistance in apprehending this defendant, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for coordinating the extradition proceedings in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Conor M. Reardon and Michael S. McGarry.


title: Teacher arrested, charged with distribution and possession of child pornography

body_text: CINCINNATI - A 44-year-old Cincinnati man, Mark A. Altherr, was arrested by FBI agents on Friday, July 26, and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography. The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint and arrest warrant alleges that investigators found more than 262 posts Altherr made on a child pornography website over the past three years. Some of the posts included images that appeared to be minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The victims were alleged to be between the ages of five and 12. Altherr is a fitness education teacher in the Oak Hills Local School District. “Investigators are now working to identify all of the victims in this case,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Our office and the FBI encourage anyone who might have information about victims to report it to the FBI’s victim resource page listed below.” “The FBI is always working to protect children in our community,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “As we continue to investigate this matter, we appreciate the support of the public in coming forward with any information they may have about potentially inappropriate actions of Mr. Altherr.” Anyone who may have information about this case or who believes they may be a victim is encouraged to visit www.fbi.gov/MarkAltherrVictims and complete the short online form. Altherr appeared in federal court in Cincinnati on July 29, 2024. He was temporarily detained. A detention hearing is set for August 1, 2024. Distribution of child pornography is punishable by at least five years and up to 20 years in prison. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Assistant United States Attorneys Danielle Margeaux and Kyle Healey are representing the United States in this case. A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Idaho Diesel Parts Companies and Owner Sentenced for Tampering with Emissions Control Systems and Selling Tampering Software

component: ENRD - Environmental Crimes Section

body_text: POCATELLO – Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, doing business as Gorilla Performance, and owner Barry Pierce were sentenced today in federal court in Pocatello, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Pierce to four months in federal prison. GDP Tuning and Gorilla Performance were sentenced to five years of probation. All defendants were ordered to jointly pay a $1 million fine. The companies and Pierce had previously pleaded guilty. The charges in the case relate to illegal tampering with monitoring devices required under the Clean Air Act, specifically the on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems in diesel trucks. The first part of the tampering process is to physically remove the emissions control devices, known as “deleting” a truck. In part two, computer software is used to reprogram or tune the vehicle’s OBD to not recognize what has happened; this process is known as “tuning.” An OBD normally detects any removal or malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment, recording a diagnostic trouble code and triggering a vehicle’s “check engine” light. If a malfunction is not remedied, a vehicle can, in some circumstances, be forced into “limp mode,” with a max speed of five-miles-per-hour. Tuning bypasses these checks even with the emissions control equipment removed. According to court documents, from approximately 2016 to 2020, Pierce and GDP Tuning and Gorilla Diesel Performance tuned and deleted hundreds of vehicles at the Gorilla Diesel Performance auto repair shop in Rexburg, Idaho. Through various distributors, GDP Tuning also sold tens of millions of dollars’ worth of tunes, tuners and equipment around the country, including what GDP Tuning described as “custom tunes.” GDP Tuning knew the tunes were being used to illegally reprogram vehicles. Pierce told Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspectors in 2018 that his companies sold kits to delete trucks and products to tune them, including tunes and tuners. In response to EPA’s later follow-up, GDP Tuning produced sales data indicating that it sold over 20,000 tuning products for approximately $14 million in revenue from January 1, 2018, through approximately August 7, 2019. EPA law enforcement agents conducted undercover operations to determine the extent of illegal activity at GDP Tuning and Gorilla Diesel Performance. Employees told an uncover agent that the companies routinely “deleted” trucks at the Gorilla Diesel Performance location. Evidence gathered showed that Gorilla Diesel Performance conducted hundreds of deletes and used GDP Tuning products, with at least seven employees conducting deletes or obtaining tunes for the deleted vehicles. Pierce was aware of and directed the conduct. “Protecting Idaho’s environment and promoting public health are top priorities for my office, and the extreme amount of pollution emitted from illegally modified diesel trucks threatens both of these goals,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who purposefully and illegally pollutes our air.” “The defendants knowingly and repeatedly flouted Clean Air Act regulations even after being told that this conduct was against the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the law and holding individuals and businesses accountable.” “Despite being warned by EPA that his conduct was illegal, Barry Pierce and his companies continued to flout the law for years, selling millions of dollars of products that defeated emissions controls on diesel trucks,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann, of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “These products resulted in thousands of tons of excess pollutants being emitted into the air, putting our most vulnerable populations at risk. This brazen behavior must stop and EPA will continue to seek jail time for violations until it does.” The EPA investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin prosecuted the case. ###


title: Brooklyn Business Owner Convicted of Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business, Bank Fraud, Money Laundering and Other Felony Charges

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A federal jury in Brooklyn today convicted David Motovich of perpetrating a years-long scheme to establish and conceal a massive illegal check-cashing operation. Motovich was found guilty on 16 counts of an indictment charging him with operating an illegal money transmitting business, failure to file currency transaction reports, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge William F. Kuntz, II. When sentenced, Motovich faces up to 30 years in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), announced the verdict. “Taken behind the façade of a seemingly legitimate lumber business in Brooklyn, the jury followed the trail of evidence to find an infestation of crimes,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Motovich operated an illegal money transmitting business that funneled millions of dollars to himself to get rich, evade taxes and fund a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars, jewelry and a spectacular penthouse apartment. With today’s verdict, the defendant finds there is a very high price to pay for his blatant disregard for the law.” “David Motovich developed an illicit scheme using his family’s business to launder more than $55 million through construction companies to finance lavish purchases. For seven years, Motovich funneled his proceeds through falsely named bank accounts to conceal the profits and evade authoritative oversight. Despite his efforts to disrupt our investigation into his unlawful activity, today’s verdict highlights the FBI’s tireless dedication to apprehending criminals who employ fraudulent tactics to fund expensive lifestyles,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis. “Motovich made millions from his back office deals, cashing checks for clients who paid more in fees just to know their transactions were hidden from the government. But we found out. And although his shady business allowed him to lease a high-end apartment with expensive renovations and luxury cars, today’s verdict will ensure that his next lease is only for a prison cell, no renovations required,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS CI New York. As proven at trial, Motovich used his family-run business in the Midwood section of Brooklyn as a front for an illegal, unlicensed check-cashing operation. From the second floor of Midwood Lumber on Coney Island Avenue, Motovich offered his services primarily to the owners and operators of construction companies, cashing millions of dollars in checks to fund off-the-books payrolls for those businesses. As part of the scheme, Motovich cashed checks for his customers in exchange for a fee or a percentage of the face amount of the checks, ranging between four and 15 percent. Motovich’s customers paid a higher fee to Motovich than the fees charged by licensed check cashing businesses because the customers understood that Motovich would not file Suspicious Activity Reports or Currency Transaction Reports for cash transactions in amounts greater than $10,000, as required by federal anti-money laundering statutes. Motovich supplied his check cashing customers with fraudulent documents that they could use to disguise the transactions as payments by the customers for materials and/or subcontracting work if the customers were audited by the New York State Workers Compensation Board or tax authorities. In furtherance of his scheme, Motovich created shell companies for the sole purpose of facilitating his illegal check cashing business and instructed his customers to issue checks drawn against their business accounts and make the checks payable to one of the companies. Motovich then deposited the checks into bank accounts that he created at several financial institutions. To conceal his control and ownership of the funds in the accounts, and to avoid detection of his scheme, Motovich opened the accounts in the names of other individuals. In total, between 2012 and 2019, Motovich deposited more than $55 million into the accounts that he had opened in the names of other individuals and used the funds to purchase real estate; pay personal and corporate credit card accounts; purchase luxury items, including millions of dollars of diamonds, watches, jewelry and clothing; make lease and purchase payments for Porsche and Lexus luxury vehicles; pay premiums on multi-million dollar life insurance policies for himself, his wife and others; renovate his penthouse apartment in Manhattan to include a swimming pool; and to fund other business ventures. Motovich’s co-defendants Marina Kuyan, Kemal Sarkinovic, and Joshua Markovics, all previously pleaded guilty to various charges in connection with the scheme. They are awaiting sentencing. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Polemeni, Erik Paulsen, Andrew Grubin and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Eastern District of New York Special Agent George Dietz and Paralegal Specialist Kavya Kannan. The Defendant : DAVID MOTOVICH Age: 49 New York, NY E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-497 (WFK)


title: Fake Doctor Selling Unproven COVID-19 Cure is Sentenced to 36 Months

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A United States District Court Judge sentenced a Utah County man Monday, who posed as a fake doctor, to three years’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release after he scammed consumers looking to heal a variety of ailments, including Coronavirus. In March, on the second day of trial, Gordon Hunter Pedersen, 64, of Cedar Hills, Utah, pleaded guilty to committing mail fraud and introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead. According to court documents, and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Pedersen posed as a practicing medical doctor, lied about his credentials, and exaggerated the palliative abilities of his consumer products containing silver to make money. Between 2012 and 2020, Pedersen orchestrated and executed an expansive scheme to sell his silver products under the pretense that they were a suitable and effective remedy for various illnesses and ailments including influenza, diabetes, arthritis, pneumonia, and the novel Coronavirus. His fraudulent salesmanship generated thousands of dollars and his sales skyrocketed in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and before approved vaccines were available. Mr. Pedersen distributed his Silver Products through his company My Doctor Suggests, LLC (MDS), where he was 25% owner and the company spokesman and primary marketer. In total, the known revenue of My Doctor Suggests related to this scheme is estimated around $6,110,473. In addition, Pedersen committed mail fraud by using the United States Postal Service to deliver his silver products in furtherance and in execution of the scheme and his intent to defraud the consumer. His silver products included silver lozenges, silver probiotics, silver soap, silver mouthwash and silver gel. “Mr. Pedersen defrauded consumers for years by lying about his credentials and the products he sold. His years of deliberate misrepresentations resulted in financial harm to consumers who trusted in his claims, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Pedersen profited off citizens during a vulnerable time then fled from law enforcement for three years to avoid prosecution. My office remains committed to prosecuting financial fraud and seeking justice for victims.” “Mr. Pedersen was a modern day snake oil salesman, exploiting vulnerable people, especially during the pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “His sentencing reflects the dedicated work of the FBI and our partners in rooting out fraud and ensuring the community’s safety.” “The FDA continues to work with its law enforcement partners to protect the public health by identifying, investigating and bringing to justice those who attempted to profit from the pandemic by offering and distributing fraudulent products claiming to treat or cure COVID-19,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Kansas City Field Office. “Americans expect and deserve treatments that are safe, effective and meet appropriate standards, and the agency will continue to bring to justice those who place profits above the public health.” The case was investigated jointly by the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigation (FDA-OCI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Salt Lake City Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Valuable assistance was also provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob J. Strain and Brian Williams from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Speare Hodges and Sarah Williams from the Department of Justice, Civil Division’ Consumer Protection Branch. James Smith from FDA’s Office of Chief Council also assisted. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . Attachments: gordonhunterpedersen.sentencingmemo.pdf


title: New London Man Admits Distributing Heroin While on Federal Supervised Release

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CRUZ J. BONILLA, 40, of New London, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a narcotics trafficking offense, and admitted that he violated the conditions of supervised release from a prior federal conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2014, Bonilla was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 68 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for distributing heroin. He was released from federal prison in October 2019. On four occasions between March and May 2020, while he was on federal supervised release, Bonilla sold heroin to an undercover law enforcement officer. He was arrested on related state charges on June 25, 2020. Bonilla pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on October 31, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years for the offense, and additional penalties for the violating the conditions of his supervised release. Bonilla has been detained since his federal arrest on August 26, 2020. This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Statewide Narcotics Taskforce East. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Natasha M. Freismuth.


component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, doing business as Gorilla Performance, and owner Barry Pierce were sentenced today in federal court in Pocatello, Idaho. Senior U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill for the District of Idaho sentenced Pierce to four months in prison. GDP Tuning and Gorilla Performance were sentenced to five years of probation. All defendants were ordered to jointly pay a $1 million fine. The companies and Pierce had previously pleaded guilty . The charges in the case relate to illegal tampering with monitoring devices required under the Clean Air Act, specifically the on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems in diesel trucks. The first part of the tampering process is to physically remove the emissions control devices, known as “deleting” a truck. In part two, computer software is used to reprogram or tune the vehicle’s OBD to not recognize what has happened; this process is known as “tuning.” An OBD normally detects any removal or malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment, recording a diagnostic trouble code and triggering a vehicle’s “check engine” light. If a malfunction is not remedied, a vehicle can, in some circumstances, be forced into “limp mode,” with a max speed of five-miles-per-hour. Tuning bypasses these checks even with the emissions control equipment removed. According to court documents, from approximately 2016 to 2020, Pierce and GDP Tuning and Gorilla Diesel Performance tuned and deleted hundreds of vehicles at the Gorilla Diesel Performance auto repair shop in Rexburg, Idaho. Through various distributors, GDP Tuning also sold tens of millions of dollars’ worth of tunes, tuners and equipment around the country, including what GDP Tuning described as “custom tunes.” GDP Tuning knew the tunes were being used to illegally reprogram vehicles. Pierce told Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspectors in 2018 that his companies sold kits to delete trucks and products to tune them, including tunes and tuners. In response to EPA’s later follow-up, GDP Tuning produced sales data indicating that it sold over 20,000 tuning products for approximately $14 million in revenue from January 1, 2018, through approximately August 7, 2019. EPA law enforcement agents conducted undercover operations to determine the extent of illegal activity at GDP Tuning and Gorilla Diesel Performance. Employees told an uncover agent that the companies routinely “deleted” trucks at the Gorilla Diesel Performance location. Evidence gathered showed that Gorilla Diesel Performance conducted hundreds of deletes and used GDP Tuning products, with at least seven employees conducting deletes or obtaining tunes for the deleted vehicles. Pierce was aware of and directed the conduct. “The defendants knowingly and repeatedly flouted Clean Air Act regulations even after being told that this conduct was against the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to enforcing the law and holding individuals and businesses accountable.” “Despite being warned by EPA that his conduct was illegal, Barry Pierce and his companies continued to flout the law for years, selling millions of dollars of products that defeated emissions controls on diesel trucks,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann, of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “These products resulted in thousands of tons of excess pollutants being emitted into the air, putting our most vulnerable populations at risk. This brazen behavior must stop and EPA will continue to seek jail time for violations until it does.” “Protecting Idaho’s environment and promoting public health are top priorities for my office, and the extreme amount of pollution emitted from illegally modified diesel trucks threatens both of these goals,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who purposefully and illegally pollutes our air.” The EPA investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin prosecuted the case.


title: Kern County Man Sentenced for Assaulting a U.S. Postal Carrier

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Marco Pergis, 42, of Wasco, was sentenced on July 26, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer to three years in prison for assault on a federal employee with bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on June 21, 2023, Pergis assaulted a United States postal carrier by striking him in the face, causing serious bodily injury. Pergis admitted to assaulting the postal carrier without any provocation. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Services and the Kern County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio Jose Pataca and Chan Hee Chu prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced To Seventeen Years In Federal Prison For Coercion And Enticement Of A Minor

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced defendant Paul Francis Blaisse, 65, of Walkersville, Maryland, to seventeen years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release for one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. Judge Maddox also ordered Blaisse to pay $83,694 in restitution to his victims and, after his release from prison, to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Nicole M. Argentieri; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and J. Charles Smith III, State’s Attorney for Frederick County, Maryland. According to court documents, beginning as early as 2011, Blaisse engaged in live video chats with minor children who were engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Mr. Blaisse exchanged messages with hundreds of individuals on video chat sites who offered access to minor children via webcam. During these chats, Blaisse discussed his sexual interest in children and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office identified Blaisse after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual using an IP address associated with Blaisse’s residence uploaded CSAM to a video chat account. In October 2018, Blaisse used an online video chat application, to entice a minor child in the Philippines to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Records of Blaisse’s activity show that he communicated with an adult in the Philippines who arranged for the minor child to participate in a video chat with Blaisse. In addition to these chats, Blaisse’s electronic devices contained hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent minors. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI Baltimore Field Office, the Justice Department’s High Technology Investigative Unit, and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Leading the prosecution of this case are Department of Justice Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Aubin, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . ###


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm as a Felon

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — William Lesley, 34, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a parole search in Galt, at the residence of Lesley’s co-defendant, Dexter Weeks, a known felon on parole. While clearing the residence, officers encountered Lesley as he was coming out of a bedroom. In the bedroom where Lesley had exited, officers found a loaded Ruger pistol located in a backpack on the floor near the bed. Weeks and Lesley are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because they each have multiple state felony convictions. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case. Lesley is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Weeks pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2024, and is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 6, 2024. Both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, 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. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: Habitual Domestic Violence Sends Lapwai Man to Federal Prison

body_text: COEUR D'ALENE – Gordon Milton Bennett, Jr., 46, of Lapwai, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for domestic assault by habitual offender, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, in June 2023 Bennett committed a domestic assault against his wife. The investigation found that Bennett had at least two prior convictions in Nez Perce Tribal Court for domestic violence. Federal criminal law makes it a felony offense to commit a domestic assault within the borders of a reservation if a defendant has at least two prior convictions for domestic assault. The maximum penalty for the offense is up to five years in federal prison. Chief U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Bennett to three years of supervised release after his release from prison. During that time Bennett will be required to comply with the terms and conditions of his supervised release which include counseling and treatment as well as regular meetings with his federal probation officer. “I am grateful for the collaboration that allows the Tribe and our office to fight against domestic violence,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We must all work to prevent the distressing trauma that victims and survivors endure from repeated abuse.” Nez Perce Tribe’s Prosecuting Attorney, Anne Kelleher, underscores the benefit of the Tribe’s partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to address repeat violent offenders like Bennett. “Though the Nez Perce Tribe has successfully prosecuted Bennett in the past, he continued to use violence to terrorize and control victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s continued commitment to prosecuting major crimes in Indian Country is crucial and sends a message that violent repeat offenders will be held accountable.” “Domestic violence not only harms the victim but has a long-lasting impact on families and communities too,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “We want victims to know they are not alone. The FBI and our partners will work to help end the cycle of abuse, bring offenders to justice, and protect others from this horrible crime.” U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the joint work of the Nez Perce Tribal Police, the Nez Perce Tribal Prosecutor’s Office, and the FBI, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci Whelan prosecuted this case. ###


title: Former Nurse Practitioner Indicted in D.C. on Charges of Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Lucas Allen Fussell, 42, of Onley, Virginia, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that on June 22, 2024, and again on June 30, 2024, Fussell, a former nurse practitioner, distributed numerous image and video files depicting adult men engaged in sexual intercourse with prepubescent minor boys. According to court documents, between December 20, 2023, and February 7, 2024, Fussell used an anonymous account on an end-to-end encrypted messaging application to exchange videos and images containing child pornography with another individual whose phone was later seized and searched by the FBI pursuant to a search warrant. In the course of those conversations, Fussell shared details that revealed his identity. Those details included his home address, a description of his vehicle, and numerous comments about examining the genitals of patients—some as young as 11 years old—that he saw in the course of his work as a nurse practitioner. In June 2024, an undercover agent with the FBI-MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force used the seized phone to respond to a message from Fussell on the end-to-end encrypted messaging app. On June 22, 2024, and again on June 30, 2024, Fussell sent the undercover agent numerous images and videos depicting the rape and sexual abuse of prepubescent boys. On July 16, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Fussell’s residence in Onley, Virginia, and seized numerous encrypted electronic devices. Fussell was arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He has remained detained ever since. Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guideline and other statutory factors. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc . This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Norfolk Field Office, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, the Onley Police Department, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Anyone with additional information about Fussell’s alleged conduct is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or to submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 24mj00214


title: Dominican Republic Resident Admits Role in Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of the Dominican Republic today admitted participating in a conspiracy to distribute and transport bulk quantities of fentanyl into northern New Jersey communities from a drug mill located in the Philadelphia area, as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Hector Luis de la Cruz Nunez, 32, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Two other individuals, Emmanuel F. Almonte Mejia, 39, and Loanny F. Duran Hiciano, 43, were also charged in March 2022 for the same offense. Their cases are pending. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In February 2022, law enforcement officers learned that a drug-trafficking organization was utilizing a private residence in the Philadelphia area to operate a large-scale fentanyl production and distribution mill from which they were regularly transporting bulk quantities of fentanyl into northern New Jersey communities. On March 8, 2022, law enforcement officers observed Nunez exit the mill carrying a large, weighted bag which he placed in a clandestine compartment hidden inside of his private vehicle. Nunez then departed in the vehicle and left the Philadelphia area before proceeding onward into New Jersey. Law enforcement agents stopped Nunez’s vehicle in Union, New Jersey and discovered four large, wrapped bricks each of which contained approximately 100 individual packages of fentanyl, for a total of 400 individual packages, which Nunez stated were destined to be distributed to individuals located in northern New Jersey. The two charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl each come with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $1 million. Sentencing for Nunez is scheduled for Dec. 5, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, HSI Philadelphia, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Katie Bay, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the Criminal Division in Newark. The charges against Almonte Mejia and Duran Hiciano are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. nunez.information.pdf


title: Middlesex County Man Found Guilty of Fentanyl and Heroin Distribution Offenses

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey man was convicted for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Kenneth Strickland, 57, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was convicted on July 29, 2024, of all six counts of a superseding indictment: one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of heroin, and five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning the guilty verdict following an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: From Nov. 12, 2019, through June 30, 2020, Strickland was a member of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing bulk quantities of fentanyl in Paterson, New Brunswick, and other areas of New Jersey. Strickland engaged in 16 drug sales to an undercover police officer, during which he sold brick quantities of fentanyl containing hundreds of doses of the deadly drug stamped with labels such as “MY SHADOW,” “DEATH ROW,” and “VENOM.” Law enforcement learned that Strickland was sourcing his drug supply from the drug trafficking organization and selling to multiple other customers in New Jersey as part of his membership in the organization. On June 30, 2020, law enforcement lawfully searched locations in Paterson and Passaic associated with the drug trafficking organization, where they recovered more than 350 additional grams of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, such as stamping tools that corresponded to those found on fentanyl that Strickland sold to the undercover detective. The charge of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life in prison, as well as a $10 million fine. The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolando Ciccone, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Graham and Garrett Schuman of the Criminal Division in Newark.


title: Passaic County Man Admits Illegally Possessing Cocaine

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted illegally possessing cocaine for distribution, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Luis Cepeda-Capellan, 27, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Feb. 26, 2021, law enforcement officers recovered a total of over five kilograms of cocaine from a vehicle he was driving. Cepeda-Capellan admitted possessing the controlled substances with the intent to distribute. The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, which comprises special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York City Police Department, and New York State Police, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark. cepedacapellan.information.pdf


title: Gloucester County Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Healthcare Fraud

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for defrauding his employer’s health insurance plan out of more than $4 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary compounded medications, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Christopher Gualtieri, 51, of Franklinville, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to one count of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care and mail fraud and one count charging him with obtaining oxycodone through fraud. U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Compounded drugs can be properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient. Gualtieri and others learned that certain compound medication prescriptions were reimbursed by their health insurance plan for up to thousands of dollars for a one-month supply. Gualtieri recruited co-workers who were covered by their employer’s self-funded health insurance plan to agree to receive medically unnecessary compounded medications for themselves and their family members. Gualtieri and others caused the submission of fraudulent prescriptions to compounding pharmacies, which filled the prescriptions and billed the health insurance plan’s pharmacy benefits administrator. The pharmacy benefits administrator paid the compounding pharmacies more than $4 million for compounded medications arranged by Gualtieri and two conspirators for themselves, their dependents, and other family members. Gualtieri received a portion of the amount paid by the pharmacy benefits administrator to the compounding pharmacies. Gualtieri admitted to paying cash to his conspirators for their participation in the scheme. When questioned by special agents of the FBI, Gualtieri falsely denied recruiting others to receive compounded medications and falsely denied paying cash to others for their participation in the scheme. During the same time period as the conspiracy involving compounded medications, Gualtieri also prepared and caused the filling of fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone for himself and a family member. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Gualtieri to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $5.4 million in restitution. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI, Philadelphia Field Office, Health Care Fraud Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; task force members from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General; the Philadelphia Police Department; and diversion investigators of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey Division, Camden District Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. Attorney for the United States Khanna also thanked U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.


title: Buffalo woman pleads guilty to filing a false tax return

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Maureen Holleran, 61, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to filing a false tax return, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that between September 2015 and October 2023, Holleran worked remotely as a worker’s compensation claims handler for Insurance Company 1, which is headquartered in Canada. In this role, Holleran evaluated and, if appropriate, paid workers compensation claims for policies issued by Insurance Company 1. If a claim was determined to be eligible, Holleran had authority to send payment to the claimant. She had the authority to send payments of up to $2,000 without further approval by her supervisor. Between July 2020 and June 2023, Holleran submitted more than 1,200 fraudulent claims in Insurance Company 1’s claim processing system, with each claim below the $2,000 threshold. Claims were then paid into bank accounts controlled by Holleran. Holleran created fictious expenses, such as claims for lost wages and reimbursements for medical supplies and copays, to justify the fraudulent payments. In total, she submitted approximately $2,370,848.24 in fraudulent claims. To carry out the scheme, she created fictitious email accounts that superficially appeared to be associated with the policy claimant. Holleran then used these email addresses to sign up for Insurance Company 1’s client portal. She would then input her own banking information into the portal. For the tax years 2020 through 2022, Holleran embezzled approximately $1,592,095 from Insurance Company 1 that she did not report on her income tax returns for those years. The Internal Revenue Service estimates tax due and owing for these tax years is $545,792. The plea sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso. Sentencing is scheduled for November 4, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara. # # # #


title: Charlotte Man Charged With Illegal Possession Of A Firearm Appears Before A Federal Judge

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – D’Angelo De’Mara McNeil, 34, of Charlotte, appeared in federal court today on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to allegations in the indictment and today’s court proceedings, on June 2, 2022, CMPD responded to a 911 call at an apartment complex in Charlotte, about an individual shooting at children. The caller indicated that after the incident, the individual – later identified as McNeil – had fled the scene in his vehicle. CMPD located McNeil in his parked vehicle in the parking lot of another apartment complex in the area. CMPD officers approached McNeil and the defendant was taken into custody. The arresting officers also retrieved a handgun from underneath the front passenger seat of the vehicle. The firearm’s magazine was empty and there was one round in the chamber. According to court records, investigating officers spoke with an individual who had witnessed the shooting. The witness told the officers that two young boys had run up to him and told him that McNeil was allegedly shooting at them. The witness also indicated that he then observed McNeil chasing children, heard two gunshots, and saw McNeil put a firearm in his pocket before driving away. A second witness told the officers that two children had run up to her and asked to be let into the apartment complex’s leasing office because a man with a gun was chasing them. Following the court hearing, McNeil was remanded into federal custody. The charge of possession of a firearm by a felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge in the indictment is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The ATF and CMPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shavonn Bennette of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Federal grand jury indicts Buffalo man for selling meth

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Mario Pittman Jr., 30, of Buffalo, NY, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, since March 2024, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Lackawanna Police Department have been investigating Pittman’s drug trafficking activities. The investigation included multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Pittman. The investigation also determined that Pittman has two prior violent felony convictions. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: President of North Carolina-Based Entertainment Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling from Television Production

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A New York man who is the president of an entertainment production company based in North Carolina has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge for embezzling more than $200,000 from a television production. David Ozer, 58, of Roslyn Heights, New York, was charged via information with one count of wire fraud. In a plea agreement also filed today, Ozer agreed to plead guilty to the felony offense, which carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Ozer is expected to make his initial appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. As alleged in the information, Ozer is a producer and the president of Strong Studios Inc., a production company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also is the producer of “Safehaven,” a supernatural thriller television series. According to his plea agreement, Ozer defrauded Ravenwood-Productions LLC, the principal financial backer of “Safehaven” by misappropriating approximately $214,486 in production funds from bank accounts for the production. To create the false appearance that the funds he embezzled were spent on legitimate production costs, Ozer created fraudulent accounting records, including falsified invoices, and forged a letter purportedly from his accountant. In reality, Ozer’s accountant did not write the letter, the contents of the letter were false, and Ozer used his accountant’s name without his accountant’s authorization. Ozer provided these falsified documents to a lawyer for Strong Studios and caused him to transmit them in an email on January 3, 2024, to an attorney for Ravenwood-Productions. The FBI is investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Matt Coe-Odess of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Shooting Restaurant Worker

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eric Davis Jr., 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced after pleading guilty to aggravated assault while armed for a 2023 shooting in a carry-out restaurant located in the 1400 block of H Street NE. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. On July 26, 2024, Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan sentenced Davis to 84 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised probation. The defendant was sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act over the government’s objection. According to the government’s evidence, with which the defendant agreed, at approximately 12:30 pm on May 24, 2023, Davis entered a carry-out restaurant in the 1400 block of H Street NE to pick up a food order. As soon as Davis reached the counter, the victim threw a plastic bag at Davis, consistent with a food order. Davis quickly grabbed the plastic bag and threw it back at the victim. Davis then pulled out a concealed handgun from his waistband and fired multiple times, hitting the victim, before fleeing to his girlfriend’s home. Davis was arrested on November 28, 2023 and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed on May 6, 2024. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Evans, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Felon Indicted on Federal Charges for Armed Carjackings

body_text: WASHINGTON – Rasheed Jenkins, 25, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges arising out of armed carjackings he allegedly committed in August 2023 and January 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The superseding indictment, unsealed today, charges Jenkins with two counts of carjacking, two related counts of using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Jenkins committed armed carjackings on August 25, 2023, and January 26, 2024. The indictment further alleges that on August 26, 2023, and February 2, 2024, Jenkins unlawfully possessed semi-automatic pistols and ammunition. Federal law prohibits Jenkins from possessing firearms and ammunition because he was previously convicted, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland, of offenses that are punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. According to Court documents, on August 25, 2023, Jenkins carjacked a man at gunpoint outside a residence in Southeast Washington, D.C., taking a Dodge Charger. After MPD’s Air Support Unit spotted the carjacked vehicle and illuminated it with a spotlight, Jenkins fled through the District before abandoning the vehicle in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. MPD officers found Jenkins hiding near the basement entrance of a row home in the block, and they recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield 9mm semi-automatic pistol from a mailbox just feet away. On January 26, 2024, Jenkins and an unidentified accomplice carjacked a woman at gunpoint outside of a convenience store in Capitol Heights, Maryland, taking a BMW 328i. A week later, on February 2, 2024, officers with the Forest Heights Police Department spotted the carjacked BMW in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and attempted a traffic stop. Jenkins fled at a high rate of speed, leading officers on a chase into the District of Columbia. He ultimately abandoned the vehicle in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C., and was apprehended after a short foot pursuit. Officers recovered a loaded Glock 30 Gen4 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol from the vehicle’s backseat. DNA testing and analysis linked Jenkins to the firearms recovered during his August 2023 and February 2024 arrests. In addition, ATF Special Agents later obtained historical cell site location data for Jenkins’ cellphone, which revealed that Jenkins’ phone was present near the scenes of both the August 2023 and January 2024 armed carjackings. A federal grand jury previously indicted Jenkins for his February 2, 2024, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jenkins was arrested on July 4, 2024, and has remained detained ever since. The case is assigned to the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Jenkins faces a mandatory minimum of 14 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division’s Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension Group (SPARTA). Valuable assistance was provided by MPD, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Forest Heights Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Cameron A. Tepfer with significant assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Toth.


title: Recorded Sale of Fentanyl Leads to 7-Year Sentence for Portland Drug Dealer

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Tyler Campbell , 39, to 84 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $2,189 in drug proceeds found in his possession at the time of his arrest. Campbell pleaded guilty on February 15, 2024. According to court records, in February 2023, a cooperating source made arrangements with Campbell to purchase methamphetamine. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) testing later revealed that the 84 grams of methamphetamine purchased was 100% pure. DEA investigators directed the source to arrange another buy. During this second transaction, Campbell sold the source 99.2 grams of fentanyl. Both transactions were recorded and filmed. Campbell was carrying additional drugs at the time of his arrest, including 142.6 grams of pure methamphetamine, as well as drug paraphernalia and a large amount of cash. The DEA investigated the case. ###


title: Representative John Rogers Sentenced in Fraud Case Involving the Jefferson County Community Service Fund

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama State Representative John Rogers was sentenced today to 13 months in prison for his role in the scheme to defraud the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman. U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced John Westley Rogers, Jr. , 83, of Birmingham, to the custodial term. In March, Rogers pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Varrie Johnson Kindall, Rogers’s former assistant and companion, 59, of Chelsea, Alabama, and former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr., 77, of Birmingham, Alabama Kindall was sentenced to 36 months in prison and Plump was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison. In February 2024, Kindall pleaded guilty to conspiring with Rogers and to defraud the Fund. Plump also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges in June 2023 and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives. According to the plea agreement, in 2015 the Alabama Legislature passed Alabama Act No. 2015-226 (the “Act”) and authorized the Jefferson County Commission to levy and distribute a one percent sales tax and a one percent use tax to benefit the public welfare and enhance the education of the children of Jefferson County. Jefferson County began levying the new taxes in or about August 2017. The Act required the County to distribute the tax revenue according to certain specified priorities, including paying debt incurred during school construction, increasing the County’s general fund, giving funds to each board of education serving students in the County, and for certain other purposes set forth in the Act. The Act created the Jefferson County Community Service Fund (the “Fund”), which was subsidized by approximately $3.6 million annually from the new taxes. The Act also created the Jefferson County Community Service Committee (the “Committee”), the four members of which were elected by members of the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations. The Committee was responsible for ensuring that the Fund was used only for the purposes set forth in the Act, which included to support public entities and projects such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, zoos, neighborhood associations, athletic facilities, youth sports associations, road construction, the performing arts, police departments, the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and certain nonprofit entities. Each Representative and Senator representing Jefferson County could make recommendations to the Committee of expenditures from their allotted amount of the Fund. These recommendations were made on a form created by the Committee that required certain certifications by the legislator. The organization receiving the funds was required to submit information about the organization and confirm that it intended to use the money for a public purpose. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each Representative was allocated approximately $100,000 and each Senator was allocated approximately $240,000 from the Fund. The plea agreement identifies certain relevant parties. Defendant John Rogers was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Fred L. Plump, Jr. served as the Executive Director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League (“Piper Davis”), a nonprofit organization that claimed to provide a positive sporting experience for inner city youth in Jefferson County. Varrie Johnson Kindall was Rogers’ personal and professional assistant. Individual #1 was the Founder of Organization #1. Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, Defendant Rogers was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Rogers directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to Rogers and Kindall as a kickback. From March 2019, and continuing through April 2023, Rogers and Kindall conspired with Plump to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It was part of the conspiracy that Rogers, with Kindall’s assistance, recommended during each fiscal year that most of his allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump agreed to pay kickbacks to Rogers and Kindall. Rogers, Kindall, and Plump submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’s intended use of Fund money, and Rogers’s certifications on the request forms were false. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Rogers and Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. The second superseding indictment also alleges that, in 2019, Rogers directed Fund money to Organization #1 and Kindall then required Individual #1 to pay kickbacks. Additionally, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Rogers and Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by offering a witness grant money as a bribe and otherwise trying to corruptly persuade the witness to give false information to federal agents. Rogers also persuaded Kindall to agree that she would accept full responsibility for the crimes and falsely tell federal investigators that Rogers did not participate in the scheme in exchange for Rogers’s promise to take care of personal issues for Kindall if she went to prison. As part of that agreement, Rogers had Kindall give false statements to investigators and prosecutors during a meeting at the United States Attorney’s Office on May 25, 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin, Catherine Crosby, and Ryan Rummage prosecuted the case.


title: Eufaula Resident Sentenced For Involuntary Manslaughter

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Danny Gene Kirby, age 66, of Eufaula, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. On June 28, 2023, a federal jury found Kirby guilty of causing the death of the victim. According to investigators, on July 23, 2022, Kirby crashed his motorcycle while leaving the Fountainhead Marina Bar in Checotah, Oklahoma. Kirby’s passenger was thrown from the motorcycle and later died from injuries sustained in the crash. A blood sample was drawn and tested as part of the investigation and revealed that Kirby had alcohol, marijuana, amphetamine, tramadol, citalopram, trazodone, and oxycodone in his system. The crime occurred in McIntosh 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. Kirby was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Joshua Satter represented the United States.


title: Johnston County Resident Sentenced For Manslaughter

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Edward Jay Williams, age 47, of Milburn, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment for one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, the Tishomingo Fire Department, the Milburn Fire Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On November 30, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 8, 2022, Williams crashed his motorcycle into another motorcycle while both riders traveled northbound on State Highway 48A in Johnston County. Williams’ passenger was thrown from the motorcycle and died from injuries sustained in the collision. A blood test revealed Williams was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision. The crime occurred within the boundaries of the Chickasaw 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 sentencing hearing. Williams will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: United States Attorney Ritz Announces Nine Federal Indictments for Firearm and Violent Crimes

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced today that, on July 25, 2024, nine individuals were charged with federal gun and violent crime offenses in West Tennessee. United States Attorney Ritz also reinforced his office’s commitment to federal prosecution of individuals who commit violent crimes, illegally possess machine gun conversion devices (also known as “switches”), or commit other federal firearm offenses. “Violent crime is not just a threat to physical safety—it is a threat to our citizens’ ability to go about their day-to-day lives,” said United States Attorney Ritz. “The citizens of Memphis deserve to feel safe, and that’s why there is no higher priority for my office than reducing violent crime in our city. Our prosecutors will continue to work with law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who violate federal firearm laws.” The following defendants were charged with federal crimes involving switches: Kaderion Stokes, 19. Stokes was previously charged with stealing guns from a federally licensed firearms dealer and possession of stolen firearms. In a superseding indictment on July 25, 2024, Stokes was also charged with possessing a gun with an attached machine-gun conversion device. Keelon Shields, 28. Shields was indicted on July 25, 2024, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a gun with an attached machine-gun conversion device. Jamario Bobo, 21. Bobo was indicted on July 25, 2024, on one count of possessing a gun with an attached machine-gun conversion device. Jarvis Clayborn, 25. Clayborn was indicted on July 25, 2024, on one count of possessing a gun with an attached machine-gun conversion device. The following defendants were charged with other firearm or violent crime offenses: Davonte Vortis, 26 . Vortis was indicted on July 25, 2024, for committing an armed carjacking and an armed business robbery, both on August 31, 2023. He is charged with one count of carjacking, one count of robbery of a business in interstate commerce, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to these crimes. Michael Kelly, 27. Kelly was indicted on July 25, 2024, for committing an armed carjacking and illegally possessing a firearm on January 16, 2022. He is charged with one count of carjacking, one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the carjacking, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Markel Strong, 28. Strong was indicted on July 25, 2024, on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, after having been previously convicted of three serious drug offenses or violent felonies. Turante Nunn, 32. Nunn was indicted on July 25, 2024, on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, after having been previously convicted of three serious drug offenses or violent felonies. Demetrius Williams, 28 . Williams was indicted on July 25, 2024, on two counts of possessing stolen firearms. The indictment alleges Williams possessed a total of 21 stolen firearms. These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force; the Project Safe Neighborhoods Gun Task Force; and the Memphis Police Department. Anyone with information about switches or other federal gun crimes can call 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. These indictments are 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, using data-driven methods to set focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked the Assistant United States Attorneys who are prosecuting these cases, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the cases. ### 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: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Arizona

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Maricopa County, Arizona, for the July 30 primary election. The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the division also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Act and Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.


title: Ohio man sentenced for possession with  intent to distribute fentanyl in Mississippi

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, MS – A Dayton, Ohio man was sentenced on Friday to 96 months in prison for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute it while he resided in Oxford, Mississippi in April 2021. According to court documents, Justin Elkins, 35, previously pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to one count of attempting to possess fentanyl with intent to distribute the drug in Oxford in April 2021 after officers intercepted a package sent through the U.S. mail containing the drug. Elkins was sentenced Friday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. “The U.S. mail should never be used as a vehicle for distributing illicit drugs.” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We will do everything in our power to see that people who choose to illegally distribute dangerous drugs like fentanyl into our communities are held accountable.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to ensuring the U.S. Mails are not used as a tool to distribute deadly fentanyl to our communities,” said Scott Fix, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division. “The sentence handed down today should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators that we remain steadfast with our law enforcement partners to bring those who engage in this activity to justice.” The U.S Postal Inspection Service, Oxford Police Department, and Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office’s Metro Narcotics Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Roberts prosecuted the case.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearms

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 26, 2024. Marvin Brings Plenty, age 34, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Brings Plenty was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in December of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024. In October of 2023, at Rapid City, Brings Plenty, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found to be in possession of a Tisa-Trabzon, Luger caliber, 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol after a search warrant was executed at his home. Brings Plenty was also a user of methamphetamine and fentanyl during the time he possessed the firearms. The investigation began when law enforcement learned Brings Plenty was distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl from his residence. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home where drugs, distribution material, and the two firearms were recovered. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Brings Plenty was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Indianapolis Drug Dealer on Community Corrections Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possessing an Arsenal of Guns

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

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Clifton Withers, 49, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 188 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, on January 7, 2020, Withers was sentenced and placed on home detention and monitoring by Marion County Community Corrections following a conviction for Dealing in a Narcotic Drug. While serving his community corrections sentence, Withers rented two storage units in Indianapolis. On May 19, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a court-authorized search of the storage units and located a clear plastic bag containing three large discs of fentanyl, approximately 250 grams, multiple digital scales, a plastic bottle of lactose—a known drug cutting agent, a large metal press, three handgun holsters, and a black bag containing several boxes of ammunition. Officers also found nine firearms. Withers is prohibited under federal law from ever legally possessing a firearm due to his status as a convicted felon. Additionally, officers searched Withers’ vehicle and found three plastic bags an additional 55 grams of fentanyl that he intended to distribute, a metal press with heroin residue, two more digital scales, and a second metal press inside of a backpack. Officers also recovered a 9mm handgun Withers possessed in his home, as well as an illegal firearm silencer and three books on building military-grade firearms suppressors. All told, Withers possessed nine guns, a firearm silencer, approximately over 300 grams of fentanyl that he intended to distribute. Withers has an extensive criminal record, including four felony drug trafficking convictions dating back to 1997, and one felony conviction for promoting animal fighting. “This defendant is a lifelong drug dealer who has failed to rehabilitate despite given numerous chances to do so. After receiving a Community Corrections sentence armed drug trafficking, he immediately returned to trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and illegally possessing a silencer and an arsenal of firearms,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Fentanyl poisoning takes lives and devastates families in all zip codes and walks of life. Traffickers pose even more danger to our communities when they are heavily armed. Thanks to the outstanding work of our partners at the ATF and our federal prosecutors, the defendant’s career of armed drug trafficking has been halted for many years to come.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Gibson and Corbin D. Houston, who prosecuted this case. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug. One Pill Can Kill : Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill . Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late. ###