title: U.S. Law Enforcement Takes Action Against More Than 3,000 Money Mules in Initiative to Disrupt Transnational Fraud Schemes

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and other federal law enforcement agencies announced today the completion of the Money Mule Initiative, an annual campaign to identify, disrupt, and criminally prosecute networks of individuals who transmit funds from fraud victims to international fraudsters. Fraudsters rely on money mules to facilitate a range of fraud schemes, including those that predominantly impact older Americans, such as lottery fraud, romance scams and grandparent scams as well as those that target businesses or government pandemic funds. As part of this year’s initiative, law enforcement took action to stop over 3,000 money mules responsible for facilitating a range of fraud schemes. These thousands of actions ranged from criminal prosecutions designed to punish those intentionally assisting fraudsters to warning letters intended to advise those who may have been unknowingly recruited by fraudsters. Agencies are also conducting outreach to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money. “The Justice Department is committed to using every tool at our disposal to protect Americans from fraud,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “By working with our federal partners to disrupt money mule networks, educate consumers about scams, and prosecute criminals, we can keep money out of the hands of international fraudsters and in the pockets of hard-working Americans.” “The FBI and its partners will relentlessly pursue individuals looking to illegally move funds for illicit purposes,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Our work of protecting the American people includes prosecuting individuals and networks who knowingly facilitate fraud schemes, while educating consumers and unwitting participants on the dangers of illicit money mule networks.” “The dismantling of these criminal networks should send a strong message that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our partners, is committed to taking down these criminal networks designed to inflict financial harm, oftentimes to our most vulnerable population, older Americans,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of USPIS. “The Inspection Service will continue to participate in public education efforts, while remaining committed to enforcing the laws that bring money mules and their international puppeteers to justice.” This year’s effort was coordinated by the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, FBI, and USPIS. Other participating agencies were the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Participating agencies served approximately 2,970 letters warning individuals that their actions were facilitating fraud schemes. Many money mules begin as victims of romance or lottery scams and are unknowingly lured by fraudsters into transmitting fraud proceeds based on lies. Other money mules are recruited into what they initially believe to be legitimate work-at-home jobs. In order to educate and deter these types of unknowing money mules, the letters served by law enforcement warned individuals that their activities are facilitating fraud and outlined the potential consequences of continuing to transmit illegally acquired funds. Additionally, more than 20 individuals were criminally charged for knowingly receiving and forwarding victim funds or otherwise laundering fraud proceeds. These cases included: The Consumer Protection Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey charged five defendants for allegedly acting as couriers who went to the homes of elderly victims of a grandparent scam to pick up cash, often using false names and providing victims with fake receipts. The couriers then brought the cash to other members of the conspiracy, who sent the victims’ money to the Dominican Republic. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina charged two men for allegedly laundering over $4.5 million in proceeds of business email compromise schemes and online romance scams targeting elderly victims. The defendants opened bank accounts to receive wires and other transfers of funds from fraud victims. The defendants then withdrew and transferred the fraud proceeds, including transfers into overseas accounts, and kept a portion of the proceeds for themselves. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri charged three men for their roles in allegedly collecting and transmitting funds from victims of a nationwide tech support fraud scam targeting the elderly. According to charges, one of the defendants recruited college students to act as couriers to collect payments from victims around the country and to fraudulently open bank accounts into which the proceeds of the scam would be deposited. The other two defendants allegedly provided the couriers with assignments, instructions, and payment. The defendants deposited about $7 million in cashier’s checks into one bank account between March 2020 and July 2023. As in past years, participating agencies are also working to raise public awareness about how fraudsters recruit and use individuals to assist their fraud operations. IRS-CI implemented a public awareness campaign to warn taxpayers about the ways in which fraudsters recruit money mules. Additionally, the Justice Department and USPIS partnered with the American Banking Association Foundation to present a webinar to banks regarding money mules and the role banks can play in identifying and stopping them. The agencies involved in this effort urge consumers to be on the lookout for signs someone is trying to recruit them to receive and transmit fraud proceeds. Do not agree to receive money or checks mailed to you or sent to your bank account for someone you have met over the phone or online. Do not open a bank or cryptocurrency account at someone else’s direction. Fraudsters will lie to persuade you to help them. They may falsely tell you that they are helping you get a lottery prize, initiate a purported romantic relationship and then tell you that they need money, or pretend to offer you a job, an opportunity to invest in a business venture, or the chance to help in a charitable effort. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ReportFraud.Ftc.gov to receive consumer complaints. More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . The Justice Department provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at www.ovc.gov .


title: St. Lucie County man pleads guilty to production of child pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On May 9, a St. Lucie County man pleaded guilty in federal court to production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of a minor. Between November 2022 and January 2023, Luis Escoto, 28, engaged in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old when he was about 26 or 27 years old in St. Lucie and Martin counties. Escoto recorded the sexual interactions with the minor victim using his cellphone and convinced the victim to send him sexually explicit pictures through text messages and communication platforms. In February 2023, Martin County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Escoto. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 2, before U.S. District Judge David S. Liebowitz in Fort Pierce. Escoto faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Sheriff William D. Snyder of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced the guilty plea. HSI Fort Pierce and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-14024. ###


title: Federal Inmate Charged in Fatal Stabbing of Fellow Inmate at the Terre Haute Federal Prison Complex

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TERRE HAUTE- A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Otha Don Watkins III, age 42, of Cairo, Illinois, with involuntary manslaughter and possessing contraband in prison. On April 14, 2023, Watkins was serving a federal prison sentence and was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. According to the indictment, on April 14, 2023, Watkins allegedly stabbed fellow inmate, Carlos Shelton, with an improvised knife during a fight. Improvised knives, commonly referred to as “shanks” are illegal to possess in prison and pose a significant risk to the safety of fellow inmates and correctional staff. Watkins allegedly created the weapon with a piece of metal sharpened to a point at one end and wrapped in white cloth on the other. Shelton ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Watkins remains in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Investigation Services branch of the Bureau of Prisons investigated this case. If convicted, Watkins faces up to 8 years in federal prison, in addition to his current sentence. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Duluth Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking Following a Jury Trial

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Jorge Rodriguez Martinez was found guilty by a federal jury for his role in a scheme to distribute multiple kilograms of methamphetamine in the metro-Atlanta area. Martinez was charged with one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Rodriguez Martinez was convicted on both counts following a three-day trial. “Methamphetamine trafficking funnels poison into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This defendant’s conviction sends a strong warning to others that those who peddle dangerous drugs will be held accountable for their conduct.” “The investigation and subsequent conviction of this criminal drug dealer demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to fight the drug cartels who have no regard for the citizens of our community,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On October 7, 2020, a confidential source (“CS”) working with agents from the DEA, placed multiple recorded phone calls to Rodriguez Martinez to purchase several kilograms of methamphetamine. After the phone calls, Rodriguez Martinez, who was being surveilled by federal law enforcement agents, travelled to a location in the metro-Atlanta area to meet with a drug supplier at a Dunwoody apartment complex. Rodriguez Martinez traveled to the CS’s residence where he dropped off his truck containing multiple kilograms of methamphetamine, switched vehicles, then drove away. The CS placed additional recorded phone calls to Rodriguez Martinez, during which Rodriguez Martinez confirmed that the drugs were in the truck and agreed to return to the CS’s residence to pick up the drugs. Rodriguez Martinez next travelled to the CS’s residence, picked up the methamphetamine, and quickly departed. Shortly thereafter, the Georgia State Patrol stopped Rodriguez Martinez’s vehicle and located approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine on the front passenger floorboard. Jorge Rodriguez Martinez, 56, of Duluth, Georgia, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones. Rodriguez Martinez was found guilty by a federal jury on April 25, 2024. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney McClellon D. Cox, III, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra E. Strippoli are prosecuting the case. This case was previously prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel S. Lyons. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Fourth Honduran National Extradited To The U.S. In Prosecution Of Tenderloin District Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – On May 8, 2024, the government of Honduras extradited convicted felon Victor Viera-Chirinos to the United States. The extradition marks the fourth in the case against 14 defendants alleged to have been trafficking large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine in San Francisco. Information about the three defendants previously extradited can be found here. “Victor Viera-Chirinos thought he could evade consequences for his criminal conduct by fleeing to Honduras prior to his sentencing,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “Let this case be instructive to people considering whether to distribute drugs in the Tenderloin District; the reach of the government is long and we are determined to assign the resources necessary to eradicate drug dealing from our neighborhoods and punish those who are found guilty of violating the drug trafficking laws.” “Victor Viera-Chirinos thought he could run from justice, but he could not hide from it,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. “As our sustained enforcement efforts in San Francisco continue, the economics of drug dealing no longer make sense for those peddling poison in the Tenderloin. This extradition makes it clear that we will use every tool at our disposal to hold you accountable because no one is beyond the grasp of the DEA and our law enforcement partners.” Viera-Chirinos, 42, was originally charged by criminal complaint on July 29, 2019, with charges that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute drugs in the Tenderloin. A federal grand jury indicted Viera-Chirinos on August 8, 2019, alleging he was one of 14 defendants trafficking large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine. The charging documents describe how Viera-Chirinos was involved with the organization. For example, the complaint alleges Viera-Chirinos collected “rent” for street-level dealers who paid the organization for housing while participating in the organization’s drug trafficking activities. Similarly, the charging documents describe how the defendant played a role in ensuring street-level dealers were supplied with drugs for trafficking activities. On January 27, 2021, Viera-Chirinos pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B). In his plea agreement, Viera-Chirinos described his role in the drug trafficking organization; specifically, Viera-Chirinos admitted that no later than June 2018 he entered into an agreement with other individuals to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine to street-level dealers, who ultimately sold drugs in the streets of San Francisco, including in the city’s Tenderloin District. Viera-Chirinos also admitted that he made at least one delivery of drugs to a co-conspirator and described how he facilitated the sale of additional drugs to other members of the conspiracy. Viera-Chirinos further acknowledged in his plea agreement that the total weight of drugs attributable to him was an amount over 1775 kilograms of converted drug weight. The district court scheduled Viera-Chirinos’s sentencing hearing for June 2, 2021. In filings related to the defendant’s sentencing, the government described Viera-Chirinos as an experienced trafficker who, through his own admission, had been selling drugs in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District for years. The filing described how Viera-Chirinos’s conduct in the case demonstrated his “savviness as a trafficker.” Approximately one week prior to his sentencing, the defendant absconded from pretrial release and fled to Honduras. Viera-Chirinos arrived back in the Northern District of California on May 8, 2024, to face sentencing for the charge set out in the August 2019 indictment. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim on May 15, 2024, for further proceedings, including identification of counsel. A date for his sentencing has not yet been scheduled. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Honduran authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Viera-Chirinos. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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: Violent Shooting Spree Leads to Arrest of Suspect in Gallup

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A man is facing federal charges for murder following a violent day-long crime spree in Gallup, New Mexico. The criminal complaint alleges that on April 24, 2024, a family traveling south on U.S. Highway 491 reported to law enforcement that they had been followed, rear-ended, and shot at by someone sitting in the front passenger seat of a white SUV. Further investigation revealed that earlier that day, Rydell Happy , 30, and two others had been involved in a separate shooting incident in Gallup, New Mexico, where a third individual was shot at Happy ' s direction. After the shooting on the highway, the group continued driving south, and one of the vehicle's occupants, John Doe, began to argue with Happy . Happy then ordered the group to get out of the car, and once they had done so, he shot John Doe. Happy then grabbed a baseball bat and began hitting John Doe in the head. Happy and one of the others then dragged John Doe's body over the edge of a nearby cliff. Following reports of the earlier shooting on Highway 491, officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department were on the lookout for a white SUV. Officers later observed a vehicle matching the description and pursued. The driver fled, but eventually crashed the SUV, and three individuals, including Happy , were apprehended. Through follow-up investigation, investigators were able to find John Doe's body, which showed signs of severe head trauma. If convicted of the current charges, Happy faces up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families. View the Criminal Complaint A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: KDY Crew Member Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Violent Crime Spree Involving Multiple Carjackings and Armed Robberies

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Azriel Ethan Echavarria, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for committing a string of armed carjackings and violent armed robberies with two co-defendants in the District and Suburban Maryland during 2022. The sentencing was announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police (MPD); ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and Chief Marcus G. Jones, of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department. Echavarria pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on January 26, 2024, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce, also known as a Hobbs Act robbery; conspiracy to commit carjacking; and armed robbery. In addition to the 16-year prison term, the Honorable Beryl A. Howell, ordered Echavarria to serve 60 months of supervised release. According to court documents, Echavarria admitted to personally participating in the armed robberies of six individuals, five businesses and/or their employees, and two armed carjackings during the first three months of 2022. One of Echavarria’s co-conspirators, Tyrell Jordan Stewart, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison on January 12, 2024, after pleading guilty in the same spree of carjackings and violent armed robberies. According to the government’s evidence, Echavarria and his co-defendants are members of the Kennedy Street Crew or KDY, a violent street gang that operates in the Kennedy Street neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. KDY is among the largest crews in the District based on both territory and its vast membership. The prosecutions of Echavarria and his co-conspirators are part of an ongoing coordinated law enforcement investigation into the Kennedy Street Crew, also known as “KDY.” The multi-year investigation reflects the efforts of nearly every federal law enforcement agency in the District of Columbia, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division. The above efforts are 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. The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department and the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and ATF’s Washington Field Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Coley of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lynch.


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to 32 Months for Acting as Money Courier in Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. — An Indian national, most recently living in the Chicago area, Satishkumar Rameshchandra Patel, 39, has been sentenced to 32 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $631,336.40. According to his plea agreement, Patel’s co-conspirators reached out to victims across the United States to defraud them out of significant sums of money. Often, Patel’s co-conspirators located in India reached out to victims by telephone and represented themselves to be government officials. The co-conspirators would convince the victims they were in some sort of legal or financial trouble, and requested the victims send payment to relieve the trouble or protect the victims from losing their savings. The victims, most of whom were in their late 60s or 70s, mailed cash shipments to fake names, at addresses in the Chicago area, in Central Kentucky, and elsewhere, where Patel and others would retrieve those packages. Victims lost anywhere from $9,000 to $375,000 through the scheme. Other fraud schemes emanating out of the India-based call center for which Patel was employed included tech support scams, where victims were defrauded into believing their computer security company had issued them refunds for products in error. The victims were directed to the withdraw those excess refunds in cash and mail the cash to certain addresses located in the Chicago area and elsewhere in the United States, where Patel and others would retrieve those packages. The fake refunds were anywhere from $9,000 to $20,000. In total, court records show that 9 victims were associated to Patel’s actions, resulting in a restitution amount of $631,336.40. Under federal law, Patel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, Patel will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Patel was charged alongside Kalpeshkumar Rasikbhai Patel. Anyone with additional information about this investigation and prosecution is urged to contact law enforcement, at the following: https://www.tigta.gov/hotline?type=IRSScamsandFraud . Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigation, Nashville Field Office; Heather Mill, Acting Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Gail Ennis, Inspector General, Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, jointly announce the sentence. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, HSI, TIGTA, and SSA-OIG. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf. This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to identify and prosecute those persons who facilitate elder financial exploitation. The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Mission – being carried out through the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force – is to seek justice for victims of elder financial exploitation. Anyone who knows someone who may be a victim of an elder financial exploitation, is encouraged to contact law enforcement. – END –


title: Contractors Agree to Pay $273,100 Over Failure to Deliver Telescope to the Air Force

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a $273,100 settlement agreement with Hart Scientific Consulting International LLC (“Hart Scientific”) and Composite Mirror Applications, Inc. (“CMA”) over allegations of false claims related to the procurement of a telescope for the Air Force Research Laboratory (“AFRL”). AFRL contracted with Hart Scientific to acquire the telescope for $250,000 as part of an ongoing research project coordinated through the Small Business Administration’s Small Business Innovation Research program. In turn, Hart Scientific contracted with CMA in December of 2015 to manufacture and deliver the telescope to AFRL. CMA commenced work on the telescope in January of 2016, and provided a 5-month timeline for delivery to the Government. AFRL paid the contractors the $250,000 total amount in monthly installments between January and June of 2016. In April of 2017, months after the 5-month delivery timeline had passed, CMA continued to experience problems fabricating the telescope’s mirrors, and demanded an additional $13,200, above and beyond the $250,000 price tag agreed upon by the parties. AFRL provided the additional funds, but as the contract came to a close at the end of May 2017, the telescope was not ready for use by the Air Force and was not delivered or leased to the Air Force. Despite failing to deliver the telescope, Hart Scientific claimed in the contract’s final report that the telescope was “leased to the Air Force.” The United States alleges that the contractors violated the False Claims Act by submitting demands for the monthly installment payments, despite knowing that the telescope would not be delivered in accordance with the applicable contract terms. To resolve the allegations, Hart Scientific and CMA agreed to pay a total of $273,100 to the U.S. government, with Hart Scientific and CMA jointly responsible for $259,900 and CMA responsible for $13,200. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and the Department of the Air Force, Office of the Deputy General Counsel, made the announcement today. The government’s investigations were led by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Cunniff and Auditor Julie Chappell and criminal investigators from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Office of Procurement Fraud Detachment 3. # # #


title: Federal Law Enforcement Dismantles Brooklyn Gun Trafficking Ring

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a six-count indictment was unsealed charging Yashiya Louisdor, Zaire Alman, Marques Seals and a fourth defendant with conspiring to illegally traffic more than 40 firearms in three months. Louisdor, Alman and Seals were arrested yesterday and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. The fourth defendant is still at large. During the arrests 33 guns, including several rifles and shotguns, were recovered. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Thomas Kalogiros, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the charges. “As alleged, in just three short months the defendants attempted to bring over 40 guns into our community to sell them on our streets, including selling near an elementary school,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “Thanks to our Office and our law enforcement partners, this gun trafficking ring has been dismantled and we hope this sends a message to all who seek to profit from the illegal gun trade that we will not stop in our efforts to keep our community safe.” “This indictment highlights NYPD investigators’ ongoing intelligence-driven efforts to pinpoint, arrest, and hold accountable gun traffickers,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “Allegedly selling these illegal firearms in broad daylight, close to a school, makes these charges especially disturbing. Along with our partners at the ATF and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the NYPD vows to remain relentless in our quest to eradicate gun violence in all New York City neighborhoods.” Stated ATF Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Kalogiros: “Firearms trafficking is a central focus of the ATF strategy to protect the public from violent crime. These individuals are alleged to have brought dozens of illegal firearms to the streets of New York. With their arrests we have disrupted and dismantled a trafficking ring that profited from bringing illegal firearms to our city streets endangering each and every one of their fellow citizens. I would like to thank the ATF Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the NYPD/ ATF Joint Firearms Task Force for their diligent efforts on this case. This case is yet another example of how the many units in the NYPD and ATF can collaborate and coordinate their efforts with their Federal partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to make the streets safer for all.” According to the indictment and other court documents, the defendants made multiple sales of at least 40 illegal firearms, including semi-automatic and defaced weapons, between February 2024 and April 2024. The defendants conducted many of these firearms sales in a vehicle in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, which was at a busy intersection and mere blocks away from an elementary school and a sports venue and concert arena. The defendants also conducted these firearm sales in a vehicle near a public transportation hub in Manhattan. Three members of the gun-trafficking operation obtained the firearms in Georgia and then transported them to New York to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn. The firearms deals often occurred in the middle of the afternoon and in broad daylight. Some of the firearms had defaced serial numbers. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Katherine P. Onyshko is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Peiyuan Lo. The Defendants : YASHIYA LOUISDOR Age: 23 Brooklyn, New York ZAIRE ALMAN Age: 23 Douglasville, Georgia MARQUES SEALS Age: 23 Douglasville, Georgia E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-187


title: Former Perry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Pleads Guilty to Federal Honest Services Wire Fraud

body_text: LONDON, Ky.— The former Commonwealth’s Attorney, for the 33rd Judicial Circuit of Kentucky, Scott Blair, 52, of Hazard, Ky., pleaded guilty on Friday, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hanly A. Ingram, to committing honest services wire fraud. According to his guilty plea agreement, between April 2020 and March 2024, Blair knowingly and intentionally devised a scheme to fraudulently deprive the citizens of Perry County of their right to his honest services, as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney, through bribery. On multiple occasions, Blair agreed to take official actions, in his position as the Commonwealth’s Attorney – including making recommendations on probation, drug court, and probation violations or sanctions for defendants he was prosecuting – in exchange for methamphetamine and sexual favors. “Whenever prosecutors reject their official duties for the public, and instead abuse their positions for personal benefit, that does continuing damage to us all,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “It not only victimizes individuals, but it demeans the true work of law enforcement, undermines fairness and public safety, and diminishes faith in the criminal justice system. This conviction is an important step toward restoring the necessary integrity and faith in the system and preventing this grave misconduct.” “Blair’s conduct undermines the confidence the public deserves to have in their government officials,” said Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Division. “The public relies on its Commonwealth’s Attorneys to maintain and validate its faith in our criminal justice system. As he admitted today, Blair betrayed that trust by engaging in a scheme that spanned years and corrupted the fair administration of justice for personal gain. The FBI will pursue corrupt actors without fear or favor, and the people of Perry County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky deserve nothing less.” “All Kentuckians – including the people of Perry County – deserve prosecutors with integrity and public servants they can trust. Scott Blair violated that trust and broke the law,” said Attorney General Russell Coleman. “This conviction will help restore public safety in this community, and it is an example of the zealous collaboration between our Office and our partners that is key to protecting Kentucky families.” “I commend the outstanding work conducted by our detectives along with our federal partners, into this investigation” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. “We hope this will bring closure to the citizens of Perry County and renew their trust in the justice system.” United States Attorney Shier; Special Agent in Charge Stansbury; Kentucky Attorney General Coleman; and Commissioner Burnett, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States. The Court will enter a separate order setting a date for sentencing. Blair faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence. — END —


title: Former Camden County Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former Camden County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer has been charged in federal court with distributing child pornography. Darrin Marshall Skinner, 49, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., on Thursday, May 9. Skinner was employed by Camden County as a deputy sheriff and assigned as a school resource officer in the Macks Creek School District. Prior to being hired by Camden County, he worked as a police officer in Osage Beach, Mo. According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, the investigation began when the social media network MeWe reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip Line that a user, later identified as Skinner, had uploaded images of child pornography. On June 7, 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent the report to the Camden County Sheriff’s Department. Due to Skinner’s connection to the department, the case was taken over by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Investigators learned the email address allegedly used by Skinner was a member of several sexually themed social groups. On Aug. 1, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant and interviewed Skinner at his residence. Investigators learned that MeWe had made a prior report to the Cyber Tip Line in 2020 related to a user identified as Skinner allegedly uploading multiple images of child sexual abuse through the application’s chat feature. Skinner allegedly sent child sexual abuse material on multiple occasions, including images of children under the age of 12 and a pre-school age child. Skinner also shared a number of photos of prepubescent girls identified as being from the community with other users of the MeWe platform, the affidavit says. He cropped and adjusted these images to be more sexually suggestive. No local minors were contained in the images of child pornography. It is believed Skinner obtained some of these photos of local minors from social media since they were in gymnastics or dance clothes associated with a local gymnastics studio. The images were exchanged as part of sexually charged chats between Skinner and other MeWe users. The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Digital Forensic Investigative Unit and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Part-Time Actor from Orange County Found Guilty of Soliciting Investors for Shell Companies that Peddled Bogus COVID Cure and Treatment

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man and part-time actor was found guilty by a jury today of soliciting investors in companies that marketed what in fact were a bogus cure and treatment for COVID-19 during the pandemic’s early days. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 56, of Huntington Beach, was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud. He remains free on $150,000 bond. According to evidence presented at a three-day trial, in March 2020, Middlebrook solicited potential investors in California, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Colorado via text messages, videos and statements posted on YouTube and Instagram about his purported cure for COVID-19. Middlebrook called this so-called cure “QC20,” and he also marketed a purported COVID treatment, which he called “QP20.” Middlebrook claimed to have personally developed a “patent-pending” cure and a treatment to prevent coronavirus infection. Middlebrook fraudulently solicited investments in various companies with a series of false promises. These fraudulent claims included miraculous results from the prevention product and the cure, risk-free and 100 percent guaranteed “enormous returns” on investments,” and that former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a director and officer of Middlebrook’s company. He induced victims to invest their money by promising them enormous returns. To bolster these claims, defendant Middlebrook lied that a party in Dubai had offered to purchase Middlebrook’s companies for $10 billion, and this offer would secure the victim-investors’ investments in the companies. He also lied that he had secured funding from seven investors who had each already invested between $750,000 and $1 million. The FBI arrested Middlebrook in this case in March 2020 after Middlebrook delivered pills – purportedly the treatment that prevents coronavirus infection – to an undercover agent who was posing as an investor. United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled a September 9 sentencing hearing, at which time Middlebrook will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth R. Carbajal and Joseph S. Guzman, both of the General Crimes Section, are prosecuting this case.


title: Informational: Federal Court arraignments

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt: Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on May 7 was: David Michael Rosebud Mathison, 48, of Poplar, on charges of wire fraud. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mathison faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Mathison was released pending further proceedings. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-28. David Victor Fast Horse, 35, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Fast Horse faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the crime of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Fast Horse was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Rocky Boy’s Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-42. Jamison Gray Devine, 35, of Billings and Helena, on charges of prohibited person in possession of ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Devine faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Devine was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-8. Richard William Karp, 54, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Karp faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Karp was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Broadwater County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-9. Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on May 8 was: Shane Michael Kardash, 33, of Livingston, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Kardash faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Kardash was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Park County Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Police Department and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-7. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl . XXX


title: Gibsonia Man Charged With Insider Trading Based on Non-Public Information Related to Dick’s Sporting Goods Business Operations

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, was charged in federal court with securities fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Frank T. Poerio Jr., 62, was charged by criminal Information with four counts of securities fraud. According to the Information, Poerio used sensitive, material non-public information (MNPI) obtained from a Dick’s Sporting Goods employee to engage in nearly 200 trades of the company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange, including the purchase of individual shares and call option contracts. The trading allegedly occurred between August 2019 and May 2021 when the insider worked in a data analytics role at the company’s corporate offices in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. The trades allegedly netted approximately $823,000 in profit for Poerio. As alleged, Poerio knew the Dick’s employee and spoke often with the employee about finances and investing. Several of the alleged trading incidents occurred in the days immediately preceding Dick’s release of periodic earnings statements—so called “blackout” periods, when Dick’s employees were prohibited from trading in the company’s securities. At each count, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $5 million fine, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed by the court would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant, among other factors. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Poerio. A criminal Information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The filing of an Information generally indicates that the defendant intends to enter a guilty plea.


title: Border Patrol Agent Indicted for Child Pornography and Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Nereo Mejia Gomez, Jr., 41, of Yuma, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday for a series of child pornography-related offenses, including Production of Child Pornography and multiple counts of Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography. Gomez also was indicted for Possession of an Unregistered Firearm; specifically, a short-barreled rifle. A federal Magistrate Judge ordered that Gomez be released pending trial. Gomez is an agent with the United States Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol. The indictment alleges that, between November 2022 and March 2023, Gomez produced child pornography four times involving a girl who was ages 15 and 16. The indictment also alleges that Gomez distributed child pornography five times in February and March 2024 using a facility of interstate commerce and possessed child pornography and an unregistered firearm in April 2024. Production of Child Pornography carries a potential sentence of 15-30 years in prison, while each count of Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Possession of an Unregistered Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All child exploitation counts also carry a potential fine of up to $250,000 and a lifetime term of supervised release. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution. The Yuma Sector of the Border Patrol has been cooperative in the investigation. Gomez- Indictment CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00783-PHX-SMB RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-060_Gomez # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Dentist Sentenced for Unlawfully Distributing Opioids That Caused Patient’s Death

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Kentucky dentist was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for his unlawful prescribing of opioids, including morphine that caused the death of one of his patients. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Jay M. Sadrinia, 61, of Villa Hills, owned and operated dental clinics in Crescent Springs, Kentucky. Sadrinia prescribed powerful opioids to his patients for routine dental procedures despite clear signs, including notes within Sadrinia’s own patient charts, that these patients suffered from substance abuse disorder. Sadrinia’s unlawful prescribing of morphine to one patient led to her death. Sadrinia charged the patient $37,000 for dental procedures and prescribed the patient medically unnecessary quantities of narcotics, including morphine. Several days later, the patient fatally overdosed on the morphine. A federal jury convicted Sadrinia in June 2023 of unlawful distribution of controlled substances and unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Field Division; and Special Agent in Charge Michael Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. The DEA and FBI investigated the case. Assistant Chief Katherine Payerle and Trial Attorney Thomas Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Brooklyn Man Arrested for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Brooklyn, N.Y. man was arrested today in connection with a scheme to steal over $3 million in COVID relief tax credits using the stolen identity of a corporate executive in New Jersey. Isaiah Aaron Tenryk, 28, was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today, Tenryk was detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 16, 2024. According to the charging documents, Tenryk used a fraudulent driver’s license as well as the name and Social Security number of a corporate executive in New Jersey to open an account at a bank in Boston. He then allegedly deposited an approximately $3 million Employee Retention Tax Credit check payable to the executive’s company into the fraudulent account. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-years in prison in addition to any sentence imposed for bank fraud, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Oklahoma Man Previously Arrested for Allegedly Throwing Pipe Bomb at Satanic Temple in Salem Indicted by Federal Grand Jury

body_text: BOSTON – An Oklahoma man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple (TST) in Salem, Mass. on April 8, 2024. Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Okla., was indicted on one count of using fire and an explosive to damage and attempt to damage a building used in interstate or foreign commerce. Palmer was initially charged by criminal complaint and arrested on April 17, 2024 in Perkins, Okla. He subsequently appeared in federal court in the Western District of Oklahoma, where the Court ordered Palmer detained and transferred to the District of Massachusetts. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. TST is a non-theistic religious organization headquartered in Salem, Mass. According to the charging documents, at approximately 4:14 a.m. on April 8, 2024, surveillance cameras captured a man, subsequently identified as Palmer, walking towards TST wearing a black face covering, a tan-colored tactical vest and gloves. It is alleged that as Palmer approached TST, he ignited a pipe bomb – a type of improvised explosive device or “IED” – threw it at TST’s main entrance and ran away. Seconds later, the IED partially detonated causing minor fire and related damage to TST’s exterior. According to the charging documents, the pipe bomb was constructed from a section of plastic pipe covered with metal nails attached to the pipe with tape. The inside of the pipe was filled with a powder-like substance, preliminarily identified as smokeless gunpowder. DNA from a Caucasian male was found on the outside of the IED. It is alleged that a six-page handwritten note was found in a flower bed adjacent to TST, near the area where Palmer allegedly threw the IED. Among other things, the letter stated: DEAR SATANIST ELOHIM SEND ME 7 MONTHS AGO TO GIVE YOU PEACEFUL MESSAGE TO HOPE YOU REPENT. YOU SAY NO, ELOHIM NOW SEND ME TO SMITE SATAN AND I HAPPY TO OBEY. AND ELOHIM WANT ME TO CONTACT YOU TO TELL YOU REPENT. TURN FROM SIN. ELOHIM NO LIKE THIS PLACE AND PLAN TO DESTROY IT. MAYBE SALEM TOO? ELOHIM SEND ME TO FIGHT CRYBABY SATAN, BUT WANT ME TO MAKE HARD EFFORT SO NO ONE DIES. I OBEY. The charge of using fire or an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Lucas J. Miller, Chief of the Salem Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Massachusetts State Police; Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oklahoma City Field Office; Payne County Sherriff’s Office; Oklahoma Highway Patrol; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma; and Stillwater (Okla.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Henry County Man Indicted on Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury in Jackson, Tennessee recently returned an indictment charging a Henry County man with federal child exploitation offenses. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the return of the indictment today. Levi Edward Hamilton, 22 , of Mansfield, Tennessee, was indicted for soliciting sexually explicit images and videos from several individuals, including minor children, through interstate commerce, such as the internet and the use of social media accounts. Hamilton is charged with five counts of production of child pornography, five counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, five counts of receipt of child pornography, three counts of transferring obscene matter to a minor, and one count of possessing child pornography. If convicted on all counts, Hamilton is facing a sentence of up to life in prison. This case is pending before United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson in Jackson, Tennessee. If Hamilton is convicted of the charged offenses, Judge Anderson will determine the sentence to impose on the defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to contact Special Agent Eric McCraw at the FBI Memphis-Jackson Resident Agency, or Lieutenant David Andrews at the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact Tjuana Holmes at (901) 544-4231 or Tjuana.Holmes@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on Twitter at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Convicted Felon Charged With Firearms Trafficking After Allegedly Attempting to Trade Fentanyl for Four Firearms

body_text: BOSTON – A Quincy man was charged today in federal court in Boston for allegedly distributing fentanyl to obtain four firearms. Caesar Ross, 40, was charged by Information with one count of firearms trafficking and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Ross was previously arrested on related charges in September 2023 and has remained in federal custody since. According to court documents, in 2022, an investigation began into Ross and others for allegedly engaging in firearms trafficking and other violations of federal firearms and drug laws. It is alleged that in September 2023, Ross met with a cooperating witness in Quincy to whom he provided 60 grams of fentanyl in exchange for four firearms, each of which had no visible serial number: a Beretta 92F, 9 parabellum, pistol; a Beretta 96 Brigadier elite IA, .40S&W pistol; a Glock 22, .40S&W pistol; and a FN Herstal 5.7, 5.7x28 pistol. Ross was immediately taken into custody. Ross is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction. The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division and the Quincy Police Department. 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. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty in federal court to assault with a dangerous weapon. In his plea agreement, Brian Aragon , 35, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, admitted that on June 19, 2019, he beat Jane Doe with a candelabra. As a result of the assault, Jane Doe suffered bodily injury. The Court ordered that Aragon remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Aragon faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Aragon will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case with the assistance of the Acoma Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee and Alexander F. Flores are prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement # # #


title: Federal Indictment Charges Man With Robbing U.S. Postal Service Employee in Chicago

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted a man for allegedly robbing a U.S. Postal Service employee in Chicago. RICHARD THOMPSON, 52, of Chicago, took an arrow key from the Postal Service employee on Nov. 10, 2023, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Thompson used a dangerous weapon during the robbery, putting the Postal Service employee’s life in jeopardy, the indictment states. The indictment charges Thompson with one count of robbery of a Postal Service employee. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison. Thompson was arrested on Thursday. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Thursday afternoon and was ordered to remain detained in federal custody. A status hearing is set for June 14, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary McDonnell. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Thompson indictment


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to Defrauding COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Programs

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that two individuals pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with COVID-19 relief funding. On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to retain jobs and maintain payroll during the pandemic. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low-interest bridge funding for small businesses placed at risk during the pandemic. David Kurt Schneider, 54, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Bank Fraud. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian accepted Schneider’s guilty plea, and set sentencing for August 13, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., in Yakima. In the plea agreement accepted by the court, and in information disclosed during court proceedings, Schneider admitted that he conspired, along with two other defendants , to fraudulently obtain CARES Act funding through the PPP program, collectively obtaining over $265,000 in PPP funding. Schneider further admitted that he and his co-defendants submitted additional fraudulent applications seeking over $560,000 in CARES Act funding through the PPP and EIDL programs, applications which were ultimately not approved. Schneider, as part of the conspiracy, admitted all three defendants submitted false information and documents to the SBA and participating PPP lenders regarding gross revenues, number of employees, and amount spent on payroll in an attempt to obtain CARES Act funds to which they were not otherwise entitled. According to the plea agreement, Schneider and others submitted funding applications in the name of Larsen Firearms, owned by co-defendant Leif Gerald Larsen, and Solar Mobility LLC, RealNZ Water LLC, and Tempest Tactical Solutions, LLC, all owned by Schneider. In a separate case, Nathan Michael Triano, 40, pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted Tirano’s guilty plea, and set sentencing for August 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in Spokane. In the plea agreement accepted by the court, and in information disclosed during court proceedings, Triano admitted he obtained six PPP loans totaling $140,865.00 by submitting materially false and fraudulent information concerning various purported businesses. In addition to the PPP funds dispersed to Triano, the United States also incurred a loss of $15,000.00 in lender fees for the PPPs, resulting in a total actual and intended loss of at least $155,865.00. “Both of these defendants repeatedly used fraudulent schemes to defraud the United States Government and take critical funds that were to be used as a lifeline to small and local businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My Office will continue to lead the effort to prosecute those who stole money intended for those in legitimate need.” United States v. Schneider was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by and by FBI and SBA OIG. United States v. Triano was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by SBA-OIG, TIGTA, DOL-OIG, DHS-HSI and DHS-OIG. Both cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frieda K. Zimmerman and Jeremy J. Kelley. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont Recognizes National Police Week

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont - In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement officers in Vermont. This year, the week is observed from Sunday, May 12 through Saturday, May 18, 2024. In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. According to preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), as of December 31, 2023, 136 federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement officers died in the line-of-duty in 2023, including one police officer from Rutland, Vermont. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty and the U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages Vermonters and citizens across the country to remember and honor those who gave their lives so the rest of us can live peacefully. U.S. Attorney Kerest stated, “Every day in Vermont, law enforcement officers face uncertain and dangerous situations, putting themselves in harm’s way to confront violence and protect our communities. This is difficult work and is vital to the safety of all Vermonters. My office commends and thanks each of them for their commitment and dedication to our Vermont communities. National Police Week also is a time to think about officer wellness. The pressures of responding to unknown circumstances take a toll on law enforcement officers and deserve attention. I encourage everyone to reach out to a police officer or your local police department this week and convey gratitude for their sacrifices.” Each year, as stated on the NLEOMF’s website, hundreds of names of officers killed in the line of duty are engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. These names are then read out loud during the annual Candlelight Vigil held on the National Mall, in Washington, D.C., to memorialize those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 2024 will mark the 36th Annual Candlelight Vigil and will be held on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 8:00 PM EDT. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website . ### Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.


title: Jackson Man Indicted on Extortion and Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury in Jackson, Tennessee recently returned an indictment charging a Jackson man with federal child exploitation offenses and extortion. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the return of the indictment today. According to information presented in court, Peter Anthony Pappas, 40 , has been indicted for using deception to manipulate several minors into providing him with confidential information which he used for fraudulent purposes. Specifically, Pappas used the information to gain unauthorized access to online accounts belonging to the minor victims – including social media, cloud storage, and email accounts. Pappas then used the information obtained from those accounts to both exploit the victims and to target new victims. Pappas’s goal was to obtain sexually explicit images and/or videos from the victims, many of whom he knew were minor children. Pappas is charged with four counts of distribution of child pornography, four counts of transferring obscene matter to a minor, two counts of attempted production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of extortion by interstate communications, and one count of possessing child pornography. If convicted on all counts, Pappas is facing a sentence of up to life in prison. This case is pending before United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson in Jackson, Tennessee. If Pappas is convicted of the charges, Judge Anderson will determine the sentence to impose on the defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI Memphis Child Exploitation Task Force. Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to contact Special Agent Eric McCraw at the FBI Memphis-Jackson Resident Agency. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact Tjuana Holmes at (901) 544-4231 or Tjuana.Holmes@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on Twitter at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Glastonbury Psychologist Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Medicaid of More Than $1.6 Million

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL B. PINES, 75, of Avon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 27 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for defrauding Medicaid of more than $1.6 million. According to court documents and statements made in court, Pines is a psychologist who owned and operated Michael B. Pines, Ph.D., P.C., located in Glastonbury. Pines provided psychotherapy to young children, adolescents, and adults, and he was enrolled individually as a Behavioral Health Clinician provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”). Between January 2017 and October 2023, Pines submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were purportedly provided to his Medicaid clients. Specifically, Pines submitted claims for dates of service when no services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims, including when he was traveling, on vacation, recovering from surgery, or otherwise not working. He also submitted claims when an appointment had been canceled, when the claimed client was in the hospital, when he had stopped treating the claimed client, and when the claimed client had never been his client. In addition, when Pines treated multiple Medicaid clients in the same family at the same time, he billed Medicaid for the group visit as multiple individual claims, a practice that he knew was not permitted by Medicaid. The investigation revealed that Pines used his business bank account for numerous personal expenditures. Through this scheme, Pines defrauded Medicaid of $1,617,679. Judge Nagala ordered Pines to make full restitution. Pines also forfeited 16 pieces of jewelry, which he paid for using his business bank account, with an appraised replacement value of $67,685. On January 31, 2024, Pines pleaded guilty to health care fraud. Pines who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 24. This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


title: Mexican national living in Columbus sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in fentanyl conspiracy

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Mexican national was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for conspiring to distribute kilogram quantities of fentanyl in Central Ohio for a supplier in Mexico. According to court documents, Luis Martinez-Torres, 26, of Columbus, illegally entered the United States and distributed large quantities of narcotics at the behest of a dangerous drug cartel in Mexico. Martinez-Torres would deliver requested amounts of fentanyl to buyers after the buyers contacted a dispatch telephone number. In April 2023, Martinez-Torres and a co-conspirator possessed or distributed more than 2.7 kilograms of fentanyl, including approximately 6,290 fentanyl pills marked as Oxycodone. This is the third time Martinez-Torres has been found in the United States illegally, and he faces deportation following his term of imprisonment. Martinez-Torres was arrested in June 2023 and pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Several local drug task forces – including from Delaware, Hardin and Union counties – participated in the investigation. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Shawn Gibson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge James L. Graham. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Pakiz is representing the United States in this case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States 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: Statement from United States Attorney Will Thompson

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and its partners have concluded an investigation involving now-former Kanawha County Commissioner W. Kent Carper. The investigation uncovered significant allegations of concern. It also found that Carper had significant health issues that could have had an impact on his actions relevant to the investigation. As a result, a decision has been made to end the investigation without taking further action, United States Attorney Will Thompson announced today. In general, the U.S. Department of Justice does not publicly announce investigations or investigative findings. Department of Justice policy allows exceptions in certain circumstances, including when the issue under investigation has already received significant publicity. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia follows Department of Justice policy and regulations when deciding which investigations and investigative findings to announce publicly. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: Bridgeport Fentanyl Dealer Involved in Overdose Death Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL OLIVER, also known as “Chase,” 30, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Harford to 20 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of April 23, 2020, a 23-year-old woman was discovered unconscious in her bedroom of her Bronx, New York residence. Law enforcement and medical personnel responded to the scene and she was pronounced dead. Fentanyl and drug paraphernalia were recovered from the scene, and the victim’s autopsy found that she died of “acute fentanyl intoxication.” The investigation revealed that Oliver sold the victim fentanyl shortly before her overdose death; that he knew she had not used opioids for some time before the sale; that he warned her that the drugs could be more dangerous based on her period of sobriety; and that he deleted his Facebook account, which he used to communicate with the victim, shortly after the victim died. In January 2021, Bridgeport Police made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and heroin from Oliver. On January 18, 2021, Oliver was arrested on state charges, and a court-authorized search of his residence revealed 140 folds containing a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, and a quantity of cocaine. Oliver was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on September 1, 2022. On December 4, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance. After a hearing on April 19, 2024, Judge Williams found that Oliver sold the fentanyl to the overdose victim that resulted in her death. Oliver has been detained since his federal arrest. This matter was investigated by the New York City Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.


title: Johnstown Man Sentenced to More Than 7.5 Years in Prison for Trafficking of Heroin, Crack-Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Methamphetamine

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court in Johnstown for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, crack-cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Blake Young, 35, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Superseding Indictment before United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson. Following the plea, Judge Gibson sentenced Young to 92 months of imprisonment, to be followed by six years of supervised release. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around February 2021 to in and around July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Young conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Young was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Young. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. 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: Tampa Drug Trafficker Convicted Following Bench Trial

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that U.S. District Judge William F. Jung found Enock Edouard (37, Tampa) guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and criminal contempt, following a bench trial. Edouard faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Edouard was arrested on April 22, 2023, and ordered detained. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between 2021 and 2023, Edouard was part of a drug trafficking network that operated throughout the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, including California. Working with others, Edouard moved methamphetamine and fentanyl originating in Mexico, shipped to California in car tires, then shipped or transported the drugs to Orlando and Tampa. Edouard carried large amounts of cash to California to purchase the narcotics, then utilized various accomplices to hide narcotics in boxes and suitcases for distribution in Florida. At trial, one co-conspirator described Edouard as “the only person between me and the cartels,” and estimated that Edouard sold him over 300 kilograms of methamphetamine in less than 10 months. Edouard was arrested in Las Vegas. A search warrant executed at his apartment in downtown Tampa resulted in the recovery of additional fentanyl and a firearm. Law enforcement ultimately seized 15 firearms, 2 hand grenades, more than 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, and more than $80,000 in cash from Edouard and his co-conspirators. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Diego F. Novaes.


title: Mexico Extradites Cartel’s Precursor Chemical Broker to United States to Face Trial for Controlled Substances Manufacturing and Distribution Conspiracy

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Mexican national who allegedly supplied the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel) with precursor chemicals used to manufacture controlled substances was extradited today from Mexico to Washington, D.C., to face trial. Francisco Pulido Coracero, 66, will make his initial court appearance on May 13 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya in the District of Columbia. In March 2021, a grand jury in Washington, D.C., charged Pulido Coracero and his co-conspirator, Carlos Algredo Vazquez, 58, with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine for importation into the United States, and conspiracy to distribute listed chemicals—including methylamine, nitroethane, phenylacetic acid, toluene, and acetone—to be used to manufacture methamphetamine for importation into the United States. The indictment was unsealed in February 2023. In July 2023, Carlos Algredo Vazquez’s brother, Javier Algredo Vazquez, 56, was convicted at trial for his role in the same drug conspiracy and sentenced on Feb. 23 to 18 years and eight months in prison. “Precursor chemicals are the lifeblood of the Jalisco Cartel’s deadly drug trafficking operation,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s extradition of one of the cartel’s alleged chemical suppliers, Francisco Pulido Coracero, demonstrates the long and relentless reach of the Justice Department. We are grateful to the government of Mexico for their partnership in this extradition. The Justice Department will stop at nothing to hold accountable those who devastate our communities with deadly drugs.” “The defendant allegedly conspired to distribute methamphetamine and its precursor chemicals into the United States for at least 10 years,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His indictment and extradition demonstrate that the Criminal Division remains committed to disrupting and dismantling the supply chain that drug trafficking organizations use to manufacture deadly drugs and distribute them across the border. This effort reaffirms the importance of our enduring partnership with the Government of Mexico and we are thankful for the Mexican Attorney General’s Office’s help in facilitating the defendant’s extradition to the United States to face justice.” According to court documents and evidence presented at Javier Algredo Vazquez’s trial, Pulido Coracero, Javier Algredo Vazquez, Carlos Algredo Vazquez, and other co-conspirators allegedly used seemingly legitimate companies in Mexico and the United States to acquire chemicals that are used to manufacture controlled substances from companies in China, India, and elsewhere. The chemicals were then distributed and used by the CJNG and other Mexican drug trafficking organizations to manufacture controlled substances, which were then imported into the United States. “Pulido Coracero will now face justice for allegedly conspiring with the Jalisco Cartel, one of the two Mexican cartels responsible for the deadly methamphetamine in the United States,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “The Jalisco Cartel uses a variety of tactics to obtain precursor chemicals and conceal their crimes, including hiding behind the cover of legitimate businesses, which Pulido Coracero is alleged to have done. This investigation is another example of DEA’s commitment to save American lives by stopping the Jalisco and Sinaloa Cartels.” Mexican authorities arrested both Pulido Coracero and Carlos Algredo Vazquez in October 2023. Carlos Algredo Vazquez’s extradition to the United States is still pending. The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service’s Investigative Operations Division and Homeland Security Investigations Houston. Trial Attorneys Kate Naseef and Jonathan Hornok, Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Nhan Nguyen, and Acting Deputy Chief Kaitlin Sahni of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs contributed significantly to the investigation and in securing the arrest and extradition of Pulido Coracero. The Justice Department thanks Mexican authorities for their key role in securing the arrest and extradition of Pulido Coracero, including the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and INTERPOL Mexico for providing critical assistance in support of the prosecution. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Rio Rancho Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Rio Rancho man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to carjacking and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. This case was adopted from state prosecution in cooperation with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of January 6, 2021, Daniel Pacheco , 31, approached the victim, brandished a firearm, and struck her repeatedly. Pacheco stole the victim's purse and car keys before fleeing in her vehicle. The victim’s car was equipped with a LoJack anti-theft GPS tracking device, allowing police to locate the vehicle at an apartment complex north of Old Town Albuquerque. When officers attempted to arrest Pacheco , he rammed police vehicles and fled on foot before being apprehended. During the arrest, officers seized two loaded firearms, extra magazines, and various illegal drugs from Pacheco ’s person. The victim positively identified Pacheco and the firearm used in the carjacking. Pacheco admitted to being present during the incident but denied brandishing a firearm. After completing his term of imprisonment, Pacheco will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made the announcement today. The New Mexico State Police investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes prosecuted the case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program. The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state. # # #