title: Resident of China Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Send Trade Secrets Belonging to Leading U.S.-Based Electric Vehicle Company

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today, in federal court in Central Islip, Klaus Pflugbeil was sentenced by Judge Joan M. Azrack to 24 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to send trade secrets that belong to a leading U.S.-based electric vehicle company (Victim Company-1). Pflugbeil, a resident of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC” or “China”) and a Canadian and German national, and his co-defendant, Yilong Shao, who remains at large, are owners of a PRC-based business (Business-1) that sold technology used to make batteries, including batteries used in electric vehicles. Pflugbeil and Shao, former employees of a company that was purchased by Victim Company-1, took trade secrets from their employer, and later used the trade secrets to build a business that they marketed as a replacement for Victim Company-1’s products. Pflugbeil pleaded guilty in June 2024. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges. “The defendant built a business in China to sell sensitive technology that belongs to a U.S. company. His actions were bold—he even advertised that he was selling the victim’s products—because he thought, incorrectly, that he was outside the reach of U.S. prosecutors,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to would-be offenders: my Office will do everything it can to protect American innovation and national security no matter where you try to hide.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and the Japanese authorities for their assistance on this case. “In stealing trade secrets from an American electric vehicle manufacturer to use in his own China-based company, Pflugbeil’s actions stood to benefit the PRC in a critical industry with national security implications,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department will mobilize every available resource to prevent our adversaries from advancing their global ambitions at the expense of U.S. national security.” “Klaus Pflugbeil attempted to benefit a foreign economy through an unauthorized monopoly fueled by technology stolen from the United States. His actions blatantly violated the trust of his employer and the integrity of our country’s innovative technology. May today’s sentencing reiterate the FBI’s commitment to disrupting any conspiracy which threatens our national security and the balance of the global economic market,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. Victim Company-1 is a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of battery-powered electric vehicles and battery energy systems. In 2019, Victim Company-1 acquired a Canada-based manufacturer of automated, precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly lines (the “Canadian Manufacturer”). Prior to its purchase by Victim Company-1, the Canadian Manufacturer sold battery assembly lines to customers who manufactured alkaline and lithium‑ion batteries for consumer use. The battery assembly lines contained or utilized a proprietary technology now owned by Victim Company-1: continuous motion battery assembly (the “Battery Assembly Trade Secret”). The proprietary technology provided a substantial competitive advantage to Victim Company-1 in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing process. Both Pflugbeil and his co-defendant Shao are former employees of the Canadian Manufacturer, and Shao also worked for Victim Company-1. As detailed in court documents, by no later than 2019, Pflugbeil and Shao planned to use Victim Company-1’s trade secrets for their own business activities. Pflugbeil told Shao that he had “a lot of original documents” related to the technology and sought out more “original drawings” of the trade secrets. Shao confirmed, among other things, that, “we have all of original assembly drawings by PDF.” The conspirators took measures to obfuscate that they had stolen trade secrets. For example, Pflugbeil wrote to Shao about a document he created based on one that Shao had stolen from Victim Company-1, “[its] in a different format, so it looks very original and not like a copy.” In or about July 2020, Pflugbeil joined Business-1, a company previously established by Shao, which has since expanded to locations in China, Canada, Germany and Brazil. Business‑1 makes the same precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly lines that the Canadian Manufacturer developed. The battery assembly technology is related to the development of electric vehicles that can compete with U.S.-made vehicles. The potential for Chinese automakers to swamp the U.S. and global market with vehicles like those that can be built using this stolen technology presents a potential national security risk. Business-1 was marketed by Pflugbeil as an alternative source for the sale of products that relied upon Victim Company-1’s trade secrets, publishing online advertisements on Google, YouTube and LinkedIn. Pflugbeil repeatedly sent LinkedIn messages that named Victim Company-1 and said Business-1 was not infringing on any intellectual property: Hello [name], I hope to get some of your busy time. As I like to introduce our company to you. We already have supplied companies such [a]s [list of U.S. Fortune 500 Companies by name] . . . We engineer and manufacture all of our products in-house, and we warrant that none of our products infringe any patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of any third party . (Emphasis added.) The above reflects a blatant lie, told over and over—that Business-1’s products did not infringe on intellectual property rights of a third party. Pflugbeil also advertised products based on stolen trade secrets on Google. These ads were shown tens of thousands of times per week. On or about September 11, 2023, undercover agents attended a trade show for the packaging and processing industries (the “Trade Show”) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The undercover agents posed as businesspeople who were interested in purchasing a battery assembly line from Business-1 to manufacture batteries at a facility in Long Island, New York. The undercover agents were introduced to Shao at the trade show and later to Pflugbeil via email. Subsequently, on or about November 17, 2023, Pflugbeil sent, via email, a detailed 66-page technical documentation proposal (the “Proposal”) to an undercover agent (UC-1). The Proposal noted, “this technical documentation package contains [Business-1] proprietary information which must be kept confidential.” In reality, the Proposal contained Battery Assembly Trade Secret information belonging to Victim Company-1: at least half a dozen drawings Pflugbeil used in the Proposal and sent to UC-1 were, in fact, Victim Company-1’s information related to the Battery Assembly Trade Secret. The business proposal quoted the battery assembly line at costing over $15 million to purchase. The investigation and prosecution were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section and the Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Samantha Alessi are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth. The Defendant KLAUS PFLUGBEIL AGE: 59 NINGBO, CHINA E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-238


title: Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing more than a kilogram of fentanyl and 14 firearms. Proevine Lennox Robins, 51, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. On March 21, 2023, Springfield police officers executed a search warrant at Robins’s residence. Officers found more than a kilogram of fentanyl, 14 firearms, ammunition, and $21,000 in cash. The fentanyl was discovered in multiple locations throughout the house, including the garage, the attic space above the garage, and a bedroom. The fentanyl in the garage was hidden inside three stacked tires. Among the 14 firearms seized by officers was a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm that had been reported stolen and another loaded 9mm handgun with no visible serial number. Robins told investigators he paid about $9,000 to purchase the fentanyl, which he was selling for $1,000 to $2,000 per ounce. He estimated he had sold an average of two ounces per week for the past 10 to 12 months. Robins said he had made about 10 trips to St. Louis, Mo., over the past 10 months to purchase fentanyl. Under federal statutes, Robins is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.


title: Two Denver Men Sentenced For String of Area Bank Robberies

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mitchell Leland Baca, 33, of Denver, and Jaki Ravion Joseph Martin-Birch, 28, of Denver, were sentenced to 224 months and 170 months in prison respectively for their roles in a series of bank robberies in the Denver area. Baca pled guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and four counts of bank robbery. Martin-Birch pled guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and four counts of bank robbery. The plea agreements show that between June 14, 2023, and July 24, 2023, Baca and Martin-Birch robbed five banks in Denver and Aurora in which they used weapons to threaten employees for cash. Baca and Martin-Birch left each bank robbery with thousands of dollars. “Bank robberies are violent, brazen crimes that we will not tolerate,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “These sentences should send a message to other potential bank robbers that they will be caught and prosecuted.” "Together, the defendants are responsible for at least five bank robberies involving handguns across the metro area,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force is uniquely positioned to investigate these types of cross-jurisdictional crimes and leverage federal prosecution to ensure violent offenders are kept off our streets, preventing further harm to the public." The defendants were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Nina Y. Wang. The FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Denver Police Department handled the investigation. Special United States Attorney Leah Perczak handled the prosecution. 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. Case Number: 23-cr-00370-NYW


title: Irish brothers sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding elderly homeowners across the country

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – Two brothers from Ireland were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their theft of more than $400,000 from a Shoreline, Washington, homeowner, and other victims across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Patrick McDonagh, 35, and Matthew McDonagh, 34, were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in mid-June and were charged federally in mid-July. They pleaded guilty in September 2024. At the sentencing hearings U.S. District Judge John H. Chun called their actions, “terrible and serious criminal conduct.” “The defendants in this case preyed on our elderly neighbors – coming into their homes and peddling lies about repairs that seemed urgent so that the homeowner would write whatever checks were needed to preserve their homes,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “In Washington State last year our elderly were defrauded of some $88 million. Our elder fraud prosecutors are doing all they can to hold fraudsters accountable.” According to records filed in the case, the brothers were part of a group that traveled the country scamming homeowners – especially the elderly – by falsely representing a home needed urgent repairs. One older homeowner in the Shoreline neighborhood north of Seattle, lost about $435,000 to the scheme. The men first approached the victim in January 2024, claimed they were working in the neighborhood and had noticed that the victim had a hole in his roof. The men offered to fix the hole and remove the moss from the roof. Over the course of a few days, they pressured the victim to write them checks for their “services” of $15,000, $20,000, and $26,000. They also claimed that the victim’s foundation was cracked, and they said they would repair that with a “titanium tie rod system.” The roof had no hole, and the foundation was not failing. However, the men dug trenches and poured some concrete to make it appear work was done, and each day they pressured the victim to write more checks. They even demanded an extra $20,000 for “taxes.” Ultimately, they demanded the victim wire $200,000 to a third party for building supplies – again far in excess of any work they claimed to have done. In all the brothers stole $435,000 from the victim. Quick work by a Shoreline Detective and the King County Prosecutor’s Office resulted in the recovery of the wired funds. The FBI investigation connected the brothers to contractor fraud complaints in Oregon and Illinois. In Oregon, Patrick McDonagh represented to three different victims that he was affiliated with a local legitimate construction firm, when in fact he was not. Those homeowners paid as much as $29,000 for foundation work that was never completed as promised. In Illinois, Matthew McDonagh claimed he would repave a victim’s driveway and rebuild a retaining wall for $99,000. After the victim paid $75,000, the work was poorly done and damaged the victim’s house. The value of any work done was significantly less than what was paid. The defendants have agreed to make restitution to the victims in the case. This includes $235,000 to the Shoreline victim, nearly $50,000 to the three victims in Oregon, $75,000 to a victim in Illinois, and more than $673,000 to a victim in Bellevue, Washington. Speaking in court today, the Shoreline, Washington victim said, “They were aggressive, relentless in their pursuit of more and more money. They preyed on my trust and my faith…. I feel ashamed, frustrated, and betrayed and now I don’t trust others.” The FBI is investigating this case and was assisted by the Shoreline Police Department, and the U.S. Border Patrol’s Blaine and Spokane Sector’s Anti-Smuggling Units (ASU). The FBI reminds the public of red flags for contractor fraud: The contractor knocks on your door looking for business because they are “in the area” and uses aggressive sales tactics. The contractor pressures you for an immediate hiring decision. The contractor accepts only cash as payment and demands full payment before starting any work. In the sales pitch, the contractor claims to have materials left over from a previous job. Tips to avoid contractor fraud: Always get multiple estimates for any work you want done. Ensure contractors are licensed and insured. Look them up at Washington State’s Department of Labor & Industries website at https://secure.lni.wa.gov/verify/ Check with consumer protection agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission to search for complaints against a contractor. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar. Ms. Staniar serves as the Criminal Elder Fraud Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington. To learn more about the department’s elder justice efforts please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page .


title: Saint Charles Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Firearm and Narcotics Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 5, 2024, BRANDON D. HILL (“HILL”) , age 32, of Boutte, Louisiana, was sentenced to ten years in prison by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe, after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm as a felon, and possession, with the intent to distribute, fentanyl, cocaine hydrochloride, and cocaine base. According to court records, on March 8, 2023, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies approached HILL in Boutte concerning an outstanding arrest warrant for a probation violation. HILL attempted to flee on foot but was subsequently detained and searched. During his arrest, HILL attempted to discard two plastic bags from his pocket. While seizing the bags, the deputies also spotted, and seized, a handgun from HILL’s waistband. The handgun was a Canik semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber. Deputies also found HILL in possession of a digital scale with residue and four clear plastic bags, one of which contained approximately 3.78 grams of fentanyl. The second bag contained approximately 17.44 grams of marijuana. The third bag contained approximately 1.15 grams of packaged cocaine hydrochloride, and the fourth bag contained approximately 6.25 grams of cocaine base. In addition to the ten-year concurrent sentence as to the firearm and narcotics charges, Judge Ashe sentenced HILL to three years of supervised release, also to be served concurrently. HILL was ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to each count. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) New Orleans Field Division and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney Evans also thanked the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office for the 29th Judicial District for its assistance in this prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Osage Beach Nurse Pleads Guilty to Illegally Obtaining Fentanyl from Hospital

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Osage Beach, Mo., nurse pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally obtaining fentanyl from a hospital for his own use. Charles Welch Jr., 65, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a federal information that charges him with one count of obtaining a controlled substance by misrepresentation. Welch, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Lake Ozark Anesthesia, primarily provided anesthesia services at Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach. Welch was responsible for preparing various medications for use in daily medical procedures. By pleading guilty today, Welch admitted that he stole fentanyl from the automated dispensing cabinets located in the hospital’s operating rooms from approximately July 1 through Aug. 21, 2023. Welch specifically pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining a vial of fentanyl which was for use in a medical procedure, by scanning the fentanyl to generate a label that Welch affixed to a syringe he had previously filled with saline, thus concealing the true contents of the syringe and enabling Welch to divert the fentanyl for his personal use. On Aug. 16, 2023, during a routine restock of an automated dispensing cabinet, a pharmacy technician discovered a vial of midazolam and a syringe filled with a liquid and a “hydromorphone” label affixed to the syringe in a drawer used to temporarily store medications for procedures. The pharmacy technician alerted the hospital’s director of pharmacy that the drugs had been left in the drawer. The director of pharmacy reviewed footage from surveillance cameras and witnessed Welch remove a vial of fentanyl and place the vial in his pocket. Welch then placed a fentanyl label on a syringe that he had previously filled with saline. During the same transaction, surveillance footage also captured Welch remove a carpuject of hydromorphone, place it in his shirt pocket, and affix a “hydromorphone” label onto a syringe which Welch had previously filled with saline. The director of pharmacy then reviewed all the hospital’s available security footage, which went back 14 days, and identified other transactions where Welch exhibited similar conduct. Welch admitted he diverted either fentanyl or hydromorphone on an almost daily basis until he was confronted in August 2023. Welch admitted that after diverting the controlled substances, he would put the drugs in his backpack and self-administer the drugs when he got home. In addition to fraudulently labeling syringes, Welch also admitted to pulling more of a controlled substance than what was needed for a procedure. In some instances where only one vial of fentanyl was needed for a procedure, Welch would pull two fentanyl vials. Welch would use one vial for the procedure and divert the second vial for his personal use. Welch also admitted to fraudulently documenting that patients received a particular dosage of medication on patient charts when he was aware the patient did not receive that dose. Welch made false statements on patient charts so that the medication he pulled for a procedure would reconcile with what the patient received. Under federal statutes, Welch is subject to a sentence of up to four years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley Cooper It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations.


title: Second-in-command of drug distribution organization tied to Aryan Prison Gang sentenced to 12 years in prison

body_text: Tacoma – A 61-year-old Auburn, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to twelve years in prison for his leadership role in a multi-state drug distribution ring announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Thomas Carver has a lengthy criminal history that includes multiple prior convictions related to drug trafficking. He served as the second-in-command to drug ringleader Jesse Bailey, a high-ranking member of the Aryan Family prison gang. The two were documented in multiple wiretapped phone calls discussing their distribution of hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo told Carver, “You are not a local dealer. You are someone who helped sell and distribute across the region… What is alarming are the references to these different flavored or colored pills now that are out there potentially in our streets. I do think their intent is to bring in new users…. as in younger individuals who can be easily swayed by these things.” “The leaders of this drug ring spread so much misery throughout our area,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Mr. Carver knows first-hand the nightmare of methamphetamine addiction, and yet he routinely brought 50 pounds of the drug to our community to distribute. He also delt in large amounts of fentanyl laced pills, a drug that has brought unprecedented numbers of overdose deaths to our community.” According to records filed in the case, over a two-year investigation of the drug trafficking ring, agents seized an estimated 223 pounds of methamphetamine, an estimated 830,000 fentanyl pills, multiple-pound quantities of fentanyl powder, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, $338,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 48 firearms from members of the conspiracy. In addition, during the coordinated arrests of the DTO members in March 2023, law enforcement seized approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 pounds of fentanyl in pill and powder form, six pounds of heroin, more than $330,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 177 additional firearms. Four of those firearms were seized from the Auburn residence where Carver was arrested. Law enforcement found more than $43,000 in cash in the room where Carver slept. On July 9,2024, Carver pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He has been in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since his arrest in March 2023. Carver is the seventh member of the drug ring to be sentenced. Some defendants have received prison sentences of as much at 13 years in prison. Less culpable defendants have been sentenced to 20-50 months in prison. Drug ringleader Jesse James Bailey pleaded guilty last month and is scheduled for sentencing on February 28, 2025. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Zach Dillon.


title: Carlos Watson, Founder and Former CEO of Ozy Media Inc., Sentenced to 116 Months in Prison for Leading Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scheme

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Carlos Watson, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Ozy Media, Inc. (Ozy), was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric R. Komitee to 116 months in prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Watson was convicted in July 2024 following an eight-week trial . Ozy, which was also convicted at trial, was sentenced to one year probation. Additional penalties of forfeiture and restitution will be imposed at a later date. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences. “Carlos Watson orchestrated a years-long, audacious scheme to defraud investors and lenders to his company, Ozy Media, out of tens of millions of dollars,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “His incessant and deliberate lies demonstrated not only a brazen disregard for the rule of law, but also a contempt for the values of honesty and fairness that should underlie American entrepreneurship. On far too many occasions, Watson chose deceit over candor, grasping for the illusion of business success and personal acclaim at any cost. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to those who would engage in fraud that justice will be swift and certain.” “Carlos Watson masqueraded his former company’s composition and purported success to entice investors, but ultimately cost them millions when the curated façade collapsed,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “Watson abused his official capacity to ensnare subordinates to serve as lackies and perpetuate these fraudulent actions. May today’s sentencing deter any individual from implementing deceptive business practices to avoid a similar fate.” According to court filings and as proven at trial, between 2018 and 2021, Watson and his co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme to defraud investors out of tens of millions of dollars through fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions about Ozy’s financial performance, including revenue, cash on hand and profit, ongoing business relationships with celebrities, acquisition prospects from high- profile technology and media corporations, contract negotiations and other corporate metrics. For example, Watson and his co-conspirators lied to prospective investors about who else might be investing in Ozy, the existence and size of acquisition offers received by Ozy, the existence and timing of financing rounds, and the existence and terms of Ozy’s business contracts — going so far as to direct Ozy employees to create fake contracts with forged signatures to provide in due diligence. On multiple occasions, when faced with questions from lenders or potential investors, Watson and his co-conspirators assumed the identities of and impersonated actual media company executives to cover up their prior fraudulent misrepresentations. Watson’s scheme caused actual investor losses in excess of $60 million and intended to deprive potential investors of hundreds of millions more on the basis of his and his co-conspirators’ lies and misrepresentations. In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) . As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including securities fraud, wire fraud and identity theft. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Gillian Kassner and Dylan A. Stern are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant United States Attorney Laura Mantell of the Asset Recovery Section is assisting with forfeiture matters. The Defendants : Carlos Watson Age: 55 Mountain View, California Ozy Media, Inc. Mountain View, California E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-82 (EK)


title: Resident of China Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Send Leading Electric Vehicle Company’s Trade Secrets

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Klaus Pflugbeil, 59, of Ningbo, China, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for conspiring to send trade secrets that belong to a leading U.S.-based electric vehicle company (Victim Company-1). Pflugbeil, a resident of the People’s Republic of China (the PRC or China) and a Canadian and German national, and his co-defendant, Yilong Shao, who remains at large, are owners of a PRC-based business (Business-1) that sold technology used to make batteries, including batteries used in electric vehicles. Pflugbeil and Shao, former employees of a company that was purchased by Victim Company-1, took trade secrets from their employer, and later used the trade secrets to build a business that they marketed as a replacement for Victim Company-1’s products. “In stealing trade secrets from an American electric vehicle manufacturer to use in his own China-based company, Pflugbeil’s actions stood to benefit the PRC in a critical industry with national security implications,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department will mobilize every available resource to prevent our adversaries from advancing their global ambitions at the expense of U.S. national security.” “The defendant built a business in China to sell sensitive technology that belongs to a U.S. company. His actions were bold — he even advertised that he was selling the victim’s products — because he thought, incorrectly, that he was outside the reach of U.S. prosecutors,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to would-be offenders: my Office will do everything it can to protect American innovation and national security no matter where you try to hide.” Victim Company-1 is a U.S.-based leading manufacturer of battery-powered electric vehicles and battery energy systems. In 2019, Victim Company-1 acquired a Canada-based manufacturer of automated, precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly. Prior to its purchase by Victim Company-1, the Canadian manufacturer sold battery assembly lines to customers who manufactured alkaline and lithium‑ion batteries for consumer use. The battery assembly lines contained or utilized a proprietary technology now owned by Victim Company-1: continuous motion battery assembly. The proprietary technology provided a substantial competitive advantage to Victim Company-1 in the lithium-ion battery manufacturing process. Both Pflugbeil and his co-defendant Shao are former employees of the Canadian manufacturer, and Shao also worked for Victim Company-1. As detailed in court documents, by no later than 2019, Pflugbeil and Shao planned to use Victim Company-1’s trade secrets for their own business activities. Pflugbeil told Shao that he had “a lot of original documents” related to the technology and sought out more “original drawings” of the trade secrets. Shao confirmed, among other things, that, “we have all of original assembly drawings by PDF.” The conspirators took measures to obfuscate that they had stolen trade secrets. For example, Pflugbeil wrote to Shao about a document he created based on one that Shao had stolen from Victim Company-1, “[its] in a different format, so it looks very original and not like a copy.” In or about July 2020, Pflugbeil joined Business-1, a company previously established by Shao, which has since expanded to locations in China, Canada, Germany, and Brazil. Business‑1 makes the same precision dispensing pumps and battery assembly lines that the Canadian manufacturer developed. The battery assembly technology is related to the development of electric vehicles that can compete with U.S.-made vehicles. The potential for Chinese automakers to swamp the U.S. and global market with vehicles like those that can be built using this stolen technology presents a potential national security risk. Business-1 was marketed by Pflugbeil as an alternative source for the sale of products that relied upon Victim Company-1’s trade secrets, publishing online advertisements on Google, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Pflugbeil repeatedly sent LinkedIn messages that named Victim Company-1 and said Business-1 was not infringing on any intellectual property: Hello [name], I hope to get some of your busy time. As I like to introduce our company to you. We already have supplied companies such [a]s [list of U.S. Fortune 500 Companies by name] . . . We engineer and manufacture all of our products in-house, and we warrant that none of our products infringe any patents, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights of any third party . The above reflects a blatant lie, told over and over—that Business-1’s products did not infringe on intellectual property rights of a third party. Pflugbeil also advertised products based on stolen trade secrets on Google. These ads were shown tens of thousands of times per week. On or about September 11, 2023, undercover agents attended a trade show for the packaging and processing industries in Las Vegas, Nevada. The undercover agents posed as businesspeople who were interested in purchasing a battery assembly line from Business-1 to manufacture batteries at a facility in Long Island, New York. The undercover agents were introduced to Shao at the trade show and later to Pflugbeil via email. Subsequently, on or about November 17, 2023, Pflugbeil sent, via email, a detailed 66-page technical documentation proposal to an undercover agent (UC-1). The proposal notes, “this technical documentation package contains [Business-1] proprietary information which must be kept confidential.” In reality, the proposal contained battery assembly trade secret information belonging to Victim Company-1: at least half a dozen drawings Pflugbeil used in the proposal and sent to UC-1 were, in fact, Victim Company-1’s information related to the battery assembly trade secret. The business proposal quoted the battery assembly line at over $15 million. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Samantha Alessi for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case. The investigation and prosecution were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.


title: Doctor Pleads Guilty in $5.5M COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Texas physician pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a $5.5 million over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 test fraud scheme. According to court documents, Mark Mazzare M.D., 57, of Tyler, purchased Medicare beneficiary identifiers (BINs) that were used to bill Medicare millions of dollars for OTC COVID-19 test kits, many of which had not been requested by the beneficiaries. Mazzare entered into a sham agreement with a purported marketer to conceal the purchase of BINs as “lead packages,” which in reality consisted of BINs and fraudulently generated audio recordings purporting to be the voices of the beneficiaries requesting the OTC COVID-19 tests. Mazzare caused OTC COVID-19 tests to be shipped to Medicare beneficiaries whose BINs had been purchased, regardless of whether the Medicare beneficiaries had requested or needed the tests. From in or around November 2022 to in or around June 2023, Mazzare caused more than $5.5 million in claims to be submitted to Medicare for OTC COVID-19 tests that were medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement. Medicare paid approximately $3.44 million on those claims. Mazzare pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to purchase, sell, and distribute Medicare beneficiary identification numbers. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date, when a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs for the Eastern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office; and Inspector-in-Charge Kai Pickens of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Fort Worth Division made the announcement. HHS-OIG and USPIS are investigating the case, with significant assistance provided by the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant Chief Brynn Schiess of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Austin Wells for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Two Juveniles Plead Guilty for November 2023 Carjacking

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Robert Littles, 17, and Jessup Meeks, 18, both of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to carjacking and firearms offenses stemming from a November 2023 carjacking in Southeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Both defendants pleaded guilty in D.C. Superior Court to one count of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Judge Errol Arthur scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 21, 2025. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration. At the time of the offense, Littles was 16 years old and Meeks was 17 years old. Both were charged as adults. According to the government’s evidence, with which the defendants agreed, on November 19, 2023, the victim was working as an Uber driver and travelled to the 3000 block of Massachusetts Avenue Southeast to pick up a passenger. Meeks got in the front passenger seat of the victim’s car, while Littles and an unidentified third person approached the driver’s side. Littles pointed a black AR-style rife with a drum magazine at the victim’s head before punching the victim in the face. The defendants then pulled the victim out of his car and down to the ground and told him to “leave everything and get out.” The defendants then fled the scene in the victim’s car. Meeks and Littles were arrested approximately thirty minutes later, after the victim’s car was found crashed in the 3000 block of Nelson Place Southeast. Officers observed Littles and Meeks walking up the street from the crashed vehicle and detained them after a short foot pursuit. During the stop, officers recovered the firearm from Littles’ person. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Randle Wilson and Lauren “Luca” Winer.


title: Connecticut Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Grandparent Scheme

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Matthew Ramos-Soto, 27, Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a wire fraud scheme targeting elderly victims. Ramos-Soto pled guilty to the charge on April 4, 2024. He was also ordered to pay restitution. Ramos-Soto was part of a network of individuals perpetrating related grandparent schemes across the United States. Coconspirators operating outside the United States called elderly victims posing as a relative or relative’s attorney. Victims were told that their relative had been arrested for causing an accident that severely injured or killed another person. Victims were asked to provide bail money in cash so their relative could be released immediately. Once victims obtained the funds, a courier posing as a bail bondsman picked up the funds from the victims’ residences. Defendant was one of the couriers posing as a bail bondsman. Between October 24, 2022, and October 28, 2022, Ramos-Soto and the other couriers picked up more than $250,000 from victims throughout Wisconsin. Law enforcement was able to identify Ramos-Soto and he was ultimately arrested attempting to pick up money from a victim in Ottawa County, Michigan, on June 28, 2023. A subsequent search of Ramos-Soto’s cellphone data showed that from October 11, 2022, through his arrest on June 28, 2023, he picked up money from victims in 18 different locations around the United States. Additional federal cases against this fraud network have been brought in the District of Vermont, District of Rhode Island, Southern District of California, Western District of Pennsylvania, Central District of Illinois, and the Western District of Kentucky. At sentencing, Judge Peterson described the crime as “cruel and devastating,” acknowledging the significant financial and emotional impact on the victims. Judge Peterson also said that with the sentence, he hoped to deter Ramos-Soto and others from engaging in these types of schemes in the future. “Unfortunately, scams targeting the elderly or vulnerable are proliferating. If someone demands money over the phone or internet, always reach out to a trusted advisor, law enforcement agency, or the fraud hotlines described below,” said U.S. Attorney O’Shea. “My office is committed to working with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who target vulnerable individuals for financial gain.” “The Wisconsin Department of Justice is committed to combating scams and holding perpetrators accountable,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to the law enforcement officers from a number of different agencies who assisted with this investigation.” “I want to acknowledge the many local and state law enforcement partners who worked to bring this perpetrator to justice,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “Elder fraud preys upon the vulnerabilities of our senior citizens and inflicts financial and emotional harm. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to investigate those who commit these crimes.” If you suspect fraud has occurred or been attempted, report it to authorities so that those who commit fraud can be identified. The U.S. Justice Department operates the National Elder Fraud Hotline which can be reached at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), which is staffed by case managers who provide personalized support to callers. Wisconsin residents can also contact their local police department or the Wisconsin Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-833-586-0107. The charge against Ramos-Soto was the result of an investigation led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, following a Statewide Crime Alert by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office that connected several investigations across Wisconsin. The other Wisconsin agencies involved in the investigation are the Outagamie, Shawano, Manitowoc, and Brown County Sheriffs’ Offices; and the New Lisbon, Wrightstown, Fitchburg, Reedsburg, Randolph, Fox Valley Metro, Hobart Lawrence, Green Bay, Oshkosh, and Fond du Lac Police Departments. Law enforcement in Ottawa County, Ionia County, and Kent County in Michigan also assisted with the investigation. The government would also like to acknowledge the assistance provided by local, state, and federal victim/witness personnel. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin prosecuted the case.


title: Norfolk man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for trafficking guns and drugs

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced on Dec. 13 to 10 years and 11 months in prison for distribution of Para-fluorofentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on Dec. 28, 2023, Tramaine Waldell Riddick, 42, sold 4.4 grams of heroin and an AK47 rifle with a 30-round magazine and ammunition at his residence in a controlled purchase conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Chesapeake Police Department (CPD). In multiple subsequent controlled purchases in January and February, Riddick sold 57.35 grams of suspected heroin, six firearms, and ammunition. One of the firearms Riddick sold was stolen, and during one of the controlled purchases Riddick sold a machinegun conversion device. The substances Riddick sold tested positive for heroin, para-fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and xylazine. Riddick is attributed with possessing with intent to distribute or distributing 79 grams of fentanyl and 179 grams of cocaine. On April 9, 2024, law enforcement conducted a search of Riddick’s residence and recovered four additional firearms and ammunition. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-74.


title: New Mexico man sentenced to prison for stealing Montana Historical Society documents; letters by wife of Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell

body_text: HELENA — A New Mexico man who admitted stealing 100-year-old items, including letters by the wife of Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell, from the Montana Historical Society and selling them on eBay for profit was sentenced today to six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and fined $4,000, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Brian Anthony D’Ambrosio, 50, of Sante Fe, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in July to theft of major artwork. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court also ordered $22,508 restitution. The court allowed D’Ambrosio to self-report to prison. “D’Ambrosio’s actions were intentional and calculated—designed to steal Montana’s cultural treasures so he could profit. The Montana Historical Society, and all Montanans, were victims of D’Ambrosio’s greed because these documents were deeply rooted in Montana history. Today, D’Ambrosio faced the consequences, and we hope this case serves as a deterrent to anyone considering similar criminal conduct,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The government in court documents said that D’Ambrosio’s actions targeted artifacts that would reap large profits, including a document tied to world-famous Western artist Charles M. Russell, and included a statement from the Montana Historical Society Staff about the scope of the damage D’Ambrosio caused: “The items stolen by you (D’Ambrosio) from the collections belong to the people of Montana, not to you for your selfish, greedy purposes. Your actions forced us to implement stricter rules regarding access and use of historical documents, which impacts all future researchers…. The emotional and financial impacts will be felt for generations.” The government alleged in court documents that D’Ambrosio, while claiming to conduct research at the Montana Historical Society, a museum located in Helena, stole items from the archives from about April 2022 to September 2023. The stolen items included letters written by Nancy Russell, the wife of renowned Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell. The stolen items were more than 100 years old, were of cultural heritage and exceeded $5,000 in value. D’Ambrosio then sold and attempted to sell the stolen items for profit on eBay. An undercover FBI agent posed as a would-be purchaser to confirm D’Ambrosio was the individual stealing the items from the Montana Historical Society and selling or attempting to sell the items on eBay for a profit, none of which was authorized. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI Art Crime Team and Helena Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Cold Case Murder Investigation from 2005 Leads to Arrest and Indictment of Maryland Man

body_text: WASHINGTON – Michael Wells, 53, of Hyattsville, Maryland was arraigned by Superior Court of the District of Columbia Judge Michael O’Keefe on one count of first degree while armed, premeditated murder, one count of second degree murder while armed, one count of arson, one count of tampering with physical evidence and related weapons offenses. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the indictment and related court documents, Wells shot Makia Mosby with a firearm and set her body on fire in an incident that occurred on November 24, 2005, causing injuries from which Makia Mosby would not survive. Following the indictment, Wells was arrested on December 12, 2024. If convicted, Wells faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and five years of supervised release. In announcing the indictment and arraignment, U.S. Attorney Graves, commended the work of the Metropolitan Police Department and acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Vinet Bryant, who is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office forfeits cryptocurrency and helps victims of business email compromise fraud scheme

body_text: Seattle – Quick work by the U.S. Secret Service and the Asset Forfeiture Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office means victims of a business email compromise scheme may be made whole after losing millions of dollars through fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. In December 2023, a company involved in real estate transactions reported that their system had been compromised and fraudsters obtained more than $1 million by submitting false wire transfer instructions. Investigation revealed that at least ten other businesses or individuals had also been victimized, in amounts ranging from $75,000 to $425,000. The fraud proceeds were laundered through multiple bank accounts, some of which were held by money mules, before being consolidated into a single cryptocurrency wallet, controlled by fraudsters in Nigeria. Acting quickly, law enforcement seized approximately 32.68 Bitcoin, then worth about $900,000, from the fraudsters’ cryptocurrency wallet. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then filed a civil forfeiture case against the seized Bitcoin, the value of which has more than tripled since the time of seizure. Due to the rising price of Bitcoin, it is possible that each of the ten victims who have filed claims will be made whole. “I commend the quick work by law enforcement and the Asset Forfeiture Unit who moved to seize this Bitcoin and are working diligently to make these victims whole,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Civil forfeiture is an important tool that we can use to help victims, even before the bad actors themselves have been arrested.”


title: Founder of Iranian Company Arrested for Providing Material Support to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and for Scheme to Procure Sensitive U.S. Technology for Use in IRGC Military Drones, One of Which Killed Three U.S. Servicemembers

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, a dual U.S.-Iranian national of Natick, Mass. and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, A/K/A Mohammad Abedini (Abedini), 38, of Tehran, Iran, have been charged in federal court in Boston with conspiring to export sophisticated electronic components from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws. Abedini is also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), IRGC, that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. servicemembers who were killed by a one-way attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, on a military base in Jordan. Sadeghi was arrested today and made his initial appearance in the District of Massachusetts. He was held pending a detention hearing scheduled for Dec. 27, 2024. Abedini was also arrested today in Italy by Italian authorities at the request of the United States. According to court documents, Abedini is the founder and managing director of an Iranian company, San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA or SADRA), that manufactures navigation modules used in the IRGC’s military drone program. SDRA’s main business is the sale of a proprietary navigation system—known as the Sepehr Navigation System—to the IRGC, which the United States designated as an FTO on April 15, 2019. The primary application of SDRA’s Sepehr Navigation System is for use in UAVs, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. Sadeghi is currently employed by a Massachusetts-based microelectronics manufacturer (U.S. Company 1) and was one of the founders of a Massachusetts-based technology company (U.S. Company 2) that specializes in wearable sensors that provide kinetic monitoring for fitness applications. As alleged in court documents, Abedini, Sadeghi, and others conspired to evade U.S. export control and sanctions laws by procuring U.S. origin goods, services, and technology from, among others, U.S. Company 1 and causing those goods, services, and technology to be exported or otherwise supplied to Iran and, in particular, Abedini’s Iranian company, SDRA. As further alleged, in or around 2016, Sadeghi traveled to Iran to request funding for U.S. Company 2 from the Iranian National Elites Foundation (INEF), which is an Iranian governmental organization whose main purpose is to recognize, organize, and support Iran’s elite national talents. In exchange for funding for U.S. Company 2, which Sadeghi’s company ultimately received from the INEF, Sadeghi and others created a second company in Iran (Iranian Company 1). Shortly after forming Iranian Company 1, Sadeghi, through Iranian Company 1, entered into a contract with SDRA for the purchase of SDRA’s technology. It is also alleged that, since in or around 2016, on multiple occasions, Sadeghi has helped Abedini procure U.S. export-controlled electronic components for Abedini’s use in Iran. Due to U.S. laws restricting exports to Iran, Abedini established a Switzerland front company for SDRA, Illumove SA (Illumove). With Sadeghi’s assistance, Abedini, through Illumove, entered into a contract with U.S. Company 1 to develop a mechanism to evaluate U.S. Company 1’s electronic components, including sophisticated semiconductors. Sadeghi and Abedini subsequently caused U.S.-origin goods, services, and technology to be transferred to Iran, through Illumove, for the benefit of SDRA. Certain of the electronic components that Abedini obtained through Illumove were the same types of electronic components used in SDRA’s Sepehr Navigation System. “Today, the Justice Department has charged, and our foreign partners haven taken into custody, Mohammad Abedini, who we allege supplied sensitive technology used by the Iranian military to kill three American servicemembers in Jordan earlier this year,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In addition, we have charged and arrested Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen for conspiring with Abedini to export sensitive U.S. technology to Iran. Today’s arrests demonstrate that the Justice Department will hold accountable those who enable the Iranian regime to continue to target and kill Americans and undermine the national security of the United States.” “Earlier this year, Iran-backed militias murdered three American soldiers and wounded dozens more in a brutal drone attack at the Tower 22 base in Jordan,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, working with our partners here and abroad, we have charged and arrested two men who conspired to evade U.S. sanctions and supply the Iranian government with the type of drone navigation technology used in that attack. Our message is unmistakable: if you provide support to the Iranian regime’s campaign of terror and violence targeting Americans – we will find you, arrest you, and hold you accountable in a U.S. court, no matter where you are.” “Holding culpable people accountable for the death and maiming of U.S. service men and women bravely serving our nation abroad is about as important a prosecution as there is. These allegations make clear the grievous harm that can result when highly sophisticated American technologies subject to export controls end up in the hands of our adversaries,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “These criminal charges are the direct product of the dogged work of the FBI and the Department of Commerce, in close collaboration with DOJ lawyers, as part of the Disruptive Technologies Task Force launched in February 2023, and I commend their outstanding work.” “This case reflects our commitment to pursing those who unlawfully aid Iran’s military drone program and to seeking justice for the U.S. servicemembers killed at the hands of the IRGC-backed militants earlier this year,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. “Export laws exist to keep cutting-edge U.S. technology out of the hands of foreign terrorist organizations. When sensitive drone technology is supplied to the IRGC – as alleged in this case – it places our military at risk and imperils American citizens.” “These defendants are charged with supplying sensitive technology to an Iranian company that develops technology the IRGC uses in its one-way attack drones to commit acts of terror around the world,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “Export crimes are much more than just regulatory violations – they enable our adversaries to engage in numerous malign activities harmful to U.S. interests, including the sowing of terror worldwide.” “The FBI will continue to aggressively use all of our authorities to investigate and arrest anyone who assists the Government of Iran in obtaining technology that can be used for deadly purposes,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “These perpetrators allegedly facilitated the transfer of electronic components to an Iranian company which one of them owned. According to the charges, the company owner then supplied the IRGC with drone technology that was used in various terrorist acts, including an attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan which killed three servicemembers and injured dozens more. Such acts are wholly unacceptable, and the FBI will work tirelessly with our partners to cut off illegal transfers of technology to foreign terrorists and other adversaries.” “We believe these two men conspired to illegally procure sophisticated U.S. technology, made right here in Massachusetts, for one of the world’s most infamous state sponsors of terrorism – in an effort to help the Government of Iran strengthen its arsenal of weapons,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “With today’s arrests, the FBI has disrupted this Iranian procurement network that was directly involved in the horrific attack on Tower 22 where three U.S. soldiers were killed, and more than 40 others injured. This case demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bring to justice anyone who seeks to commit acts of terror against the United States and our allies.” “The Office of Export Enforcement vigorously investigates violations of export controls to protect U.S. national security,” said Special Agent in Charge James Guanci of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office. “The two defendants are charged with working on behalf of Iran and the IRGC to facilitate the illegal export of high-tech drone components that resulted in a deadly terrorist act targeting U.S. service members.” Abedini is also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the IRGC, specifically, the IRGC Aerospace Force, which is the strategic missile, air and space force within the IRGC. Since at least in or about 2014, SDRA has had multiple projects with the IRGC Aerospace Force, including projects for guided rockets and integrated navigation systems. As alleged, between 2021 and 2022, approximately 99% of SDRA’s sales of the Sepehr Navigation System, which are used in IRGC one-way attack drones, were to the IRGC’s Aerospace Force. On Jan. 28, 2024, three U.S. service members were killed, and more than 40 others were injured, in a drone attack by IRGC-backed militants on a military base located in northern Jordan, known as Tower 22. According to court documents, analysis of the drone that was recovered from the site of the attack showed that the drone was an Iranian Shahed UAV and that the navigation system used in the drone was the Sepehr Navigation System, which was manufactured by Abedini’s company, SDRA. Sadeghi and Abedini each face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million fine on the conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economics Powers Act charge. On the conspiracy to provide material support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, resulting in death charge and provision and attempted provision of material support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, resulting in death, Abedini faces up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant United States Jared Dolan and Alathea Porter of the District of Massachusetts’ National Security Unit; Trial Attorney Christina Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and Trial Attorneys Katie Sweeten and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing assistance and is seeking extradition of Abedini from Italy. This prosecution is being coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, 42, a dual U.S.-Iranian national of Natick, Massachusetts, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, also known as Mohammad Abedini (Abedini), 38, of Tehran, Iran, have been charged with conspiring to export sophisticated electronic components from the United States to Iran in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws. Abedini is also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), that resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members who were killed by a one-way attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, on a military base in Jordan. Sadeghi was arrested and made his initial appearance today in the District of Massachusetts. Abedini was also arrested today in Italy by Italian authorities at the request of the United States. “Today, the Justice Department has charged, and our foreign partners have taken into custody, Mohammad Abedini, who we allege supplied sensitive technology used by the Iranian military to kill three American servicemembers in Jordan earlier this year,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In addition, we have charged and arrested Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen, for conspiring with Abedini to export sensitive U.S. technology to Iran. Today’s arrests demonstrate that the Justice Department will hold accountable those who enable the Iranian regime to continue to target and kill Americans and undermine the national security of the United States.” “Earlier this year, Iran-backed militias murdered three American soldiers and wounded dozens more in a brutal drone attack at the Tower 22 base in Jordan,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, working with our partners here and abroad, we have charged and arrested two men who conspired to evade U.S. sanctions and supply the Iranian government with the type of drone navigation technology used in that attack. Our message is unmistakable: if you provide support to the Iranian regime’s campaign of terror and violence targeting Americans – we will find you, arrest you, and hold you accountable in a U.S. court, no matter where you are.” “This case reflects our commitment to pursuing those who unlawfully aid Iran’s military drone program and to seeking justice for the U.S. servicemembers killed at the hands of the IRGC-backed militants earlier this year,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Export laws exist to keep cutting-edge U.S. technology out of the hands of foreign terrorist organizations. When sensitive drone technology is supplied to the IRGC – as alleged in this case – it places our military at risk and imperils American citizens.” “These defendants are charged with supplying sensitive technology to an Iranian company that develops technology the IRGC uses in its one-way attack drones to commit acts of terror around the world,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Export crimes are much more than just regulatory violations – they enable our adversaries to engage in numerous malign activities harmful to U.S. interests, including the sowing of terror worldwide.” “The FBI will continue to aggressively use all of our authorities to investigate and arrest anyone who assists the Government of Iran in obtaining technology that can be used for deadly purposes,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “These perpetrators allegedly facilitated the transfer of electronic components to an Iranian company which one of them owned. According to the charges, the company owner then supplied the IRGC with drone technology that was used in various terrorist acts, including an attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan which killed three servicemembers and injured dozens more. Such acts are wholly unacceptable, and the FBI will work tirelessly with our partners to cut off illegal transfers of technology to foreign terrorists and other adversaries.” “Holding culpable people accountable for the death and maiming of U.S. service men and women bravely serving our nation abroad is about as important a prosecution as there is. These allegations make clear the grievous harm that can result when highly sophisticated American technologies subject to export controls end up in the hands of our adversaries,” said U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “These criminal charges are the direct product of the dogged work of the FBI and the Department of Commerce, in close collaboration with DOJ lawyers, as part of the Disruptive Technologies Task Force launched in February 2023, and I commend their outstanding work.” According to court documents, Abedini is the founder and managing director of an Iranian company, San’at Danesh Rahpooyan Aflak Co. (SDRA or SADRA), that manufactures navigation modules used in the IRGC’s military drone program. SDRA’s main business is the sale of a proprietary navigation system — known as the Sepehr Navigation System — to the IRGC, which the United States designated as an FTO on April 15, 2019. The primary application of SDRA’s Sepehr Navigation System is for use in UAVs, as well as cruise and ballistic missiles. Sadeghi is currently employed by a Massachusetts-based microelectronics manufacturer (U.S. Company 1) and was one of the founders of a Massachusetts-based technology company (U.S. Company 2) that specializes in wearable sensors that provide kinetic monitoring for fitness applications. As alleged in court documents, Abedini, Sadeghi, and others conspired to evade U.S. export control and sanctions laws by procuring U.S. origin goods, services, and technology from, among others, U.S. Company 1 and causing those goods, services, and technology to be exported or otherwise supplied to Iran and, in particular, Abedini’s Iranian company, SDRA. As further alleged, in or around 2016, Sadeghi traveled to Iran to request funding for U.S. Company 2 from the Iranian National Elites Foundation (INEF), which is an Iranian governmental organization whose main purpose is to recognize, organize, and support Iran’s elite national talents. In exchange for funding for U.S. Company 2, which Sadeghi’s company ultimately received from the INEF, Sadeghi and others created a second company in Iran (Iranian Company 1). Shortly after forming Iranian Company 1, Sadeghi, through Iranian Company 1, entered into a contract with SDRA for the purchase of SDRA’s technology. It is also alleged that, since in or around 2016, on multiple occasions, Sadeghi has helped Abedini procure U.S. export-controlled electronic components for Abedini’s use in Iran. Due to U.S. laws restricting exports to Iran, Abedini established a Switzerland front company for SDRA, Illumove SA (Illumove). With Sadeghi’s assistance, Abedini, through Illumove, entered into a contract with U.S. Company 1 to develop a mechanism to evaluate U.S. Company 1’s electronic components, including sophisticated semiconductors. Sadeghi and Abedini subsequently caused U.S.-origin goods, services, and technology to be transferred to Iran, through Illumove, for the benefit of SDRA. Certain of the electronic components that Abedini obtained through Illumove were the same types of electronic components used in SDRA’s Sepehr Navigation System. Abedini is also charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the IRGC, specifically, the IRGC Aerospace Force, which is the strategic missile, air, and space force within the IRGC. Since at least in or about 2014, SDRA has had multiple projects with the IRGC Aerospace Force, including projects for guided rockets and integrated navigation systems. As alleged, between 2021 and 2022, approximately 99% of SDRA’s sales of the Sepehr Navigation System, which are used in IRGC one-way attack drones, were to the IRGC’s Aerospace Force. On Jan. 28, three U.S. service members were killed, and more than forty others were injured, in a drone attack by IRGC-backed militants on a military base located in northern Jordan, known as Tower 22. According to court documents, FBI analysis of the drone that was recovered from the site of the attack showed that the drone was an Iranian Shahed UAV and that the navigation system used in the drone was the Sepehr Navigation System, which was manufactured by Abedini’s company, SDRA. Sadeghi and Abedini were charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economics Powers Act, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Abedini was also charged with one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, resulting in death, and one count of provision and attempted provision of material support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization, resulting in death, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison, lifetime supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and BIS are investigating the case. U.S. Attorneys Jared Dolan and Alathea Porter for the District of Massachusetts, Trial Attorney Christina Clark of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorneys Katie Sweeten and David Smith of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing assistance and is seeking extradition of Abedini from Italy. This prosecution is being coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tonawanda woman going to prison for child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Maria D’Amato, 30, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that in June 2022, D’Amato knowingly received images and videos of child pornography from a minor female on her cellular telephone. D’Amato met the 14-year-old Victim through another 14-year-old. She communicated with the Victim via text, and online applications, such as Snapchat. D’Amato and the Victim engaged in sexual acts, which D’Amato recorded using her cellular telephone or the Victim’s cellular telephone. Videos record on the Victim’s cell phone would be sent to D’Amato at her request. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger. # # # #


title: Drug trafficker, with two prior convictions, sentenced to more than 5 years in prison for distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin

body_text: Seattle – A Mexican national, who has twice been convicted of drug trafficking, was sentenced for his third conviction to 70 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Francisco Capado-Gonzales, 39, has been in custody since his arrest in SeaTac, Washington, on October 19, 2023. Judge Kymberly K. Evanson imposed the 70-month sentence emphasizing the large amount of drugs in the case. According to records filed in the case, in the fall of 2023, Capado-Gonzalez approached someone he believed would be a drug customer, who was actually a person working with law enforcement. Capado-Gonzalez and his co-conspirators claimed they could provide pound quantities of methamphetamine. On October 19, 2023, the person working with law enforcement was scheduled to pick up the drugs at a SeaTac motel. Instead, law enforcement arrived at the room. Capado-Gonzalez attempted to flee into a wooded area near the hotel but was arrested. Capado-Gonzales was indicted by the grand jury on November 1, 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 6, 2024. This is Capado-Gonzalez third conviction for drug offenses. He was arrested and convicted in Las Vegas in 2007 with heroin and cocaine. In 2013 he was arrested and convicted a second time while possessing heroin and methamphetamine. He served a 41-month sentence. In asking for an 84-month sentence, prosecutors emphasized that methamphetamine is present in many drug overdoses, writing to the court, “In 2023, 58% of all overdose deaths in King County involved methamphetamine.And here, Capado-Gonzalez had a leadership role in a conspiracy to distribute at least 44 pounds of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, as well as 542 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin and 591 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine. Such quantities pose an increased danger to the community and warrant a heavier sentence...” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda McDowell and Michael Harder.


title: Prominent Leader Of Black Axe Extradited To United States For Conspiring To Engage In Internet Scams And Money Laundering

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A leader of the Cape Town Zone of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” who was extradited from South Africa to the United States on wire fraud and money laundering charges, had his initial appearance today in Trenton federal court, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Enorense Izevbigie, aka “Richy Izevbigie,” aka “Lord Samuel S Nujoma,” 49, originally from Nigeria, is charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy, spanning from 2011 to 2021. He had his initial appearance today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was detained pending trial. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Izevbigie was a leader of the Neo Black Movement of Africa, also known as “Black Axe,” an organization headquartered in Benin City, Nigeria that operates in various countries. Black Axe is organized into regional chapters known as “zones,” and Izevbigie was a leader within the Cape Town, South Africa, Zone. From at least 2011 through 2021, Izevbigie and other conspirators worked together from Cape Town to engage in widespread internet fraud involving romance scams and advance fee schemes. Many of these fraudulent narratives involved claims that an individual was traveling to South Africa for work and needed money or other items of value following a series of unfortunate and unforeseen events, often involving a construction site or problems with a crane. The conspirators used social media websites, online dating websites, and voice over internet protocol phone numbers to find and talk with victims in the United States, while using a number of aliases. The conspirators’ romance scam victims believed they were in romantic relationships with the person using the alias and, when requested, the victims sent money and items of value overseas, including to South Africa. Sometimes, when victims expressed hesitation in sending money, the conspirators used manipulative tactics to coerce the payments, including by threatening to distribute personally sensitive photographs of the victim. The conspirators used the bank accounts of victims and individuals with United States-based financial accounts to transfer the money to South Africa. On certain occasions, the conspirators convinced victims to open financial accounts in the United States that the conspirators would then be permitted to use themselves. In addition to laundering money derived from romance scams and advance fee schemes, the conspirators also worked to launder money from business email compromises. In addition to their aliases, the conspirators used business entities to conceal and disguise the illegal nature of the funds. The wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest. Izevbigie, along with six named co-defendants, were arrested in South Africa in 2021. The six named co-defendants are awaiting extradition to the United States. Anyone who believes they may be a victim may visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/blackaxe for information about the case, including a questionnaire for victims to fill out and submit. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark; and the FBI Legal Attaché Office at the United States Embassy in Pretoria , South Africa, under the direction of Legal Attaché John Connell; special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hatley in Newark, Resident Agent in Charge Todd Bratz in the Pretoria Resident Office , and Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the Criminal Investigative Division , with the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked officials in South Africa for their assistance including the South African Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (HAWKS), the South African Police Service, the South African National Prosecuting Authority & Asset Forfeiture Unit, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for the Republic of South Africa, and INTERPOL for their assistance in this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Izevbigie to the United States. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Priority Transnational Organized Crime (PTOC) 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 Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. osagiede.indictment.pdf


title: Nebraska and Iowa Men Sentenced for Firearms Charges

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two Nebraska men and two Iowa men were sentenced for conspiracy to provide false statements during the purchase of firearms. According to public court documents, in late October 2022 through May 2023, Alfredo Rios, Jr., 28, a Nebraska resident, Christian Javier Rios Magana, 23, a Nebraska resident, Martin Velazquez Trujillo, 49, an Iowa resident, and Victor Alfonso Magana-Ahumada, 38, an Iowa resident, conspired to make false statements to federally licensed firearm dealers to fraudulently obtain firearms. As part of the conspiracy, the firearms purchasers falsely stated they were the actual transferee or buyer of the firearm. The fraudulently acquired firearms were illegally shipped to Mexico. On Thursday, December 12, 2024, Magana-Ahumada was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. After completing his term of imprisonment, Magana-Ahumada will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. On June 5, 2024, co-conspirators Alfredo Rios, Jr., Rios Magana, and Velazquez Trujillo each received five months’ terms of probation. “The purchase of a firearm intended for someone else, is straw purchasing and it is illegal,” said Bernard G. Hansen, ATF Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division. “Doing so circumvents background checks and record keeping requirements that are intended to keep the public safe and impede access to firearms by prohibited and often violent criminals. Firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime; it is illegal and puts firearms in the hands of said prohibited and violent criminals. These investigations are a priority for ATF in our mission of reducing violent gun crime.” United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: LeFlore County Resident Sentenced For Fentanyl Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jada Marie Ray, age 33, of Poteau, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 6 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Fentanyl. The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the District 16 Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. On July 23, 2024, Ray pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 5, 2023, Ray distributed twenty pills containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Ray will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Muskogee Resident Sentenced For Attempted Robbery

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jacob Matthew Staton, age 29, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 105 months in prison for one count of Attempted Robbery in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee Police Department. On July 11, 2024, Staton pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 4, 2020, Staton attempted to rob a shopper at gunpoint in a Muskogee parking lot. When Staton’s target refused, Staton pistol whipped the shopper, then fired off two rounds in the shopper’s direction as the shopper fled. The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Staton will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Choctaw County Resident Pleads Guilty To Murder

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bryson Noel Miller, age 19, of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Murder in Indian Country. The Indictment against Miller alleged that on December 23, 2020, Miller killed the victim willfully, deliberately, maliciously, with premeditation and malice aforethought. According to investigators, on the afternoon of December 22, 2020, Miller, Ashlie Nicole Rose Martin, and Chad Jon’Dale Voyles planned the murders of Martin’s parents, then set their plan into motion. As part of that plan, Miller participated in bludgeoning Martin’s father to death. The crimes occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, Oklahoma, accepted Miller’s plea, ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report, and remanded Miller to the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.


title: Rantoul Man Convicted of Bank Robbery

body_text: Urbana, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on December 11, 2024, against Troy Burke, 40, of Rantoul, Illinois, for bank robbery. Sentencing for Burke has been scheduled for May 2, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois During the two-day trial, the government presented evidence that on June 20, 2024, Burke walked into the Community Plus Federal Credit Union in Rantoul, Illinois indicating to the teller that he had a gun. He proceeded to remove the plastic partition separating the teller from the customer and threatened to hit her with it. Burke left the bank with more than $9,000 in cash and a GPS device the teller had secured in the stack of currency. Burke was stopped by Rantoul police a few blocks from the Credit Union and was found to be in possession of more than $9,000 cash and the GPS device from the bank. Burke was arrested on June 20, 2024, and remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. Statutory penalties for bank robbery are up to twenty years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The case investigation was conducted by the Rantoul Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Timothy Sullivan and Bryan Freres represented the government at trial.


title: Law Enforcement Announces Drones Are Not  Allowed Near Saturday's Army-Navy Game

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today, there is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place for the Army-Navy Game taking place at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. This area is considered a No Drone Zone. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented the TFR which extends for a two-nautical mile radius around the stadium and up to 2,000 feet above ground level. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office are reminding the public to heed these restrictions, along with local and federal partners including the Prince George's County Police Department, Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department, Naval Criminal Investigation Service, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and the United States Secret Service. Law enforcement will enforce local and federal laws regarding Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones. “Drone operators need to know that we take seriously any incursion in the restricted airspace around the Army-Navy Game. Such incursions threaten the safety of those involved. We will investigate and prosecute anyone who violates the no drone zone,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. "The Army-Navy game is a time-honored tradition among our nation's military, anticipated by both armed forces and football fans alike. We are committed to keeping everyone safe as they enjoy Saturday's game," said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office. "Please be aware that no drones are allowed in or near the stadium for the safety of all participants and spectators." Members of the public are encouraged to report all suspicious activity. Law enforcement will be actively monitoring the airways for illegal UAS/drones and is committed to identifying, investigating, disrupting, and prosecuting the careless or criminal use of drones in the area. There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding any UAS/drone use anywhere within the No Drone Zone established by the FAA. Anyone who attempts to fly a UAS/drone in any prohibited manner may be subject to arrest, prosecution, fines, and/or imprisonment. Learn more about all federal UAS/drone regulations on the FAA website .