title: Bluff Man Sentenced to 300 Months Imprisonment for Indian Country Murder

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah man was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment and a term of four years supervised release after a federal jury convicted him of murder in the second degree while within Indian Country and using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial in May 2023, Perry Maryboy, 59, of Bluff, Utah, unlawfully shot and killed another man while within Indian Country on April 13, 2018. Evidence presented at trial showed that Maryboy, who was parked on the side of the road at the intersection of Country Road 443 and Summerhouse Road, escalated an argument with the victim, who was accompanied by the landowner’s granddaughter, after being told to leave the area by the victim. Maryboy exited his truck, retrieved a revolver from the backseat, loaded the revolver, and shot the victim in the back of the head as the victim was walking away. The victim died on scene in front of his common law wife and her 7-year-old child. Maryboy then fled the scene in his truck. “This was no accident. My view of that is confirmed by later facts when Mr. Maryboy made no assistance at the scene,” said Senior United States Federal District Court Judge David Nuffer. “Taking a life without apparent justification is an extremely serious matter and doing it in a violent way is extremely serious. It is my judgment that Mr. Maryboy be placed in the custody of Bureau of Prisons for a period of 180 months on count one and 120 months on count two for a sentence of 300 months.” “Mr. Maryboy’s violent act took the life of another person, causing great loss to his family and friends, who will bear the burden of this crime. That harm cannot be undone,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “We appreciate the work of law enforcement, victim service providers, and the prosecutors in this case who worked hard to ensure justice for the victim’s family and the community.” The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency, Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Nation Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Y. Hirata, Angela Reddish-Day, and Stephen Dent of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Albuquerque Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Federal Firearm Offenses

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Eric Castañeda, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, announced today that Eloy Romero was sentenced to 195 months in prison. A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Romero, 47, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on March 30, 2023, on one count each of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court records, on February 25, 2021, during a tactical operation by the Albuquerque Police Department in the Southwest Area Command, members of the APD Gang Unit observed Romero engage in suspicious behavior in a business parking lot. They approached Romero’s vehicle with emergency equipment engaged, but Romero drove away from the area, disregarding their lights and sirens. APD followed but temporarily disengaged to avoid a dangerous pursuit. Eventually, Romero pulled over and was approached by the investigating officers. Officers determined that Romero’s vehicle had a suspended registration and Romero had a suspended driver’s license. Officers decided to tow the vehicle, pursuant to department policy. During an inventory of the vehicle, officers discovered suspected fentanyl and a firearm. They immediately sealed the vehicle and sought a search warrant. During the execution of the search warrant, officers located a black backpack in the back seat that contained 352 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine, 1,876 tablets of fentanyl, numerous rounds of .22 ammunition and a .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Upon his release from prison, Romero will be subject to 5 years of supervised release. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Albuquerque District Office and Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nora Wilson and Joseph M. Spindle. # # # 23-195


title: United States Files Forfeiture Action to Recover Cryptocurrency Traceable to Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover cryptocurrency alleged to be proceeds of an investment fraud scheme targeting a Massachusetts resident. The government seeks to forfeit 87,637 Tether (USDT) seized from an account located at Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange and custodian. In November 2022, an investigation began into a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme targeting a Massachusetts resident. As alleged in court documents, the individual was tricked, through fraudulent text and WhatsApp messages, into transferring a total of $975,900 from his bank account first into two cryptocurrency exchanges and then from there into a fraudulent cryptocurrency exchange. From that transfer, the funds, in the form of cryptocurrency, were allegedly transferred through a series of intermediary cryptocurrency addresses. Ultimately, investigators were able to trace some of the funds to an account located at Binance, the contents of which were seized in May 2023. It is a violation of federal law to use wire communications as part of a scheme to defraud or to obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses. The complaint alleges that the seized currency was proceeds of the wire fraud. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims. This is the fourth civil forfeiture action the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed seeking to forfeit cryptocurrency traced to fraud schemes targeting Massachusetts victims. Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams and business email compromise (BEC) fraud scams – should contact USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. The civil forfeiture action is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons of the Asset Recovery Unit. The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations. The United States Attorney’s Office has not filed a corresponding criminal action on the matter.


title: Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Violent Crime Listening Session with Social Justice Advocates

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and his staff met with social justice advocates on August 1 at the Main Public Library to discuss violent crime. Baruch Campos, Program Director for Together for Brothers, Starlyn Brown and Karen Douglas from the League of Women Voters of Central New Mexico, and Jack Champagne, Program and Legal Director from the New Mexico Black Leadership Council, presented statements. This was the fourth listening session held with community members this summer. United States Attorney Uballez opened the session by explaining that the Attorney General directed United States Attorney’s Offices to focus on addressing violent crime through intervention and outreach efforts. Participants described how crime at bus stops and on buses reflects a larger issue with guns, drugs and violent crime in Albuquerque. Others described how the negative perception of the city and law enforcement in the community and the media, whether accurate or inaccurate, produces an amount of fear and divisiveness which is disproportionate to the actual circumstances in the city. Participants agreed that Albuquerque Community Services (ACS) needed more support and resources so that they could expand their scope of work. Speaking to the challenges facing local organizations who work with the unhoused population to address drugs and violence, Baruch Campos said “we’ve tried working with organizations like HopeWorks and organizations that specialize in [the unhoused population]. The issues there when we tried to do that, they’re just so overwhelmed. There’s a lot, there’s a huge population that is in need. When I think about that, it’s just like what is our city doing to support either those organizations doing that work or to support people directly?” Jack Champagne agreed, saying “a lot of them are closing down too. I’ve noticed as we’ve kind of gotten on the tail end of COVID funding they just haven’t had any additional support and so they just couldn’t keep the doors open. So now we’re dealing with less of these organizations doing work and the remaining organizations are getting even more that they have to do.” When asked what concerns participants have about safety and violence in the community, Starlyn Brown and Karen Douglas agreed that gun violence was a general concern, especially the increase in gun violence amongst youth. One participant shared that their family had been directly affected by gun violence and that the case remains unsolved, leaving the family without answers or closure. When asked what issues the participants see that cause the divide between law enforcement and the community, Champagne observed “my perception of [APD] is that they’re kind of in a bit of a double bind in the sense that they are perceived as both over policing and under policing…. they’re responses are perceived as heavy-handed and occasionally they’re seen as not responding at all.” Champagne continued, “its very easy for a direct response to spiral out of control, especially if we are dealing with new police officers or police officers in a new community or police officers in a community that is not their own... we don’t have a ton police who know what it’s like to live in the [International] District for instance, so it’s very difficult for them to understand what an appropriate response is.” “…we expected too much of APD.” Brown agreed. “It’s kind of like in the school system where the teachers are babysitters, they’re councilors, they have to, you know, deal with the parents.” On August 18, 2023, USA Uballez, together with ACS and the Mayor’s Office, announced that the Department of Justice awarded a $2,050,000.00 grant to the Albuquerque Community Safety Department and its Violence Intervention Program. ACS and VIP will use the discretionary earmark funding to expand the scope of their programs. This will enhance service in violence prevention, intervention, and support within Albuquerque. In addition to the expansion of the existing work, this funding can help with exploring the establishment of an Office of Violence Prevention for the City of Albuquerque. USA Uballez convened this listening session as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. USA Uballez previously met with representatives from organizations that serve Albuquerque’s International District, community providers who serve the unhoused population, and addiction and treatment service providers. These sessions were an opportunity for the USA and his staff to recognize the vital role that these leaders, providers and advocates play in our community. PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. In New Mexico, the United States Attorney’s Office pursues a community violence intervention approach. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based intervention, prevention, and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The program’s emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.


title: Former Post Office Manager Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison for Mail Theft and Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- James Lancaster, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and mail theft. A co-conspirator, Jordan McPhearson, of Blue Island, Illinois was sentenced in 2022 to 42 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to court documents, James Lancaster was employed as the Manager of Customer Service at the New Augusta Post Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Between May 11, 2020, and June 23, 2021, Lancaster used his position at the Post Office to steal checks from the mail. Lancaster gave the stolen checks to Jordan McPhearson, sometimes receiving cash in exchange. McPhearson fraudulently negotiated the stolen checks, depositing them into an account belonging to someone other than the intended payee. Occasionally, McPhearson provide stolen checks to an additional co-conspirator, Lavaris Yarbrough, who fraudulently negotiated them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Lancaster stole more than 270 pieces of U.S. mail from the New Augusta Post Office. This mail contained checks from more than 50 different local businesses, including a non-profit dedicated to cancer research. In total, the value of the stolen checks was approximately $1.7 million. The final defendant, Lavaris Yarbrough will be sentenced in late September. The United States Postal Service- Office of Inspector General investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge, Tanya Walton Pratt and Judge Sarah Evans Barker. The courts ordered that Lancaster and McPhearson be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years following their release from federal prison and pay $88,376.12 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Federal Search Warrants Executed

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

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Wednesday, August 23, 2023, federal search warrants were executed at the following locations in the Des Moines metropolitan area: 8500 block of Warren Drive, Des Moines, 1800 block of Logan Avenue, Des Moines, 1200 block of 11th Street, Des Moines, 6300 block of SW 12th Street, Des Moines, 3300 block of Sylvania Drive, West Des Moines, 5700 block of Allison Avenue, Des Moines, 900 block of 8th Street SW, Altoona, 600 block of Walker Street, Des Moines, 7400 block of SW 12th Street, Des Moines, 7000 block of Bloomfield Road, Des Moines, The searches at these locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from the Des Moines Police Department Vice and Narcotics Control Unit, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), United States Postal Inspection Service, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR), Iowa State Patrol SWAT, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force East division, United States Marshals Service, West Des Moines Police Department, Johnston Police Department, Pleasant Hill Police Department, Altoona Police Department, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.


title: Former New Jersey Corrections Officer Charged with Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme that Targeted Law Enforcement, Fire Personnel, and Other First Responders

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former New Jersey corrections officer was arrested today for orchestrating two different fraud schemes, including a cryptocurrency scheme that resulted in losses of more than $600,000, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. John DeSalvo, 47, of Marmora, New Jersey, is charged by criminal complaint with two counts of wire fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and two counts of money laundering related to the two fraud schemes. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court. “This defendant, a former New Jersey corrections officer, is alleged to have committed two brazen investment fraud schemes in which he falsely promised huge returns to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting investors. In one scheme, DeSalvo is alleged to have targeted law enforcement and first responders to invest in a digital token that he falsely claimed was SEC-approved and listed on cryptocurrency exchanges. In the other, he is alleged to have obtained investments by promising extraordinary rates of return that we allege were too good to be true. Once DeSalvo got his investors’ money, he is alleged to have spent it on himself, paying personal expenses and funding his own investments. This Office is committed to rooting out investment and securities fraud and protecting investors. By today’s charges, we intend to hold this defendant accountable for these alleged fraud schemes and prevent him from potentially victimizing anyone else.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “We allege DeSalvo created and marketed a cryptocurrency to first responders as a ‘crypto pension’ that could supplement their existing pensions,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Our investigation shows instead of actually making the rate of return he boasted about, he allegedly used hard-earned money from firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other public servants as his personal bank account. We are asking anyone who may believe they are a victim of DeSalvo to please reach out to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: The Blazar Token Fraud DeSalvo was the creator and promoter of a digital token known as “Blazar Token,” (Blazar) which DeSalvo marketed to police, fire personnel, EMTs, and other first responders as a “crypto pension” that could be used to supplement investors’ existing pension plans. DeSalvo promised investors that Blazar would offer “more stability than any other token” and that the value of Blazar would “continue to rise over time similar to any investment fund, only at a much higher rate of success.” Beginning in late 2021, DeSalvo used social media platforms to fraudulently solicit investments in Blazar through a series of misrepresentations including that: Blazar was in the process of becoming, or was already, a securitized token approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission; and Blazar could be purchased through payroll deductions and ACH transactions. DeSalvo additionally falsely told investors that Blazar had been approved for inclusion on several well-known cryptocurrency exchanges and guaranteed investors rates of return of more than 20 percent with “ZERO risk.” In total, DeSalvo raised more than $620,000 from more than 200 investors in Blazar. After receiving investor funds, DeSalvo frequently used the funds for various illicit purposes unrelated to Blazar including personal expenses, day-trading in various volatile cryptocurrencies, and payments to prior investors in the manner of a Ponzi scheme. In May 2022, DeSalvo sold off more than 41 billion of his own Blazar tokens, which caused the price of the token to drop precipitously. The value of Blazar never recovered, causing most investors to lose their entire investments. The Brokerage-1 Fraud Between January 2021 and May 2021, DeSalvo managed and solicited investment in an investment group through Brokerage-1, an online trading platform. DeSalvo marketed the investment group largely through social media posts in which DeSalvo falsely touted his success as an investor. DeSalvo claimed to potential investors, “I have been averaging close to 1200 % over the last 2 years. I am in the top 1,000 th percent in the world. That’s the truth, the return rates I have been averaging are so high that I have people throwing money at me to invest.” In total, DeSalvo solicited approximately $100,000 in investments from approximately 20 individuals for the investment group. After receiving the funds, DeSalvo engaged in trading activities for a brief period of time before transferring all the funds out of the investment group’s account at Brokerage-1 and into personal accounts held by DeSalvo at Brokerage-1 and Coinbase. DeSalvo then used the funds for various non-investment purposes such as credit card payments, personal trading in volatile cryptocurrencies, and payments to a contractor who performed work on DeSalvo’s personal residence. After draining the investment group’s account, DeSalvo advised the investment group investors that their funds had been lost due to poor market conditions and provided the investors with false trading records purporting to show the trading activity that DeSalvo engaged in on behalf of the investment group. The counts of wire fraud carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The counts of securities fraud carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $5 million. The counts of money laundering carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also filed a civil complaint against DeSalvo today based on the same conduct. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI - Newark Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy, and detectives from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Cyber Crimes Bureau, under the direction of Acting Director Derek Nececkas, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Torntore, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. desalvo.complaint.pdf


title: Four from Peoria Charged with Conspiring to Steal Firearms from Licensed Dealers in Spring Valley, Taylorville, Le Roy, Lincoln, Decatur, and Bloomington

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A federal criminal complaint filed August 21, 2023, charges four people from Peoria, Illinois, with conspiring to steal firearms from six different locations in central Illinois between August 14, 2023, and August 18, 2023. Terrence Daniels, 23; Dezmond Hardy, 22; Erika Garner, 21; and Shaleik Ward, 19, are each charged with one count of conspiring to steal guns from a federal firearms licensee. All four were arrested on Friday, August 18, 2023, and the complaint and affidavit were unsealed at their court appearances on Monday, August 21, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan E. Hawley in Peoria. At the conclusion of their respective hearings, all four were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. As alleged in the complaint affidavit, on August 14, 2023, police officers were dispatched to an attempt burglary at Mean Metal , a gun dealer in Spring Valley, Illinois, and discovered that a glass window of the business had been shattered. On August 15, 2023, officers responded to an attempt burglary at Powder Keg Outfitters , a gun dealer in Taylorville, Illinois. As with the first attempt burglary, officers discovered that a glass window on the business had been shattered. Additional attempt burglaries were reported at Guns and Glory in Le Roy, Ill., Tactical Bunker in Lincoln, Ill., Archers Alley in Decatur, Ill., and Smiley’s Sport Shop in Bloomington, Ill. If convicted of conspiring to steal firearms, each defendant faces up to five years’ imprisonment. The charges also carry up to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $250,000. The arrests followed a joint investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including agency members of the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force as well as the Spring Valley Police Department, the Taylorville Police Department, and the Peoria Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna. Members of the public are reminded that the charges in a complaint are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Former Federal Employee Sentenced for Leading $3.5 M Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Concord, California, woman was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for her leading role in a conspiracy to defraud at least five states of more than $3.5 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits. “Huffman organized a massive VEC fraud conspiracy and abused her position as a federal employee to steal funds meant for those struggling with employment security and the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber. “To add insult to injury, when her time came to be held accountable at her initial sentencing hearing, she fled from the law. I am grateful today for the efforts of our law enforcement and prosecutorial team in ensuring Huffman and her co-defendants face the consequences of their selfish actions.” “While employed with the federal government, Heather Ann Huffman led a criminal conspiracy to steal more than $2 million in pandemic-related unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, betraying the public trust and depriving benefits to those who desperately needed assistance during an unprecedented time of financial hardship,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “As the primary law enforcement agency charged with investigating fraud against the UI program, DOL-OIG is committed to working relentlessly to protect the integrity of these vital benefits from those seeking to unlawfully enrich themselves at the expense of American workers affected by the pandemic. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – OIG, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Virginia Employment Commission, for their strong partnership and collaboration in this investigation.” According to court documents, from April 2020 through at least March 2021, Heather Huffman, 52, lead and organized several others, including family members and close friends, in a conspiracy to defraud at least five state workforce agencies, including the Virginia Employment Commission, the Washington State Employment Security Department, and the California Employment Development Department, of more than $3.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits. Huffman’s conspiracy specifically targeted benefits that had been expanded to offset the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain these benefits, Huffman and others filed false and misleading applications in the names of identity theft victims, witting co-conspirators, and inmates of state and federal prisons. Among other information, Huffman and her conspirators included in these applications materially false wage and employment histories and false contact information, such as physical and mailing addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, that did not, in fact, belong to the purported applicants. To further their conspiracy, Huffman and others obtained and shared among themselves the personal identifying information (PII) of others, created and maintained email accounts purportedly belonging to those individuals, and falsified and forged various documents—including state and federal wage and tax forms—to substantiate the information they had included in the false benefit applications. Conspirators also identified nominee addresses in each of the targeted states at which they falsely claimed the purported applicants lived and worked. Conspirators then directed the targeted states to send benefit payments to prepaid debit cards mailed to various addresses in Virginia, including Huffman’s former residential addresses. As the conspiracy progressed, Huffman also opened a P.O. Box in the name of a fictitious non-profit, “Heather’s Homeless Services,” to which she thereafter directed the targeted states to mail the prepaid debit cards. Huffman, who was then employed as a registered nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center in Richmond, used her work computer to research available benefits, file and access claims, and falsify documents in furtherance of the conspiracy. In total, Huffman and her conspirators submitted more than 220 applications in the names of more than 120 individuals to at least five different states through which they sought to receive more than $3.5 million and actually obtained more than $2 million. Huffman’s sentencing was originally scheduled for November 29, 2022, but she failed to appear that day without notice or explanation. Prior to her disappearance, Huffman took measures to flee prosecution and conceal her whereabouts, including depleting her bank accounts, selling her vehicle, and turning her phone off. Through means unknown, Huffman obtained the PII of a real person, assumed that person’s identity, and procured counterfeit government identification and credit cards in the name of her false alias. Following Huffman’s disappearance, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) opened a fugitive investigation. This extensive, months-long investigation uncovered evidence that the defendant, under a false identity, was living and working as a registered nurse in Kansas. On March 4, 2023, approximately 95 days after Huffman’s flight from prosecution, she was apprehended by the USMS in Kansas at an Extended Stay hotel. Huffman is the last of the defendants to be sentenced in this case. See the table below for additional information on the sentences imposed in this case. Name Age Residence Convictions Total Sentence Heather A. Huffman 54 Concord, California Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft 216 months Sheldon L. Huffman 31 Richmond, Virginia Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft 60 months Dorothea Rosado 54 Kennesaw, Georgia Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft 36 months Anthowan Daniels 35 Richmond, Virginia Conspiracy to Commit Mail & Wire Fraud; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon 42 months Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Troy W. Springer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Kim. R. Lampkins, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Field Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney, Jr. imposed the sentence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia expresses its appreciation to the USMS for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin G. Cooke, Kashan Pathan, and Mike C. Moore 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. 3:22-cr-8.


title: Idaho Diesel Parts Companies and Owner Agree to Pay $1 Million After Pleading Guilty to Selling and Installing Illegal Defeat Devices

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, dba Gorilla Performance, as well as the companies’ owner Barry Pierce, pleaded guilty to criminal charges today in federal court in Pocatello, Idaho, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines. The companies also agreed to implement compliance programs and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls. GDP Tuning pleaded guilty to an information charging it with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). Gorilla Performance and Pierce pleaded guilty to an information charging them with violating the CAA by tampering with the monitoring device of an emissions control system of a diesel truck. Under the plea agreement, the companies and Pierce agree to pay a $1 million criminal fine. “Tampering with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic devices isn’t just a violation of federal law – it’s a major health hazard,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “People are harmed as a direct consequence of the many air pollutants that would be removed by emissions controls systems absent the illegal tampering. We have made progress in curbing harmful emissions, but that progress is undermined by sellers and distributors of defeat devices. We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act and holding accountable businesses and individuals that violate federal law.” “Nearly a decade after EPA began cracking down on illegal defeat devices that violate the Clean Air Act, there is no excuse for companies to be continuing to cheat on vehicle emissions and putting the health of the environment and our communities at risk,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will continue to pursue criminal charges against companies like Gorilla Diesel, which broke the law brazenly and repeatedly, until this egregious criminal activity comes to a stop once and for all.” “The defendants in this case purposefully violated laws that protect air quality and the overall quality of life for Idahoans, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those who suffer from respiratory conditions,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho. “My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who seek illegal profits at the expense the public’s health and our shared environment.” According to court documents, GDP Tuning conspired with Pierce and others to violate the CAA by purchasing and selling tens of thousands of tuning devices and accompanying software which, when used together, tampered with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. OBDs normally detect any removal and malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment and record a diagnostic trouble code which will illuminate a vehicles “check engine light.” If the malfunction is not remedied, some vehicles can go into “limp mode,” where the maximum speed is limited to 5 mph as an incentive to have the vehicle repaired. GDP Tuning bought and sold devices and software that allowed customers to reprogram or “tune” a vehicle’s OBD. This reprogramming tampers with emissions monitoring built into the diagnostic system and allows removal of the vehicle’s emissions control equipment without detection by the OBD. Removing a vehicle’s emissions controls is typically referred to as a “delete” and is accompanied by a “delete tune.” In addition to GDP Tuning’s national wholesale operation, Gorilla Performance and Pierce operated a retail shop and auto repair facility in Rexburg, Idaho, where customers’ trucks were deleted and tuned. Diesel exhaust contains a variety of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons, among other hazardous air pollutants. Factory-standard emissions control equipment dramatically reduces these emissions. Deleting a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase dramatically. For a fully deleted truck with all emissions equipment removed, EPA testing has quantified the increased emissions as follows: NOx increased 310 times, non-methane hydrocarbons increased 1,400 times, carbon monoxide increased 120 times and PM increased 40 times. EPA’s Air Enforcement Division released a report in November 2020 finding that more than 500,000 diesel pickup trucks in the United States – approximately 15% of U.S. diesel trucks that were originally certified with emissions controls – have been illegally deleted. Diesel emissions contain multiple hazardous compounds that harm human health and the environment. Diesel emissions have been found to cause and worsen respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. One study found that 21,000 American deaths annually are attributable to diesel particulate matter. Additionally, exposure to polluted air in utero has been associated with a host of problems with lifelong ramifications including low birth weight, preterm birth, autism, asthma and brain and memory disorders. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 8 before U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill for the District of Idaho. Though the corporate defendants agreed to pay $1 million in criminal fines under the plea agreements, they face a maximum fine per count of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, and Pierce faces up to two years in prison. The defendants’ sentences will be determined at the discretion of the court after application of statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables. The criminal case stemmed from an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho, Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Environment and Natural Resources' Environmental Crimes Section and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin are prosecuting the case. Stopping the manufacture, sale and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for EPA. To learn more, visit www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines .


title: Troy Woman Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Marijuana Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracies

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jazell Shuler, age 35, of Troy, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute marijuana and launder money. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Chief Daniel DeWolf of the Troy Police Department; and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. In pleading guilty, Shuler admitted to being a member of a marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) trafficking organization that cultivated marijuana on a commercial scale in Fresno, California, and shipped thousands of kilograms of marijuana and THC from Fresno to locations throughout the United States, including the Capital Region. Shuler also admitted to laundering marijuana and THC proceeds for the organization. The packages of marijuana were shipped through UPS and FedEx from a shipping store in Fresno, Fast Pack & Ship, by Dwight A. Singletary II, aka “Nutt” and “Mike Jones,” and McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka “Kenzie.” At the direction of David Singletary, aka “DB,” Shuler received packages of marijuana at her and David Singletary’s respective residences in Troy and notified David Singletary when the packages arrived. Shuler also packaged marijuana for sale. The marijuana was sold out of “knock spots” in the Capital Region, which advertised various strains and quantities of marijuana and THC “edibles” for sale, with prices, on white boards. The defendant worked at the “knock spots” and updated the information on the white board for David Singletary. In addition to working at the “knock spots,” Shuler sold marijuana. The defendant also laundered marijuana and THC proceeds for the organization by sending $13,500 in money transfers purchased with cash drug proceeds from Troy to six people in Fresno, Windsor, and Merced, California, including Nehemiah Fane, aka “Neil,” and James Tyrell Daniels, aka “Red” and “Ghost.” David Singletary provided Shuler with the cash drug proceeds for the money transfers. Shuler faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts to which she pled guilty, conspiring to distribute marijuana and conspiring to commit money laundering; fines of up to $1 million and $500,000, respectively, on each count; and a term of supervised release of between 3 years and life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Shuler was charged in an indictment with Dwight and David Singletary, McKenzie Coles, Fane, Daniels and 18 other people charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Dwight Singletary, David Singletary, McKenzie Coles, Fane, and Daniels have pled not guilty, and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. In addition to Shuler, five other defendants, Rosemary Coles , Latrice Mumphrey , Sammy Olague , Victor Turner , and Kristle Walker , previously pled guilty and are pending sentencing. The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department, and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Woman Who Aided Robber of ATM Workers in St. Louis County Sentenced

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a woman who helped in the robbery of workers servicing an ATM in St. Louis County, Missouri to 56 months in prison. Gregreonia Hampton, 21, drove the robber to the Vantage Credit Union on May 31, 2022, where he robbed two employees of ATM Solutions with a fully-automatic Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 firearm. When Hampton pleaded guilty in May to a charge of aiding and abetting a robbery, she admitted having enough foreknowledge of the robbery that she could have walked away. The robber, 21-year-old Mark Anthony Diggs, was sentenced last month to 121 months in prison. Diggs pleaded guilty in April to one robbery charge and one count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Both Diggs and Hampton were ordered to repay the money they stole. The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane is prosecuting the case.


title: Mobile Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, Eddie Rembert, 52, admitted that from at least September 2022 through February 2023, he conspired with other people to distribute fentanyl. On several occasions, narcotics agents used confidential informants to conduct controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Rembert. Those transactions were videotaped. Agents executed a search warrant at the apartment of one of Rembert’s coconspirators in Mobile in February 2023, seizing fentanyl and oxycodone pills, among other things. Agents also searched the coconspirator’s cell phone, which contained numerous text messages from Rembert in which he discussed his sales of fentanyl pills. In addition to the 41-month prison term, United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Rembert to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Rembert to pay $100 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Bogalusa Man Indicted  on Federal Firearms and  Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ROMERO MORRIS, age 34, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was charged on August 18, 2023, in an eleven-count indictment with several violations of the Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment, MORRIS distributed and possessessed with the intent to distribute, different drugs on December 19, 2018, January 17, 2019, April 1, 2019, March 25, 2022, January 26, 2023, February 8, 2023, and February 14, 2023. He also illegally possessed firearms as a convicted felon and, in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes, on several of these dates. In Counts 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 of the indictment, he is charged with the distribution of different drugs, including cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. As to each of these counts, he will face a sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and not less than three years of supervised release. In Counts 4 and 9, he is charged with possession with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl, and quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine. For the fentanyl, he will face a minimum sentence of 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $5,000.000, and at least 4 years of supervised release. For the cocaine and methamphetamine, he will face a sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and not less than three years of supervised release. For Counts 5 and 10, he is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm for which he faces a sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00, and not more than three years of supervised release. For, Counts 6 and 11, he is charged with possession a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and faces a sentence of not less than 5 years and not more than life in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000.00, and not more than five years of supervised release. Furthermore, any sentence of imprisonment imposed must be served consecutively to any other sentence he will be serving. Finally, as to each of the charged counts, MORRIS faces payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Louisiana State Police, the State of Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole, and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Fraudulent PPP Loan Application and Fentanyl Distribution

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to a total of 85 months in prison for committing wire fraud in connection with a false PPP loan application and conspiring to distribute fentanyl while on federal pretrial release conditions. According to court documents, in April 2021, Kentarius Williams, 31, submitted a fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) requesting a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan in the amount of $20,833. In his PPP loan application, Williams falsely claimed that he was the sole proprietor of a nonexistent “cleaning service” business in need of relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Williams submitted a fake tax schedule purporting to show more than $100,000 in business income and monthly payroll expenses in excess of $8,000. In submitting the fraudulent application to the SBA, Williams caused a wire communication to travel from the SBA’s computer servers in Virginia to a bank’s computer servers in Oregon, in violation of the federal wire fraud statute. Additionally, Williams admitted that from at least September 2022 through February 2023, he conspired with other people to distribute fentanyl. On several occasions, narcotics agents used confidential informants to conduct controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Williams. Those transactions—including sales of fentanyl that Williams made while he was on pretrial release conditions in his federal wire fraud case—were videotaped. Agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s apartment in Mobile in February 2023, seizing fentanyl and oxycodone pills, among other things. Agents also searched Williams’s cell phone, which contained numerous text and Instagram messages in which he discussed his sales of fentanyl and other drugs. For example, in January 2023, Williams wrote that he “got rich off” sales of fentanyl pills, which he said he could obtain for “dirt cheap.” United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Williams to serve 14 months in prison for the wire fraud, and 71 months in prison for the fentanyl distribution conspiracy, ordering the prison terms to run consecutively to one another. In addition to the 85-month total prison term, Judge Moorer ordered Williams to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Williams to pay $200 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, SBA Office of Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Mobile Police Department investigated the wire fraud case. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the drug case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasee Heisterhagen and Lydia Lucius prosecuted the wire fraud case on behalf of the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the drug case on behalf of the United States.


title: Former Connecticut Residents Charged with Operating Websites to Illegally Sell Misbranded and Unapproved Drugs

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging RYAN FIELDS, 49, and LISA MAHAN, 53, of Port Neches, Texas, formerly of Glastonbury, Connecticut, with offenses for illegally selling misbranded and unapproved prescription drugs. The indictment was returned on August 8, 2023, and unsealed after Fields and Mahan were arrested this morning in Port Neches, Texas. They are scheduled to appear this afternoon in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. As alleged in the indictment, from September 2021 to June 2023, Fields and Mahan operated two websites, pinnedaminos.com and projectaminos.com, as well as a private Facebook group called Pinned Aminos, through which they illegally sold and distributed to customers throughout the U.S. misbranded prescription drugs. They did not require customers to provide a valid prescription, and some of the drugs they sold and distributed were unapproved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human consumption. The drugs they sold also included drugs they illegally imported from foreign manufacturers. The indictment further alleges that, to avoid detection and mislead the FDA, the pinnedaminos.com website had a disclaimer that falsely stated that the products for sale were “intended for laboratory and research use only,” and “not intended for human ingestion.” In addition, the labeling on the drugs sold and delivered to customers falsely stated that the drugs were “research compounds” and/or “not for human consumption.” Contrary to these representations, Fields and Mahan knew and intended that the drugs they sold were for human use, and through emails and posts on the Pinned Aminos Facebook group, they provided customers with information on the health benefits of the drugs they sold and directions on dosage. The indictment alleges that Fields and Mahan unlawfully shipped over 10,000 parcels to customers throughout the country and collected more than $1.4 million from customers. Fields and Mahan used the proceeds to pay themselves, purchase cars, and purchase a residence in Texas. The indictment charges Fields and Mahan with one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded or unapproved drugs into interstate commerce and to smuggle goods into the United States, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas for their assistance in this matter.


title: Grand Jury-August 2023

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 18 unsealed Indictments charging 24 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. * Dalilio Alconini Flores , age 47, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction on or about August 6, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Patrick S. Carey , age 37, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Carey with felon in possession a firearm on or about March 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about March 17, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Carey with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about March 17, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Alfonso Carillo, a/k/a Alfonso Carrillo , age 26, of Tolleson, Arizona, and Ceslo Carillo, a/k/a Celso Carrillo. a/k/a Celso Carillo-Alvarso, a/k/a Celso Alvardo. age 43, of Beryl, Utah, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Alfonso and Celso with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, from on or about January 1, 2023 and continuing to on or about June 27, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Alfonso and Celso with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine from on or about January 10, 2023 and continuing to on or about June 27, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Laura Carrazco-Barraza , age 59, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction on or about August 10, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Ricardo Castillo Suarez , age 27, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about June14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Rogelio Escobar Marroquin , age 44, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about July 13, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Raymundo Green-Chavez , age 59, is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after an aggravated felony conviction on or about July 26, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Christopher Grutel , age 22, and Victor Henderson, age 23, are charged with felon in possession of ammunition on or about March 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about March 17, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Walter William Lopez Ramirez , age 32, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about July 29, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Michael E. Loviscek , age 46, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Loviscek with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) from on or about an unknown date and continuing to on or about April 3, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Loviscek with possession of a firearm in connection with the drug offense on or about April 3, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, a five year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Valentin Mendoza, Jr. , age 43, of San Bernardino, California, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about February 3, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Gregorio Mina-Falcon , age 35, Jose Luis Garcia-Perez , age 22, Eliuth Montero-Barrera, age 23, and Alexis Rodriguez, age 21, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) from on or about July 1, 2023, and continuing to on or about August 2, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Bernardo Ozuna-Rosas , age 33, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about June 13, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Luis Alberto Puentes-Ortiz , age 31, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about July 26, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * John C. Shores, Jr. , age 54, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Shores with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor beginning on or about August 4, 2023 and continuing to on or about August 10, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and not more than 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Shores with attempted enticement of a minor beginning on or about August 4, 2023 and continuing to on or about August 10, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to a life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five-years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Gerald D. Storovich , age 43, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, is charged in a six-count Indictment. Count I charges Storovich with distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about February 15, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Storovich with distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 2, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five-years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Storovich with possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than four years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Storovich with felon in possession of a firearm on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VI charges Storovich with possession of a stolen firearm on or about March 30, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Venetia A. Torres , age 43, and Aaron Torres, age 22, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Venetia and Aaron with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) from on or about May 1, 2023 and continuing to on or about June 9, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Venetia with felon in possession of a firearm on or about June 9, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Tiffany Alice Wolfe , age 40, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about April 26, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.


title: Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE , RI – A Providence man admitted to a federal judge today that, in February 2021, while he was detained at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) on unrelated charges, he arranged by telephone with his then girlfriend to locate and sell a firearm that he illegally possessed, and took steps to continue running his established drug trafficking business. Ronald M. Kramer, 39, admitted that, while confined at the ACI, another inmate told him about an individual outside of the prison who might be interested in purchasing a firearm Kraemer was trying to get rid of. Kramer provided his girlfriend with that information, who then contacted and arranged to meet with the person to sell him the firearm. At that meeting, Kramer’s girlfriend also discussed and arranged to sell the gun buyer methamphetamine pills. Subsequently, she made at least two deliveries of pills to the buyer, totaling more than 244 grams. The person who took possession of the firearm and the drugs was, in fact, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) undercover agent. On April 1, 2021, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on the girlfriend’s apartment. During the search agents located a safe containing $10,790 in cash which were proceeds of the sale of methamphetamine. Kramer pleaded guilty today charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zechariah Chafee. The matter was investigated by ATF, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island State Police, and the Pawtucket, Providence, Cranston, and North Providence Police Departments for their assistance in the investigation of this case. ###


body_text: POCATELLO – Diesel performance parts retailers GDP Tuning LLC and Custom Auto of Rexburg LLC, doing business as “Gorilla Performance,” as well as the companies’ owner Barry Pierce, pleaded guilty to criminal charges today in federal court in Pocatello, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit today. The companies also agreed to implement compliance programs and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls. GDP Tuning pleaded guilty to an information charging it with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). Gorilla Performance and Pierce pleaded guilty to an information charging them with violating the CAA by tampering with the monitoring device of an emissions control system of a diesel truck. Under the plea agreement, the companies and Pierce agree to pay a $1 million criminal fine. Pierce also faces up to 2 years in federal prison. “The defendants in this case purposefully violated laws that protect air quality and the overall quality of life for Idahoans, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those who suffer from respiratory conditions,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. “My office will continue to partner with law enforcement agencies to prosecute those who seek illegal profits at the expense the public’s health and our shared environment.” “Tampering with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic devices isn’t just a violation of federal law – it’s a major health hazard,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “People are harmed as a direct consequence of the many air pollutants that would be removed by emissions controls systems absent the illegal tampering. We have made progress in curbing harmful emissions, but that progress is undermined by sellers and distributors of defeat devices. We are committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act and holding accountable businesses and individuals that violate federal law.” “Nearly a decade after EPA began cracking down on illegal defeat devices that violate the Clean Air Act, there is no excuse for companies to be continuing to cheat on vehicle emissions and putting the health of the environment and our communities at risk,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA will continue to pursue criminal charges against companies like Gorilla Diesel, which broke the law brazenly and repeatedly, until this egregious criminal activity comes to a stop once and for all.” According to court documents, GDP Tuning conspired with its owner Barry Pierce and others to violate the CAA by purchasing and selling tens of thousands of tuning devices and accompanying software which, when used together, tampered with vehicles’ on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems. OBDs normally detect any removal and malfunction of a vehicle’s emissions control equipment and record a diagnostic trouble code which will illuminate a vehicles “check engine light.” If the malfunction is not remedied, some vehicles can go into “limp mode,” where the maximum speed is limited to 5 mph as an incentive to have the vehicle repaired. GDP Tuning bought and sold devices and software that allowed customers to reprogram or “tune” a vehicle’s OBD. This reprogramming tampers with emissions monitoring built into the diagnostic system and allows removal of the vehicle’s emissions control equipment without detection by the OBD. Removing a vehicle’s emissions controls is typically referred to as a “delete” and is accompanied by a “delete tune.” In addition to GDP Tuning’s national wholesale operation, Gorilla Performance and Pierce operated a retail shop and auto repair facility in Rexburg, where customers’ trucks were deleted and tuned. Diesel exhaust contains a variety of air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide and non-methane hydrocarbons, among other hazardous air pollutants. Factory-standard emissions control equipment dramatically reduces these emissions. Deleting a diesel truck causes its emissions to increase dramatically. For a fully deleted truck with all emissions equipment removed, EPA testing has quantified the increased emissions as follows: NOx increased 310 times, non-methane hydrocarbons increased 1,400 times, carbon monoxide increased 120 times and PM increased 40 times. EPA’s Air Enforcement Division released a report in November 2020 finding that more than 500,000 diesel pickup trucks in the United States – approximately 15% of U.S. diesel trucks that were originally certified with emissions controls – have been illegally deleted. Diesel emissions contain multiple hazardous compounds that harm human health and the environment. Diesel emissions have been found to cause and worsen respiratory ailments such as asthma and lung cancer. One study found that 21,000 American deaths annually are attributable to diesel particulate matter. Additionally, exposure to polluted air in utero has been associated with a host of problems with lifelong ramifications including low birth weight, preterm birth, autism, asthma and brain and memory disorders. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill on Nov. 8. Though the corporate defendants agreed to pay $1 million in criminal fines under the plea agreements, they face a maximum fine per count of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense, and Pierce faces up to 2 years in prison. The defendants’ sentences will be determined at the discretion of the court after application of statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables. The criminal case stemmed from an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, Senior Trial Attorney Cassandra Barnum of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, and EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Karla Perrin are prosecuting the case. Stopping the manufacture, sale, and installation of illegal delete devices is a priority for EPA. To learn more, visit: epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines . ###


title: Farrell, PA Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Khiry Whiteside was sentenced to 46 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Whiteside, age 32 of Farrell, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon ordered Whiteside to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Whiteside pled guilty earlier this year to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in 2020 and 2021 in Mercer County. He stipulated to being responsible for the distribution of 100 grams of cocaine, 25 grams of heroin, and 15 grams of fentanyl. Whiteside was previously convicted in Pennsylvania state court, in 2010 and 2017, of committing cocaine trafficking crimes. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction and sentence in this case. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: ADA Settlement Will Make Ridgefield Restaurant More Accessible

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Baja Cocina, a restaurant located at 426 Main Street in Ridgefield, has agreed to make changes to become more accessible to persons with mobility disabilities. The changes are required under a settlement agreement signed by Ridgefield Taco LLC, the owner of Baja Cocina, and the United States under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The settlement resolves a complaint made with the U.S. Department of Justice that claims that Baja Cocina is not physically accessible to persons with mobility disabilities. Under the agreement, Baja Cocina must work with its landlord to provide an accessible parking space for the restaurant. It must also continue to provide curbside service to persons with mobility disabilities and ensure that it provides accessible dining surfaces in its outdoor dining area. Inside the restaurant, Baja Cocina must install ADA-compliant signage and make changes to its accessible bathroom, including relocating the toilet flush controls, relocating a grab bar, and relocating a soap dispenser. Under federal law, private entities that own or operate places of “public accommodation,” including restaurants, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate complaints and undertake periodic compliance reviews of covered entities. The Justice Department is also authorized to commence a civil lawsuit in federal court in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance, and to seek injunctive relief, monetary damages, and civil penalties. U.S. Attorney Avery noted the cooperation of Baja Cocina’s owner in resolving this matter without litigation. The settlement will remain in effect for three years, and Baja Cocina must submit certifications concerning its compliance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office every six months until it has fully complied with the agreement. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Madison Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Robbing Two Madison Businesses

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Scott C. Tolliver, 43, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for two counts of robbery. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Tolliver pleaded guilty to these charges on May 23, 2023. On April 15, 2022, at around 5:25 pm, Tolliver robbed the McDonald’s Restaurant on Regent Street in Madison. During the robbery, Tolliver approached the cash register wearing all black, sunglasses, and a medical-style facemask, pointed a black handgun at the employee, and demanded all of the money in the register. After receiving cash from the employee, Tolliver fled the restaurant on a bicycle. Later that same night, at around 8:53 pm, Tolliver robbed the Walgreens on East Campus Mall in Madison. During that robbery, Tolliver approached the cash register wearing a black ski mask and dark clothing, showed the employee a black handgun in his waistband, and told her to give him all of the money and to not run. After receiving the cash from the register, Tolliver fled the store on the same bicycle. Madison Police Department officers were able to identify Tolliver as the robber of both businesses after reviewing surveillance video from McDonald’s, Walgreens, and city street cameras. Officers were able to track Tolliver leaving both businesses and riding his bicycle back to his apartment in Madison. When officers searched Tolliver’s apartment, they located the bicycle and clothing consistent with those worn by the robber. At the time of the robberies, Tolliver was on active state supervision for a prior felony conviction. He was also out on bond for a pending felony state case. At sentencing, Judge Conley highlighted Tolliver’s lengthy criminal history including prior convictions involving weapons, domestic violence, child abuse, batteries in prison, and stalking. He said that Tolliver has repeatedly proven to be a danger to the community with instances of violence. Judge Conley noted that the victims in this case suffered emotional distress during the robberies and the long-term impact on them is not fully knowable at this time. The charges against Tolliver were the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Dane County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: New Castle Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Donald Snowden was convicted of trafficking fentanyl and cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Snowden, age 32 of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, between May 2021 and October 2022, and to distributing fentanyl, on August 31, 2022. Snowden pled guilty before United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing to occur on January 17, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation resulting in the convictions in this case.


title: Nageezi Man Sentenced to 17 and a Half Years in Prison for Second-Degree Murder

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Evan Haceesa was sentenced to 17 years six months in prison. Haceesa, 29, of Nageezi, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pled guilty to second-degree murder on March 22, 2023. According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2022, following a familial argument, Haceesa attacked a defenseless Jane Doe, who was his girlfriend of ten years and the mother of his two children. Haceesa attacked her at his father’s residence in Nageezi on the Navajo Nation. Haceesa continuously punched Jane Doe in the face until she lost consciousness and then kicked her lifeless body several times. After the initial attack, which lasted approximately 10-15 minutes, Haceesa retrieved a wheel barrel and placed Jane Doe’s body in it before he went inside to sleep. An officer from the Navajo Police Department responding to a report of domestic violence arrived on scene later that night and found Jane Doe unclothed and unresponsive, still in the wheel barrel. Jane Doe was airlifted to the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, New Mexico, where she immediately underwent surgery and had to be connected to a ventilator to assist breathing. Jane Doe’s injuries included, among other things, significant blood and air in her abdomen, a perforated small intestine, bleeding in and around the small intestine, a bilateral nose fracture, and partially collapsed lungs. Though it initially appeared that Jane Doe might eventually recover, her condition worsened over the course of a week, and after two additional surgeries she succumbed to her injuries on Sept. 8, 2022. Upon his release from prison, Haceesa will be subject to 5 years of supervised release. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-197


title: Former Army Reservist Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Government Funds

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – On August 15, 2023, former United States Army reservist DERRICK BRANCH pled guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. BRANCH stole $15,469.30 from the United States Department of the Army by claiming reimbursement for the performance of military funeral honors ceremonies that never happened. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 authorizes military funeral honors for active-duty soldiers, retirees, and veterans. At a family’s request, eligible persons can receive military funeral honors, including the folding and presenting of the United States flag and the playing of “Taps.” By pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, BRANCH faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. BRANCH has agreed to pay restitution to the United States Army in the amount of $15,469.30. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.


title: Three Charged in Fentanyl Overdose in St. Francois County Jail

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Three people have been indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on drug charges and have been accused of helping smuggle the drugs that killed a St. Francois County jail detainee in 2021. Timothy L. Noll, 34, Garry “Will” Triplett, 36, and Alissa R. Hahn, 28, were indicted August 9 on a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Triplett and Hahn are also facing a charge of distribution of a controlled substance and Noll is facing a charge of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death. The indictment accuses Triplett of providing controlled substances to Hahn on July 31, 2021. Hahn and others distributed drugs to Noll the next day and on August 2, 2021, Noll provided drugs to the detainee who died as a result, according to the indictment. A detention motion says Noll was captured on a jail video call coordinating with a drug supplier and instructing a family friend how to conceal narcotics in the spine of a bible. Noll’s cellmate later died of a fentanyl overdose within feet of the bible, according to the detention motion and statements made in court. A motion regarding Triplett says he was caught on video on July 31, 2021 supplying capsules and a bag of a crystal substance that were later hidden in the bible. Triplett made his first appearance in court Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. Hahn pleaded not guilty August 17 and Noll pleaded not guilty the next day. Triplett and Noll waived detention hearings and will be held in jail until trial. “We are working with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, who investigate overdose deaths of detainees in correctional institutions, and we will prosecute these cases,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “If convicted in federal court, those who supply drugs that kill could spend the rest of their lives in prison.” The charges against Noll and Triplett carry a potential penalty of a mandatory life sentence in prison. Hahn’s charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.


title: Marion County Man Convicted of Human Trafficking

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas - A Jefferson, Texas man has been convicted of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Corey Johnson, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking today before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell. According to information presented in court, Johnson engaged in trafficking at least three victims between March 2020 and September 2020 in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, New York, and California. Johnson transported the victims and arranged transportation for the victims between various hotels and motels to perform commercial sex acts. Johnson recruited the victims by social media and threatened to harm them if they did not perform commercial sex acts for commercial sex customers. Johnson obtained customers by purchasing and posting advertisements on various internet websites. Under federal statutes, Johnson faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld and Robert Austin Wells, with assistance from Trial Attorney Julie Pfluger of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Ten Defendants in Drug Trafficking Probe

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal drug trafficking investigation has resulted in charges against ten individuals for allegedly trafficking fentanyl-laced heroin and other drugs on the South Side of Chicago. The multi-year investigation, led by the DEA Chicago Field Division and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, utilized undercover and controlled narcotics purchases, covert surveillance operations, and wiretapped communications to shut down a drug trafficking operation. Criminal complaints filed in federal court in Chicago allege that the defendants were affiliated with the Gangsters Disciples, a Chicago street gang. The traffickers allegedly used a designated cellular telephone to receive and service narcotics orders, with various defendants taking shifts working the phone to distribute narcotics. Most of the defendants were arrested Tuesday and have begun making initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Law enforcement on Tuesday also executed court-authorized searches of multiple locations in Chicago. The charges and arrests were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA, Nicholas J. Roti, Executive Director of Chicago HIDTA , and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro G. Ortega and Edward Liva. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. Three complaints charge ten individuals with federal narcotics violations: U.S. v. Ware, et al , 23 CR 409 Charged in this federal drug conspiracy are KEVIN WARE, 49, of Chicago, CHRISTOPHER WARE, 45, of Chicago, BRANDAN ALLEN, 31, of Chicago, RICKY WILLIAMS, 37, of Chicago, DARREL BROOKS, 51, of Chicago, LEROY PRESLEY, 49, of Riverdale, Ill., and ERNEST ROWLETTE, 49, of Chicago. The charges allege that Kevin Ware led a trafficking organization and oversaw its operation, including managing the potency and supply of the narcotics it sold. He allegedly held discussions with dealers regarding best practices for interacting with customers and what types of deals to offer them. Kevin Ware also allegedly obtained information from his dealers about their interactions with law enforcement. Soon after two law enforcement seizures of suspected narcotics last year, Williams and other dealers reported the incidents to Kevin Ware, the complaint states. The conspirators allegedly utilized a residence in Chicago’s West Pullman neighborhood as a “stash house” to store narcotics and cash. In 2021 and 2022, undercover law enforcement officers and cooperating sources made approximately 44 controlled purchases of narcotics from members of Kevin Ware’s organization, the charges allege. U.S. v. Pearson, et al , 23 CR 422 Kevin Ware is also charged in a second federal drug case, along with MICHAEL PEARSON, 49, and JAMIE PEARSON, 46, both of Chicago. According to the charges, the defendants distributed fentanyl and fentanyl-laced heroin. Michael Pearson allegedly conducted several drug deals in Chicago’s Pullman and West Roseland neighborhoods. One of the alleged deals occurred in May 2021 in a delicatessen in the 10700 block of South Michigan Avenue, where Michael Pearson arranged for the sale of heroin mixed with fentanyl and methamphetamine, the complaint states. Unbeknownst to Michael Pearson, the buyer was cooperating with law enforcement, the complaint states. U.S. v. Allen , 23 CR 408 Charged with distributing fentanyl and fentanyl-laced heroin is REGINALD ALLEN, 22, of Chicago. Reginald Allen allegedly sold the drugs on the South Side of Chicago on several occasions in 2021 and 2022. ~~~ The public is reminded that complaints contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Allen complaint Pearson et al complaint Ware et al complaint