title: Distributing fentanyl through the mail sends South Texan to prison

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 37-year-old Brownsville resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute 1,741 grams of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani. Heriverto Ramirez pleaded guilty July 20, 2023. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Ramirez to serve 70 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. “This case is a perfect example of how fentanyl, a potent and deadly opioid, is overtaking every aspect of the illicit drug trade,” said Hamdani. “Ramirez was caught mailing half a kilogram of fentanyl through USPS, creating a potentially deadly hazard for anyone handling the package. The investigation revealed that this dangerous distribution scheme had been ongoing for almost a year.” Ramirez packaged 494 grams of fentanyl for distribution through the U.S. Postal Service, concealing the dangerous narcotic in the shell of a tankless hot water heater. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence of Ramirez and discovered an additional 1,247 grams of fentanyl and 8.48 kilograms of cocaine. Ramirez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Esquivel Jr. prosecuted the case.


title: Man Convicted of $300M Securities Price Manipulation and Wire Fraud Cryptocurrency Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted a Pennsylvania man today for manipulating the price of a security and scheming to defraud investors in connection with the purchase of Hydrogen Technology’s cryptocurrency, HYDRO. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shane Hampton, 32, of Philadelphia, served as the head of financial engineering at Hydrogen Technology and orchestrated a months-long scheme to manipulate the price of HYDRO. Hampton and his co-conspirators hired an outside firm, Moonwalkers Trading Limited of South Africa, to run an automated trading system or “bot” to manipulate the price of HYDRO on a cryptocurrency exchange in the United States by flooding the market with fake and fraudulent orders from October 2018 to April 2019. Hampton and his co-conspirators executed approximately $7 million in “wash trades” and placed over $300 million in “spoof trades” for HYDRO through the bot. Collectively, these spoof and wash trades were designed to, and did, fraudulently induce retail investors to purchase HYDRO so that Hampton and his co-conspirators could sell Hydrogen Technology’s own holdings of HYDRO for over $1.5 million over the course of a seven-month period. The jury convicted Hampton of conspiracy to commit securities price manipulation and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy to commit securities price manipulation conviction and 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud conviction. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hampton is the fourth defendant to be convicted as part of the case. Michael Kane, the CEO of Hydrogen Technology, pleaded guilty to the same charges and is awaiting sentencing; Andrew Chorlian, an engineer at Hydrogen Technology, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities price manipulation and wire fraud and is awaiting sentencing; and Tyler Ostern, the CEO of Moonwalkers Trading Limited, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities price manipulation and wire fraud and has been sentenced to two years in prison. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Morales for the Southern District of Florida assisted in the investigation of the case. Trial Attorney Andrew Jaco and Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Jury convicts Dighton man of child exploitation charges

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas man on child exploitation charges. The jury found Daniel Kroeker, 49, of Dighton, guilty of receiving child pornography via his social media account in July 2019. The jury also found he possessed a laptop and cell phone containing pornographic images of a child under the age of 12 when agents conducted a search in December 2020. Kroeker is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2024 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison of each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, North Dakota Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – North Dakota are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Virginia Man Sentenced to 5 Years Probation and Ordered to Pay Over $1.5 Million in Restitution for Defrauding the United States

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Carissa Messick, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, announced that Jerry Shrock was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $1,542,769.70 in taxes, interest, and penalties. Shrock, 48, of Meadowview, Virginia, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2022, to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prior to sentencing, Shrock paid more than $430,000 toward his tax debt. According to court records, beginning in January 2005, David Wellington and his business partner Stacy Underwood operated National Business Services, which promoted, sold and created Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) under New Mexico State Law. For many clients, National Business Services would open bank accounts under the names and IRS employer identification numbers (EINs) of the LLCs, and the clients – whose names were not associated with the bank accounts - would have access to the funds in those accounts. Clients received debit cards, online bank access information and pre-signed checks with Underwood’s signature, which clients could use to access the money despite the bank never associating the client with the account. In his plea agreement, Shrock admitted that he contacted National Business Services in 2006 for help avoiding federal taxes by incorporating a business in New Mexico. Shrock spoke with Underwood and Wellington and became a client of National Business Services. Wellington and Underwood created three LLCs in New Mexico for Shrock: White Top Enterprise LLC; Poultry Enterprises LLC; and TALC Properties LLC. Shrock was not listed on the Articles of Organization. Instead, Underwood was listed as the “Organizer,” and National Business Services was the initial registered agent for each of the three LLCs. On May 9, 2011, Underwood opened a bank account in the business name of White Top Enterprise, LLC, utilizing the company EIN. Underwood was the sole signer on the bank account. Shrock’s name was not associated with the account. Underwood provided Shrock with online access to the bank account and a book of pre-signed checks with her signature. Between May 9, 2011, and June 30, 2015, Shrock caused approximately $4,875,940 to be deposited into the White Top Enterprise LLC bank account, and over the same time period, Shrock and his wife withdrew or caused the withdrawal of approximately $4,875,940. Among the withdrawals was a wire transfer of approximately $352,216 for the purchase of a home. Prior to his indictment in this case on June 23, 2021, Shrock did not file a personal or business tax return with the IRS reporting the White Top Enterprises LLC income. At the time of the White Top Enterprise LLC deposits and withdrawals, Shrock had a large outstanding IRS lien of approximately $1,026,858 for unpaid taxes, penalties and interest. the White Top Enterprises LLC bank account enabled Shrock to generate and deposit income while evading the outstanding assessment and avoiding personal and business taxes on the income. On April 24, 2023, Wellington pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of his agreement, Wellington faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release. On Oct. 21, 2022, Underwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of her agreement, Underwood faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. # # # 24-63


title: Electrician at Federal Detention Center recognized by U.S. Attorney General for outstanding work on behalf of DOJ

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – An Electrical Worker Supervisor at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac was recognized last week with the Attorney General’s Cubby Dorsey Award for outstanding service. Charles D. Treadway II was presented the award at a ceremony in Washington DC. The award reads for “Outstanding Service in support of programs and operations through extraordinary performance and achievements.” “I am so pleased that Attorney General Merrick Garland recognized the outstanding work of Charles Treadway,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “He demonstrates the best of the federal workforce with his dedication to making improvements to benefit the staff and people in custody at the FDC.” In the Bureau of Prisons nomination form, it notes that Mr. Treadway saved taxpayers more than $55,000 with his innovative approach to a lighting project at the Federal Detention Center. FDC SeaTac, a high-rise building, needed outdoor lighting to reduce areas of dark shadow that posed a security risk. BOP had estimated it would need to spend $60,000 for a major project to improve the lighting. Mr. Treadway improvised with new LED lighting fixtures designed for stadiums and was able to complete the project for just $5,000 – a significant savings. Mr. Treadway is also working to improve the lighting in recreation areas with bulbs that can be protected from recreation equipment. This too will improve security at the facility. Charles Treadway was also recognized for his quick work to complete projects that benefit staff and those in custody. For example, when BOP decided to allow tablets for inmates, Mr. Treadway developed the plans for charging locations and completed the installation months ahead of schedule. The Bureau of Prisons further commended Treadway for his teamwork, by volunteering to fill corrections posts when short staffed and reporting for work in off hours when there are power outages. His work with outside contractors sets an example for other employees. Mr. Treadway is the sole employee in federal service receiving this year’s Cubby Dorsey Award for Outstanding Service by a wage Grade Employee.


title: Jury Convicts Mississippi Man of Drug and Firearm Offenses

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport resident was convicted by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Mark Anthony Robillia, 54, was found guilty following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on December 1, 2022, the DEA and Gulfport Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Gulfport where they found Robillia, along with four firearms in plain view. Officers also found three identification cards belonging to Robillia and a letter addressed to him at that residence. They also discovered a fifth firearm and approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine wrapped in 13 separate baggies hidden in a closet. Further investigation revealed that Robillia purchased three of the firearms and the remaining two were given to him. Robillia had been previously convicted and incarcerated for aggravated assault, being a felon in the possession of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The evidence also indicated that Robillia was distributing methamphetamine from the house where the search warrant was executed. Robillia is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2024. He faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison for the drug offense and fifteen years for the gun offense. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulfport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Lee Smith prosecuted the case.


title: Malden Man Who Robbed Market with Airsoft Gun Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Malden man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to robbing a local market using an airsoft gun in December 2021. John Schurko, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2024. Schurko was charged by criminal complaint in December 2021 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022. On Dec. 12, 2021 at approximately 8 p.m., Schurko entered the Harvard Market in Malden, displayed what appeared to be a black handgun, went behind the counter and demanded money from the clerk. On Dec. 16, 2021, Schurko’s getaway vehicle was located in a hotel parking lot in Medford where he was subsequently arrested. A search of the vehicle recovered, among other things, a black Airsoft gun that resembled a real firearm. The charge of interference with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin; Medford Police Chief Jack Buckley; Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo Jr. made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Meth trafficking sends Billings man to prison for six years

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to bringing large quantities of methamphetamine from Denver, Colorado, for distribution and trading guns for meth was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Paul Andrew Guiot, 45, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that in the summer of 2021, officers with the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force began investigating Guiot for drug trafficking. Guiot made trips to Denver alone and with his girlfriend, Jaide Alexander, of Billings, to buy drugs. In October 2021, officers served a state search warrant on a trailer where Guiot and Alexander lived. Officers located a small amount of narcotics and several loaded firearms. Guiot admitted to law enforcement that he and Alexander were importing large amounts of meth from Denver. He admitted he regularly traded guns for drugs in Montana and would then take the guns to Colorado to trade for more drugs. Alexander previously was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for her guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute meth. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Member of Drug Trafficking Organization Admits Fentanyl Analogue Distribution and Money Laundering

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role as a member of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the importation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Sean Tighe, 48, of Kearny, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to a second superseding indictment charging him with drug trafficking conspiracy and international promotional money laundering conspiracy. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Tighe admitted that from March 2014 through September 2020, he and others agreed to import and distribute various controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, including fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, synthetic cathinones, also known as “bath salts,” such as ethylone, and ketamine. Members of the conspiracy placed orders with a source in China and agreed to distribute, and did distribute, the controlled substances and analogues in New Jersey. Tighe admitted that other members of the conspiracy provided him with controlled substances and analogues pressed into small pills for distribution. The defendants allegedly paid for the drugs they imported by sending, or recruiting others to send, international wire payments to the Chinese sources of supply. Tighe admitted to having been responsible for transferring at least $14,000 to China from April 2014 to June 2014. The count of drug trafficking conspiracy carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The count of international promotional money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked HSI in Philadelphia, the FBI – Newark Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Newark Police Department, and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorneys Stephen Sola and Alexander Hasapidis-Sferra of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. The case is being prosecuted jointly by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey and the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the United States Department of Justice. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . tighe.ssindictment.pdf


title: Commercial Fisherman Pleads Guilty to Income Tax Evasion

body_text: BOSTON – A crew member on commercial fishing vessels operating out of New Bedford pleaded guilty today to evading nearly $300,000 in federal income taxes. Rodolfo Membreno, 49, of Fall River, pleaded guilty to one count of evading and defeating taxes before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns. Judge Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2024. Membreno was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023. From 2013 through 2021, Membreno earned more than $1.3 million working as a commercial fisherman. During the calendar years 2013 through 2019 Membreno failed to file federal income tax returns. He then filed a false tax return for 2020, before again failing to file a return for calendar year 2021. Membreno failed to pay any income taxes on his fishing income and took other measures to prevent the IRS from tracing his income or determining his tax liabilities, including routinely cashing his paychecks and using the cash to fund his personal lifestyle. Membreno’s scheme resulted in tax losses of approximately $293,118 to the IRS, not including penalties and interest. The charge of tax evasion carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and restitution to the IRS. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro and Acting Chief John Kane of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.


title: Middle Tennessee Man Charged with Unlawful Possession and Transfer of Firearm Silencer

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

body_text: NASHVILLE – On February 5, 2024, Paul Faye Sr., 55, of Cunningham, Tennessee, was arrested after being charged with the unlawful possession and transfer of an unregistered firearm silencer, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis. The criminal complaint alleges that Faye spoke with an undercover FBI agent for months about a plan to travel to the United States – Mexico border to commit acts of violence against migrants and federal agents. In January 2024, Faye illegally transferred a silencer to an undercover agent with the FBI as they prepared to travel to the border to target migrants entering the United States. After taking Faye into custody, law enforcement searched his property in Cunningham, Tennessee and recovered numerous firearms, including a short-barreled shotgun and a Springfield XD pistol, another firearm silencer, a militia patch, multiple jars of Tannerite, a brand of explosive targets that can be converted into improvised explosive devices, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Pharmacy Owner and Administrator Admit Roles in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud and Kickback Scheme

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – The co-owner and the administrator of a Union City, New Jersey, pharmacy today admitted their roles in conspiracies to defraud pharmacy benefit managers and health care benefit providers, including Medicare and Medicaid, of more than $65 million and to pay kickbacks and bribes to health care professionals and their staffs in exchange for referrals of prescriptions, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Samuel “Sam” Khaimov, 52, and his wife, Yana Shtindler, 48, both of Glen Head, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court. Khaimov pleaded guilty to two counts of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud and conspiring to violate the federal anti-kickback statute. Shtindler pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud. Khaimov and Shtindler’s codefendants, Ruben Sevumyants of Marlboro, New Jersey, and Alex Fleyshmakher of Morganville, New Jersey, have already pleaded guilty to counts in the superseding indictment and are awaiting sentencing. “These defendants admitted taking part in an elaborate and years-long scheme to use their specialty pharmacy to rip off Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. They paid bribes, kickbacks, set up phony jobs in doctors’ offices. They took reimbursements for medications that never dispensed and falsified records, defrauding insurers via pharmacy benefits managers of more than $65 million. Protecting the integrity of our healthcare system at all levels is a top priority for this office. We will continue to work relentlessly with our enforcement partners to ensure those who commit healthcare fraud or undermine the integrity of medical decision-making through bribes and kickbacks face justice, like the defendants in this case.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “The impacts of health care fraud are far-reaching,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “These schemes not only put a tremendous amount of strain on our resources, but also have significant impacts on insurance costs and chip away at the foundation of trust we have in our health care providers. Bottom line, the conspirators in this case put personal greed above quality patient care. While we are happy to see Khaimov, Shtindler and their crew face justice, we will remain at work for the American public and continue seeking out and shutting down these scams.” “The defendants’ role in the conspiracies to defraud pharmacy benefit managers, health care benefit providers, and taxpayers via Medicare and Medicaid of more than $65 million is deplorable,” Tammy Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, said. “IRS - Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who knowingly violate the law and undermine the integrity of our federal healthcare system.” “The additional pleas in this investigation demonstrate that HHS-OIG will continue to hold accountable individuals who exploit federal health care programs for their own greed,” Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), said. “Pharmacy employees who submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid and bribe medical providers to induce prescriptions put health care benefits for vulnerable populations at risk.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: The Prime Aid Pharmacies – now closed – operated as “specialty pharmacies” out of locations in Union City and the Bronx, New York. As specialty pharmacies, they processed expensive medications used to treat various conditions, including Hepatitis C, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Khaimov was a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City and the lead pharmacist of Prime Aid Bronx. Shtindler was Prime Aid Union City’s administrator. Sevumyants was Prime Aid Union City’s operations manager. Alex Fleyshmakher worked at Prime Aid Union City and was an on-paper owner of Prime Aid Bronx. His father, Igor Fleyshmakher, a co-owner of Prime Aid Union City, pleaded guilty to separate federal charges. Initially, the Prime Aid Pharmacies obtained retail network agreements with several pharmacy benefits managers (PBM), which allowed them to receive reimbursement payments for prescription medications, including specialty medications. PBMs acted as intermediaries on behalf of Medicare, Medicaid, and other health benefit providers, so when one of the Prime Aid Pharmacies received a prescription, the pharmacy would typically submit a claim for reimbursement to the PBM that represented the beneficiary’s drug plan. Starting in 2009, to obtain a higher volume of prescriptions, Khaimov, Sevumyants, Alex Fleyshmakher, and other Prime Aid employees paid bribes to doctors and doctors’ employees to induce the doctors and their staffs to steer prescriptions to the Prime Aid Pharmacies. The bribes included payments by cash, check, and wire transfers, as well as expensive meals and other things of value. Another method of bribery involved paying an employee to work inside a doctor’s office. Prime Aid Union City – at the direction of Sevumyants, Shtindler, and Khaimov – also engaged in the pervasive and fraudulent practice of billing health benefit providers and PBMs for medications that were never provided to patients. While Prime Aid generally provided medications for initial prescriptions it received, it systematically billed for refills for those same medications without ever dispensing them to patients. According to the superseding indictment, from 2013 through 2017, Prime Aid Union City received at least $65 million in reimbursement payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health benefit providers for medications that Prime Aid Union City not only failed to give patients, but that Prime Aid Union City also never even ordered or had in stock at the pharmacy. Over time, PBMs conducted routine audits of Prime Aid Union City and discovered its practice of billing but not dispensing medications. In response to these audits, Shtindler instructed Prime Aid employees to falsify records submitted to the PMBs. In addition, Sevumyants, with Shtindler’s knowledge and approval, forged shipping records of a private commercial shipping company to make it appear as if medications were shipped to the patients when, in fact, they were not. The conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud count is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison. The conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. Both counts are also punishable by a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; special agents of the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; the N.J. Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, Medicaid Fraud Unit, under the direction of Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia, and the N.J. Office of the State Comptroller, under the direction of Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha K. Nye of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton and Jordann R. Conaboy and Aaron L. Webman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark. kahimov.sindictment.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office collects more than $24 million in civil and criminal actions in Fiscal Year 2023

body_text: Seattle- U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced today that the Western District of Washington collected more than $24 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $12,306,908 was collected in criminal actions and $11,958,411 was collected in civil actions . Additionally, the Western District of Washington worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $41,493,471 in civil cases pursued jointly by these offices. “Overall, our collections have increased significantly over prior years and that is a win for taxpayers and crime victims who benefit when we are able to collect restitution and settlement funds,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Of particular note is the $40 million settlement in a False Claims Act matter involving telecommunications for health care in Alaska.” In May 2023, the Western District of Washington recovered $40,252,546 as part of the settlement in the GCI communications False Claims Act Case . The Anchorage Alaska based corporation resolved allegations that it knowingly inflated its prices and violated Federal Communications Commission (FCC) competitive bidding regulations in connection with GCI’s participation in the FCC’s Rural Health Care Program. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District of Washington working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $4,765,255 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.


title: Brimhall Man Pleads Guilty to Murder

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Gilbert John, Jr. pled guilty in federal court to second degree murder. John, 35, of Brimhall, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted John on March 23, 2022, along with a co-defendant. According to publicly available court records, on July 1, 2019, an individual brought a stolen car to John at his apartment in the Sunset Hills complex in Gallup, New Mexico to dispose of and to sell. When John got in the car to test drive it, he heard John Doe from the trunk cry out for help. The individual who brought John the car told John to “get rid of him.” John understood this statement to mean that he should kill John Doe John and the other individual drove around through the night and into the next evening, smoking methamphetamines, and eventually stopping on the back roads to Bass Lake. John walked away from the car, at which point John Doe opened the trunk from inside and attempted to escape. John slammed the trunk back down on him, sat on the top of the trunk door and asked the other individual for a machete that he had seen inside of the car. The individual gave the machete to John, who opened the trunk and stabbed John Doe repeatedly with the machete. John and the individual then closed the trunk and sat together on top of the trunk. John and the individual remained on the trunk until they stopped hearing movement from inside. Afterward, John drove the car with John Doe’s body inside of it to a relative’s house in Standing Rock, New Mexico. Before leaving the car there, John attempted to remove a tracking device, but ended up disabling the car instead. About ten days later, John asked a friend to tow the car to a remote location north of Church Rock, New Mexico. Once the car had been towed to the location, John released the car and let it roll down a hill out of view of the road and borrowed a gas can which he used to pour gasoline onto the car. John lit the car on fire and left it burning with John Doe’s body inside of it. John did not know John Doe prior to killing him. On July 16, 2019, charred remnants John Doe’s body were found in the trunk of the car by the McKinley County Fire Department. John Doe was identified only because investigators were able to match serial numbers from John Doe’s medical records to metal hip replacement devices found in the burned-out trunk of the car. The hip replacement devices were the only substantial parts of John Doe’s body that remained after the fire. In his plea agreement, John expressed remorse for killing John Doe and burning his body. He is facing between seventeen-and-a-half years and twenty-one years in prison at sentencing. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Alexander F. Flores are prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement # # # 24-64


title: Massachusetts Commercial Fisherman Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to evading taxes on income he earned as a commercial fisherman. According to court documents and statements made in court, Rodolfo Membreno, of Fall River, worked as a commercial fisherman and deckhand operating primarily out of the Port of New Bedford. Membreno did not report over $1.3 million in income between 2013 and 2021. For 2013 to 2019, and again for 2021, Membreno did not file federal income tax returns or pay taxes. In 2020, he filed a false tax return that overstated business expenses. For 2012, Membreno filed a tax return but did not pay the tax that was due. To conceal his income, Membreno regularly cashed his paychecks from the fishing companies and used the cash to pay for personal expenses. In total, he caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $293,118. Membreno is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15 and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The defendant also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro and Acting Chief John Kane of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor Wild for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.


title: Middlesex County Man Admits Role in Gunpoint Robbery

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man today admitted his role in an attempted robbery in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where the victim was shot 14 times, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jonathan Rosales, 23, of New Brunswick, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and attempted Hobbs Act robbery. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Dec. 28, 2020, Rosales, along with his accomplices, Saul Peralta and Giovanni Hoyos-Jaimes, attempted to rob the victim in New Brunswick. During the struggle, the victim was shot 14 times causing him to sustain serious injuries. Peralta and Hoyos-Jaimes previously pleaded guilty before Judge Kirsch for their involvement in this incident. The conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and attempted Hobbs Act robbery counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; members of the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Vincent Sabo; and members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the leadership of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the National Security Unit in Newark. rosales.indictment.pdf


title: Canadian National Indicted in Washington D.C. on Charges of Distributing of Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Matthew Norman Ballek, 31, of Saskatchewan, Canada, was taken into custody today following an indictment charging him with 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 Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to the indictment, unsealed today, on January 23, 2024, Ballek distributed three video files depicting adult males engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minors via a social media communication application. On January 23, 2024, a member of the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation Task Force was monitoring an online application in an undercover capacity. Law enforcement has come to learn that the application is used by some individuals who have a sexual interest in children. The undercover agent encountered Ballek, who sent a message believing he was communicating with a pedophile. Ballek later sent the undercover agent three video files depicting adult males sexually abusing minor children. On February 1, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Ballek with one count of distribution of child pornography. The case is assigned to the U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton. Earlier today, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ballek’s residence in the District of Columbia and took him into custody. Ballek will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Monday, February 12, 2024. Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. 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. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Shinskie and Paul V. Courtney. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Brothers get significant sentences for manufacturing deadly fentanyl-laced pills disguised as pain meds

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Corpus Christi brothers have been ordered to federal prison for manufacturing and distributing tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills disguised as legitimate pharmaceutical-grade pain medications, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Chad Williams Wesevich, 40, and his brother Jamie Wesevich, 41, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to conspiracy to manufacture and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered both men to serve a total of 35 years in prison - 360 and 240 months concurrently on the drug and money laundering charges, respectively as well as a consecutive 60 months on the firearm charge. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the brothers possessed a network of friends and family who had said supportive and loving things in letters requesting leniency, but that those letters must be tempered against the facts that people had overdosed on these pills. “We can’t get those people back,” said Judge Morales. “Synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, account for almost 70% of drug overdose deaths in the United States, and Corpus Christi is no stranger to this new epidemic,” said Hamdani. “The dismantling of this deadly drug trafficking organization, including the seizure of two industrial fentanyl pill presses, has made Corpus Christi a better and safer place to live.” “There were several overdose/fentanyl poisoning deaths tied to the Wesevich Drug Trafficking Organization,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division. “The exemplary work of DEA agents alongside our federal and state partners sought justice for the families of victims who lost their lives due to the poison spread by Chad Wesevich and his co-conspirators.” Between 2017 and 2021, Chad and Jamie Wesevich acquired equipment and materials from foreign sources, which were used to manufacture pills disguised as legitimate medications such as hydrocodone. The equipment included two industrial pill presses capable of producing 9,000 pills per hour. The fraudulent hydrocodone was distributed through a network of trusted associates throughout Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. The pills the Wesevich brothers manufactured were linked to several overdoses, both fatal and non-fatal. As a result of this investigation, authorities seized tens of thousands of counterfeit hydrocodone pills containing over 1,500 grams of fentanyl as well as pill presses, pill dies, vacuums, separators and other tools used in the illicit production of fentanyl-laced pills. In addition, law enforcement seized seven vehicles, five houses, seven guns and $350,000 in cryptocurrency and bulk cash. The brothers have been in custody since their arrests in May 2022 and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The DEA led the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation along with IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Corpus Christi Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach leveraging the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Jensen and Tyler Foster prosecuted the case.


title: Gang Member Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Racketeering Charge

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Tre Byrd, aka “Bands,” aka “G Bandz,” 22, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Byrd was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. In March 2019, Byrd worked with other members and associates of the gang to murder a gang rival, who was fatally shot on March 20, 2019, in Irvington, New Jersey. On June 20, 2020, Byrd and at least one other member and associate of the gang robbed a victim at gunpoint in Newark. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Byrd to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; special agents of IRS- Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, as well as investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under Marshal Juan Mattos’ direction; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fragé, the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura’s direction, the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi, the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves, the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan, the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel, the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, for the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division.


title: California Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison  for Transnational Drug Trafficking Scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Michael Lopez Ferrel, age 30, of Salinas, California, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Actual (Pure) Methamphetamine. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 108 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information disclosed at sentencing, In February of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned Ferrel was supplying a large quantity of drugs to distributors in Eastern Washington. A confidential informant was used to set up a meeting to buy as much as 20 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 500 fentanyl laced pills. In March of 2022, a call was recorded between the Ferrel and the informant. During the call, Ferrel claimed he had been traveling from Mexico to Yakima every week with between 180 and 220 pounds of methamphetamine. Later that day, Ferrel and the informant met in person. Ferrel offered to provide the informant with 20 pounds of methamphetamine as well as pills that contained deadly amounts of fentanyl. Ferrel also said he had direct access to a source of drugs in Mexico and people in Mexicali and Tijuana to help move it. On March 10, 2022, Ferrel called the confidential informant and made arrangements to sell the informant 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Surveillance units set up at Ferrel’s residence and the location where he was to meet the informant. Agents followed Ferrel as he traveled from his residence to another location that was being used as a drug stash house. Agents then observed Ferrel put drugs into the trunk of the vehicle. Agents continued to follow Ferrel as he traveled to meet the informant. When Ferrel arrived, he pulled up alongside the informant’s vehicle and retrieved the drugs from the truck. He then got into the informant’s vehicle and gave the informant 10 pounds of methamphetamine. The drugs were packaged in 10 pre-packed zip-lock bags, each containing 1 pound of meth. The next day, Ferrel made arrangements to meet the informant in Prosser, Washington, to collect payment for the drugs. When Ferrel arrived at the location, he was taken into custody by investigators. Later that day, agents executed a search warrant at the residence being used as a stash house for Ferrel’s organization. Agents located more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine, a digital scale, a loaded Colt .45 pistol and $32,000 in US currency. “Mr. Ferrel was part of a transnational drug trafficking scheme and was responsible for transporting massive amounts of illegal narcotics into the Eastern Washington and distributing those drugs into our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I commend law enforcement for identifying Mr. Ferrel’s drug trafficking activities and preventing him from further distributing this poison in our neighborhoods. As a result of these efforts, Eastern Washington is safer and stronger.” “The Drug Enforcement Administration and our Federal, state, tribal, and local partners, strive to keep us all safe from those who would prey on our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This sentence against a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficker proves our resolve to stop traffickers like Mr. Ferrel wherever they operate.” This case was investigated by DEA Tri-Cities, assisted by the Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force, Tri-Cities FBI, United States Border Patrol, and Tri-Cities Regional SWAT. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.


title: Five Arrested on Federal Grand Jury Indictment Alleging San Gabriel Valley Crew Shipped Methamphetamine to Australia and New Zealand

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Five alleged members of an international drug trafficking ring based in the San Gabriel Valley were arrested today on a 27-count federal grand jury indictment charging them with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Two of the defendants also have been charged with maintaining a drug premises where the methamphetamine was stored and packaged. Specifically, the defendants are engaged in the mailing and shipping of methamphetamine from Los Angeles County to New Zealand and Australia. The following defendants were arrested this morning are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow in United States District Court in Santa Ana: Yangqiang Chen, 45, of Monterey Park; Jie Chen, 40, of Rosemead; MeiMei Chen, 41, of Rosemead; Guorong He, 50, of Rosemead; and Yien He, 32, of Rosemead. Zuxing Lin, 44, of Rosemead is currently a fugitive. Xingyun Chen, 54, is currently in Louisiana in immigration custody. As part of this investigation, law enforcement has seized 91 packages of methamphetamine destined for foreign countries. In those packages, law enforcement seized almost 200 kilograms of methamphetamine. The value of the drugs seized, if sold in Australia and New Zealand, exceeds $20 million, according to law enforcement estimates. During search warrants executed today at three locations in Rosemead and Monterey Park, law enforcement seized approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine, more than $100,000 in cash, and more than 1,000 gift cards from various retailers. According to the indictment returned on Tuesday, defendants Yangqiang Chen and Jie Chen ordered and received items from online retailers, such as spools of 3D printing filament, utility cases, wine opener sets, and drive shafts, for use in concealing methamphetamine in international shipments to foreign drug customers. Zuxing Lin, Meimei Chen, Xingyun Chen, Guorong He, and Yien He packaged the methamphetamine, at a residence in Monterey Park and elsewhere, for delivery to foreign drug customers. Yangqiang Chen, Zuxing Lin, Meimei Chen, Xingyun Chen, and Yien He delivered the packages containing methamphetamine to UPS stores and international shipping companies so they could be shipped to foreign drug customers. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted of all charges, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter. This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, FBI, DEA, and IRS. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.


title: Jury Convicts Glens Falls Man of Transmitting Threats

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jesse Bedell, age 35, of Glens Falls, New York, was convicted yesterday of transmitting threats to injure another person, following a 2-day trial. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. The evidence at trial established that Bedell applied to work at Medline Industries’ NAMIC Division in Glens Falls and received an employment offer conditioned upon passing a background investigation. Bedell, however, failed to disclose a prior criminal conviction. As a result, on January 9, 2020, Medline withdrew the employment offer. The following morning, Bedell phoned Medline employees in Neptune, New Jersey, and Northfield, Illinois, and threatened to burn down and blow up the Glens Falls plant. Bedell also threated to kill the employee in Illinois. The jury took 20 minutes to convict Bedell on both counts. Sentencing is scheduled for June 12, 2024, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino in Albany, at which time the defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. The defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The case was investigated by the Glens Falls Police Department and HSI, with assistance from the Warren County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case.


title: Utica Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery of Restaurant

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nay Thar, age 25, of Utica, New York, was sentenced today to serve 157 months (13-years and one month) in federal prison for committing the armed robbery of a restaurant in Utica, and use of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun to commit the robbery, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Chief Mark Williams, City of Utica Police Department, New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James, Acting Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and Oneida County District Attorney Todd Carville. As part of his previous guilty plea, Thar admitted that on August 5, 2022, he used an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun to rob the Zam Zam Restaurant in Utica. Upon entering the restaurant wearing a ski-mask, Thar pointed the sawed-off shotgun at an employee and demanded she open the cash register. After she fled to the rear of the restaurant without opening the register, Thar stole a donation box on the counter containing cash for a charity, exited the building, and fled in a car. New York State Parole officers who happened to be in the area responded with Utica Police (UPD). After a short vehicle pursuit, Thar was taken into custody by Utica Police. The ski-mask, unregistered shotgun, and stolen money were recovered from the car Thar was driving. Thar was also sentenced today to serve a 5-year term of post-incarceration supervised release following completion of his prison sentence. The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Utica Police Department (UPD), the New York State Police (NYSP), and Officers of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (Parole) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted (with assistance from the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office) the case 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: Kearney Man Sentenced for Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Royce Love, 45, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 2, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for receipt of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Love to 84 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Love is released from prison, he will begin an 8-year term of supervised release. Love was contacted online by a vigilante group who posed as a minor female. A conversation ensued in which the group attempted to get Love to agree to meet with the minor female for a sex act. Ultimately, Love stopped communicating with the account and blocked it without ever agreeing to meet. The group then confronted Love in person at his residence and called police. Love agreed to allow to law enforcement to search his phone. When the search was performed, police discovered multiple images of child pornography involving minor females. Police contacted Love again about a week later when the search was complete. After being advised of the Miranda warnings, Love was asked about the images. Love said he could not remember exactly where he had obtained the images, but he did acknowledge receiving them over the internet. Additional electronic devices were seized after the second interview. When those devices were searched, police located additional images depicting children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This case was investigated by the Kearney Police Department and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: McCook Man Sentenced to 31 Years for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jeron Messersmith, 29, formerly of McCook, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 7, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for attempted production of child pornography and production of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Messersmith to 372 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Messersmith’s release from prison, he will begin a 20-year term of supervised release. Additionally, Messersmith was ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution. In February of 2021, Messersmith’s cellphone was downloaded and reviewed as part of a child sex assault investigation. While reviewing the phone, law enforcement discovered child pornography. Law enforcement additionally found numerous text messages and social media conversations between Messersmith and several minor females. In the conversations, Messersmith often requested sexually explicit files from each minor and engaged in romantic and sexual conversations. Photos or videos of each of the minor victims were located on Messersmith’s phone. Pursuant to some of the messages, Messersmith had attempted to travel to another state to engage in sexual relations with one of the minor females. This case was investigated by the McCook Police Department and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Lexington Man Sentenced for Transporting Child Pornography


title: Lead of 7 defendants in multi-state narcotics, money laundering conspiracies case sentenced to 16 years in prison

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The lead defendant charged in a narcotics and money laundering conspiracies case was sentenced in U.S. District Court today. Seven defendants are responsible for conspiring to traffic thousands of oxycodone pills and more than three kilograms of methamphetamine into Ohio from Florida and California, and for conspiring to launder more than $2.5 million in drug proceeds. Michael J. Moore, 47, of Inglewood, California, was sentenced to 192 months in prison for conspiring to launder the proceeds of methamphetamine and oxycodone trafficking and for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute the drugs. According to court documents, from at least 2015 through at least 2018, Moore and six women conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone. The defendants illegally diverted and transported oxycodone pills from Florida to Ohio and from California to Ohio. They trafficked methamphetamine from California to Ohio. For example, Moore obtained fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions in Florida on approximately 10 occasions between 2015 and 2016, allowing him to obtain more than 1,000 pills. Lower-level members of the conspiracy fraudulently obtained a substantial number of pills, providing them to higher-level members and keeping the balance of the pills as payment to feed their addictions. In total, the group obtained and distributed between 5,656 and 100,000 30-milligram oxycodone pills, which were then sold for between $20 and $30 per pill. Moore was involved in the shipping and distribution of at least 3,114 grams of methamphetamine that was approximately 98 percent pure. Moore and the others conspired to launder the drug proceeds by opening bank accounts at several financial institutions, making money transfers, and concealing cash and flying it on commercial flights. The other defendants convicted in this case include: Name Age City Sentence Imposed Mykell Reeneesha Uneek Hawes 33 Cerritos, California 132 months in prison Brandy Monique Casey 44 Inglewood, California 30 months in prison Marisa A. Wallace 29 Columbus, Ohio 72 months in prison Angela N. Faber 41 Reynoldsburg, Ohio 48 months in prison Heather M. Russell 36 Columbus, Ohio 48 months in prison Janette M. Breckenridge 33 Columbus, Ohio 48 months in prison Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Whitehall Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Former City of Pittsburgh Building Inspector Pleads Guilty to Bribery

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Walter Eiseman, 58, pleaded guilty before United States Chief District Judge Mark R. Hornak. In connection with the guilty plea, Eiseman admitted that, as a building inspector for the City of Pittsburgh, he was responsible for performing inspections of properties that were the subject of applications for certificates of occupancy. In 2018, a developer was working on a project to redevelop a commercial building in downtown Pittsburgh as luxury apartments and hotel rooms. As part of the financing for the project, the developer sought a historical tax credit, which would only be granted after the developer obtained a temporary certificate of occupancy for one of the project’s floors by the end of December 2018. In support of his guilty plea, Eiseman admitted performing inspections on two floors of the project during the month of December, which resulted in a temporary certificate of occupancy being issued. In return for such official action, Eiseman accepted home appliances from the developer, which were delivered in early January 2019. Eiseman also admitted that he solicited a set of kitchen cabinets from the developer, which were ordered but ultimately not delivered to Eiseman’s residence. “Walter Eiseman breached the trust placed in him by the public and the City of Pittsburgh when he sought out and accepted bribes in exchange for using his authority as a building inspector to prioritize the approval of a lucrative temporary certificate of occupancy,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Whether it’s a bag of cash, a car, or a set of kitchen appliances, a bribe is a bribe all the same. This office and our partners at the FBI are committed to rooting out corruption at all levels of government. The public expects a level playing field, and it is our job to keep it that way.” Chief Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for June 6, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Eiseman.


title: Reynoldsville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearm Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics and firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. This prosecution is the result of a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Brenton Ryans, 36. According to information presented to the Court, Ryans received parcels that were shipped from California containing a total of between five and 15 kilograms of methamphetamine. Investigators searched Ryans’ residence on August 31, 2021, pursuant to a federal search warrant and seized a small amount of methamphetamine and a firearm. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Allegheny County Police, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ryans. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, and the Clarion Borough Police Department. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Texas Man Who Sexually Abused a Sioux City Minor Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Brownsville, Texas man, who coerced a minor to engage in live streaming of sexually explicit conduct was sentenced February 6, 2024, to 20 years in federal prison. Isaac Herrera, age 22, from Brownsville, Texas, received the prison term after a May 10, 2023, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a minor. Evidence in the case revealed that Herrera met a child online in 2019 and eventually cultivated a sexual relationship with the child. Herrera coerced the child into live streaming sexually explicit conduct, where Herrera took screenshots during the stream. Several of the images were found on Herrera’s phone when he was arrested in June 2022 after walking into a local school and claiming to be the minor’s guardian. Herrera traveled from Texas to Iowa to engage in conduct with the victim. While Herrera was in jail, pending trial, he also admitted to contacting the victim in order to influence the victim’s potential testimony, resulting in a no contact order. Up until the evening before sentencing, however, Herrera made phone calls to the victim in an effort to continue communication and further influence testimony. Herrera was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term, during which he will be prohibited from contacting three minor victims from this case. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Timothy Duax stated, “I am proud of the efforts of the FBI and Sioux City Police Department to capture a dangerous child molester, and see him sentenced to a lengthy prison term. The citizens of our community feel safer knowing that local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies work together seamlessly to protect children from dangerous predators like Mr. Herrera.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Herrera is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4060. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pontotoc County Resident Sentenced For Bank Robberies

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Zakary Keegan Reynolds, age 39, of Stonewall, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment on three separate counts of Bank Robbery, with each count running concurrently. The charges arose from investigations by the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Ardmore Police Department, the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Dallas Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On September 6, 2022, Reynolds pleaded guilty to three separate counts of Bank Robbery. According to investigators, Reynolds robbed three separate banks of over $30,000 in a crime spree spanning three months and two states. On September 28, 2021, Reynolds robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in Dallas, Texas. Six weeks later, on November 12, 2021, Reynolds robbed an American Nation Bank in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Two weeks later, on November 24, 2021, Reynolds robbed a Capital One Bank in Dallas, Texas. Reynolds was apprehended December 6, 2021, in Pontotoc County, after a standoff with law enforcement officers. The Honorable Timothy D. DeGiusti, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearings in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Reynolds 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: Ada Resident Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jaylon Parker Jackson Gore, age 23, of Ada, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that Gore sexually assaulted a minor victim between January and June of 2019. The crime occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ada Police Department. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Gore was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending the sentencing hearing. Special Assistant United States Attorney Jenna Rudoff (Dallas, TX) and Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.


title: District Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Firearms Possession

body_text: WASHINGTON - Mysire Poge, 23, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Poge entered the guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Carl Nichols. Judge Nichols scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2024. The defendant has been detained since November 9, 2023. According to the government’s evidence, on June 16, 2023, law enforcement officers were on the 300 block of 51 st Street, NW when Poge rode by on a moped. Poge spotted the officers heading in his direction. He stopped, turned around, and jumped a sidewalk curb to flee southbound down a walkway on the 200 block of 51 st St. NE. The defendant pulled into an alleyway and jumped off his moped. On the sidewalk on Division Avenue, Poge saw a uniformed police officer who was following him and again, ran towards an alley. Poge darted between two houses on Division Avenue and jumped over a chain-link fence. As Poge ran he threw a firearm that landed in a backyard. He continued to run in a circle before officers arrested him. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 27, 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the backyard with a 22-round capacity magazine. The case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhood. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.


title: Two Fort Worth Gang Members Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: Two individuals have been sentenced to a combined 20+ years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl in the Fort Worth area, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. First, Rhance Guerin, 27, was charged in August 2023 via criminal complaint and pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to possess of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 108 months in prison. According to court documents in Mr. Guerin’s case, on August 2, 2023, based on information that Mr. Guerin was selling fentanyl pills, the Johnson County STOP Special Crimes Unit (STOP SCU) conducted an arrest and search warrant operation in Fort Worth, Texas resulting in the arrest of Mr. Guerin and the seizure of 425.05 grams of fentanyl, 3.923 kg of marijuana, 14.65 grams of cocaine, 253.90 grams of psylocibin, and 3 firearms. Mr. Guerin is a documented Crips gang member. Second, Willie Bryant, 39, was charge in May 2023 via criminal complaint and pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to possess of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He was sentenced on February 2, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman to 135 months in prison. According to court documents in Mr. Bryant’s case, on May 25, 2023, a Crime Stoppers Tip was received that Bryant was distributing black tar heroin, cocaine, crack, fentanyl, China white heroin, Xanax, and ecstasy from a Fort Worth residence. Law Enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence and located approximately 24 grams of methamphetamine, 15 grams of black tar heroin, 51 fentanyl pills, 5 grams of cocaine and 1.65 ounces of marijuana near the location where Mr. Bryant was located. A search of the bathroom revealed a large cutout in the wall behind a mirror that contained 10 firearms, drivers licenses, identification cards, bank cards and social security cards issued to 10 different individuals. A doctor’s prescription pad, two bricks of fentanyl, a brick of heroin, a clear plastic Tupperware container containing methamphetamine, two plastic containers containing ecstasy pills, two plastic containers containing black tar heroin, and a small plastic container with additional fentanyl powder were also located in the cutout. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith prosecuted the cases.