title: Shipping Company Fined $1.5 Million for Oil Record Book Offense

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Clipper Shipping A.S. was convicted of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and sentenced to pay a fine of $1.5 million. Clipper admitted that oily bilge water was discharged from the Motor Tanker (M/T) Clipper Saturn and the discharges were omitted from the Oil Record Book. On Sept. 27 and Oct. 1, 2021, while the M/T Clipper Saturn was anchored near Lome, Togo, the then-Chief Engineer directed that oily bilge water be transferred into the vessel’s gray water tank and then discharged directly overboard under the cover of darkness. In order to accomplish the discharge, the then-Chief Engineer ordered that a section of piping be removed and a hose installed onto the eductor system. This arrangement was used to discharge the gray water tank directly overboard. Personnel then re-installed and repainted the piping in the area in order to appear that none had been removed. During a Coast Guard inspection of the vessel in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 28, 2021, authorities learned about the discharges. “We take seriously the crimes of illegally discharging oily bilge water at sea and falsifying records to obstruct the United States’ ability to investigate those discharges,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The U.S. Coast Guard must be able to rely on truthful records on board ships and the Department of Justice will continue to ensure polluters are held fully accountable.” “Not only did this ship pollute waterways, but they tried to cover it up,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani of the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). “To put it simply, Clipper Saturn wanted to get rid of dirty oily water from their ship. Instead of filtering out the hazardous elements, as required, they decided to cut costs and just release the whole contaminated mess into the sea. Unfortunately for them, they got caught when they docked in Houston. The fine imposed today tells them that there is a bigger cost to endangering our citizens and the environment in which they live, and that the SDTX will seek to hold those who harm oceans and waterways accountable.” “The Coast Guard is committed to protecting our oceans and waterways from those who deliberately jeopardize the well-being and safety of the environment and the public,” said Coast Guard Capt. Keith Donohue, Commander, Sector Houston-Galveston. “The intentional pollution of U.S. waters is a serious violation that we simply will not tolerate. We will continue to work with the Department of Justice and our federal, state, and local partners to hold accountable those who choose to endanger our natural resources.” As part of the plea agreement, Clipper Shipping A.S. will implement an enhanced Environmental Compliance Plan (ECP) on nine vessels. The ECP requires independent auditing and monitoring of the vessels as well as imposing requirements to enhance the pollution prevention systems on the vessels. This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Schammal for the Southern District of Texas and Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth E. Nelson of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.


title: American headed back to prison after trying to export 5,680 rounds of ammunition

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old U.S. citizen has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to smuggle thousands of rounds of ammunition to Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jesus Alberto Olivares pleaded guilty May 2 to attempting to export 5,680 rounds of pistol ammunition. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Olivares to serve 75 months in federal prison less than one year after he served a sentence for a drug distribution conspiracy. While imposing the sentence, Judge Garcia Marmolejo noted there was likely only one purpose for this ammunition: to be delivered into the hands of cartel members in Mexico for their use, including killing people. “This sentence sends a clear message: the Justice Department will be relentless in bringing to justice those responsible for smuggling illegal firearms and ammunition across our southern border,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “We will continue to take aggressive action to combat the gun violence that endangers law enforcement and devastates communities in both Mexico and the United States.” “The Mexican drug cartels are a threat to the residents and communities of the Southern District of Texas, in part because of their access to illicit firearms and ammunition,” said Hamdani. “Olivares’ decision to hide almost 6,000 rounds of ammunition in the panels of a truck as he attempted to cross a bridge into Mexico will send him to a federal prison for over six years and is a cautionary tale for anyone else who feels compelled to follow in his footsteps.” On Feb. 27, Olivares drove his black PT Cruiser to the Lincoln Juarez International Bridge on his way home to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Authorities noted one of the vehicle’s doors seemed unusually heavy and rattled slightly as if something was hidden in them. A subsequent search of all four of the Cruiser’s door panels yielded a total of 5,680 live rounds of pistol ammunition in assorted calibers - 3,600 rounds of .40 caliber S&W, 900 rounds of .380 caliber, 900 rounds of .45 caliber, 100 rounds of 9-millimeter and 180 rounds of .38 SPL +P ammunition. Olivares admitted he had agreed to smuggle the ammunition into Mexico and had just received the ammunition a few hours prior. He personally hid the ammunition throughout the vehicle’s door and rear panels. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assigned to the HSI-Laredo Border Enforcement Task Force, working in coordination with the Laredo Police Department’s Texas Anti-Gang Task Force (TAG) conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted this case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.


title: Busby man sentenced to prison for strangling woman

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Busby man who admitted to strangling a woman while in a vehicle on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 22 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Tysawn Dantae Pine, 25, pleaded guilty in February to an indictment charging him with strangulation. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that Pine and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, had been in a dating relationship. On April 9, 2022, Pine went to Jane Doe’s house at approximately 5:30 a.m. and demanded she open the door. Jane Doe refused and told Pine to leave because he was drunk. Pine then forced his way into the house and demanded she give him a ride to his grandmother’s house. Scared of Pine’s threats, Jane Doe drove him to his grandmother’s house and parked. The two argued inside the vehicle, and Pine began assaulting and strangling Jane Doe. Later that day, Jane Doe was examined for injuries at the hospital. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. XXX


title: United States Files Forfeiture Action Against Over Nine Thousand Rifles and Over 700,000 Rounds of Ammunition En Route from Iran to Yemen

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: The Justice Department today announced the filing of a forfeiture complaint against over 9,000 rifles, 284 machine guns, approximately 194 rocket launchers, over 70 anti-tank guided missiles, and over 700,000 rounds of ammunition that the U.S. Navy seized in transit from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to militant groups in Yemen. “The government of Iran, through its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, remains bent on smuggling weapons of war to militant groups in violation of U.S. sections and international law,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “As this seizure demonstrates, the Department of Justice will work in lockstep with our U.S. Government partners to deny the Iranian regime the means to undermine our nation’s interest and threaten the security of our people.” “The United States Attorney’s Office has again taken action to prevent Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from spreading violence and bloodshed across the world and threatening the security of our nation and allies,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia. “As proven before, where we have jurisdiction, this office will use all the tools available in our power to prevent criminals and terrorists from threatening global stability.” “It is paramount this significant amount of seized weapons and ammunition aimed to cause global devastation never reach its intended destination,” said HSI Washington, D.C. Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon. “HSI Washington D.C., with DCIS and the assistance from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, will continue to identify, disrupt, and dismantle Iran’s illicit flow of weapons at every level to prevent Iran’s illicit activity in the region and globally.” “This seizure demonstrates DCIS’ continued commitment to stopping illicit weapons trafficking by the IRGC,” said Christopher W. Dillard, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS, along with its law enforcement partners, will use all tools to hinder the efforts of those who unlawfully threaten the safety and security of the United States.” According to court documents, the noted weapons came from four interdictions of stateless dhow vessels: two from 2021 and two from 2023. These interdictions led to the discovery and seizure of four large caches of conventional weapons, including long arms and anti-tank missiles, and related munitions – all of which were determined to be primarily of either Iranian, Chinese, or Russian origin. This action follows the government’s March 2023 forfeiture action against over one million rounds of ammunition en route from Iran to Yemen. These forfeiture actions address the illicit trafficking of advanced conventional weapons systems and components by sanctioned Iranian entities that directly support military action by the Houthi movement in Yemen and the Iranian regime’s campaign of terrorist activities throughout the region. The forfeiture complaint alleges a sophisticated scheme by the IRGC to clandestinely ship weapons to entities that pose grave threats to U.S. national security. This forfeiture action is a product of the U.S. government’s coordinated effort to enforce U.S. sanctions against the IRGC and the Iranian regime and are merely allegations. The HSI Washington Field Office and the DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office are leading the larger investigation of the Iranian weapons-smuggling network, with substantial assistance from the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in conducting the seizure. This team was also responsible for the March 2023 forfeiture action, which remains pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart D. Allen, Brian P. Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Anna D. Walker for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys S. Derek Shugert and Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division are litigating the case, with support from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Angela De Falco. The burden to prove forfeitability in a forfeiture proceeding is upon the government. Verified complaint for forfeiture in rem December 20,2021, seized weapons May 6, 2021, seized weapons Iranian-made “RPG-7” type rocket launchers January 6, 2023, seized weapons January 15, 2023, seized weapons


title: Raeford Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Insurance Company of More Than $4.5 Million

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, NC – Sandra J. Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC), announced today that KRIS WILLIAMS-FALCON, of Raeford, pleaded guilty to defrauding a victim insurance company out of over $4.5 million. According to publicly filed court documents, WILLIAMS-FALCON was a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in North Carolina. In April 2021, WILLIAMS-FALCON’s CADC license was revoked by the licensing board, and she did not hold any other licenses to provide treatment or counseling. Between April 2021 and January 2023, WILLIAMS-FALCON submitted millions of dollars in claims to the victim insurance company for services that she either did not provide or was not licensed to provide. Among other fraudulent claims, WILLIAMS-FALCON submitted claims for services that she alleged to have provided to herself and family members. As a result of WILLIAMS-FALCON’s claim submissions, the victim company approved and paid out approximately $4.7 million in reimbursements of which WILLIAMS-FALCON received $4,532,119. During the course of this investigation, law enforcement traced proceeds of the scheme and seized a 2022 Dodge Charger, a 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, and a total of approximately $492,000 from bank accounts controlled by the defendant. Administrative forfeiture is pending as to these items. In addition, civil forfeiture is pending against two parcels of real property in Mecklenburg County purchased with a total of approximately $1.5 million in proceeds from the scheme. WILLIAMS-FALCON has not opposed any of the forfeiture actions. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on November 14, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, courtroom number 2, before United States District Court Judge Thomas D. Schroeder. At sentencing, WILLIAMS-FALCON faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina Department of Insurance and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Waid. ###


title: Waterloo Man Charged with Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Ezekiel Menteer, age 23, of Waterloo, has been charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The charge is contained in an Indictment unsealed on February 8, 2023, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. The Indictment alleges that, in January 2022, Menteer possessed a Kimber pistol while being an unlawful drug user and after having been convicted of a felony. If convicted, Menteer faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years on supervised release following any imprisonment. Menteer appeared for an initial appearance today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond. Menteer’s next appearance for trial is set for September 5, 2023. As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 23-2009. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Dubuque Brother and Sister Responsible for Selling Hundreds of Pounds of Methamphetamine Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: A brother and sister who conspired to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Jacob Patrick Demaio, age 42, and Codi Lyn Demaio, age 35, both from Dubuque, Iowa, were each convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and at least 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine, within 1,000 feet of a protected location. Evidence at a prior hearing showed that Jacob Demaio sold hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine to multiple people between 2019 and 2022. He arranged for drug transactions to occur at stash houses located in Dubuque within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds. Drug customers dropped off hundreds of thousands of dollars at those stash houses; that money was intended for Jacob Demaio. At a prior hearing, evidence showed that Codi Demaio also sold pounds of methamphetamine to several people in Dubuque between 2019 and 2022. On two occasions when her brother was incarcerated, she took over his drug operation and sold tens of pounds of methamphetamine. She was once instructed to go to California with $25,000 to buy drugs, though she instead traveled to Las Vegas and lost all of the money. At plea hearings, Jacob and Codi Demaio admitted that they conspired to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and at least 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine, within 1,000 feet of a protected location. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Jacob and Codi Demaio remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. For conspiring to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location, both Jacob and Codi Demaio face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and the following maximum penalties: not more than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole; a fine of not more than $20,000,000; a mandatory special assessment of $100; and a term of supervised release of at least 10 years and up to life. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra Hake. It was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-1039. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally  Reentering the United States After Being Deported

body_text: A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to two years in federal prison. Francisco Buenrostro-Ruiz, age 49, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 9, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Buenrostro-Ruiz admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Buenrostro-Ruiz was previously deported to Mexico in January 2012. On July 20, 2022, immigration officials learned Buenrostro-Ruiz had illegally returned to the United States and found Buenrostro-Ruiz at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Buenrostro-Ruiz was previously convicted on October 31, 2005, in State of Iowa v. Fransisco Buenrostro , in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County, No. FECR128735, for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, an aggravated felony. Buenrostro-Ruiz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Buenrostro-Ruiz was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Buenrostro-Ruiz is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-2010. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fentanyl Distributer Tied to 13-Year-Old’s Overdose Death Pleads Guilty

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: A drug distributor who was selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit M30 pills to a Carrollton middle schooler shortly before her fatal overdose pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Rafael Soliz, Jr., 23, was indicted in March. He pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver. “My heart aches for the victim in this case – a promising young girl who’d barely entered her teens. The defendant not only sold her fentanyl but also taught her how to ingest it. In essence, he encouraged a mere child to snort a terrifyingly potent, highly addictive drug – and then urged her to cover for him with law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “The Northern District of Texas is pulling out all the stops to rid the streets of dealers and keep fentanyl out of the hands of our kids. Our community cannot endure much more of this.” “Anyone selling fentanyl to children will find themselves becoming a top priority for the Drug Enforcement Administration,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “The DEA will continue to focus our resources on stopping this deadly threat from reaching and causing more harm to our next generation.” “We will never stop fighting to protect our community from this dangerous drug. I’m proud of the men and women of the Carrollton Police Department, who are working tirelessly to rid the community of this poison. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” said Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo. According to plea papers, Mr. Soliz admitted he sold fentanyl to both street-level dealers and directly to users, including children. Mr. Soliz used an Instagram account to communicate with both adult and minor customers interested in purchasing counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl. On Nov. 30, Mr. Soliz responded via Instagram messenger to a 13-year-old girl who asked him if she could buy “percs.” Soliz agreed and delivered the pills to her residence. He then advised her how to snort them. A few days later, upon discovering that the child, a student at Dewitt Perry Middle School, was just 13, he expressed dismay at her age but agreed to continue selling to her if she would “keep it on the down low” and deny he was her dealer if she ever got caught. On December 9, 2022, he advised her to “delete our chat” and instead use Instagram Vanish Mode. Two days later, the child was found dead in her Carrollton bedroom. An autopsy revealed she’d died from a toxic combination of fentanyl and cough medicine. In his plea papers, Mr. Soliz stipulated that he personally distributed approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills to adults and juveniles, including the 13 year-old victim. He stated he dealt hundreds of pills directly to Luis Eduardo Navarrete, one of the first traffickers charged in the wake of the Carrollton juvenile fentanyl overdoses. Mr. Soliz is the fifth defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdose investigation to enter a guilty plea. Jason Xavier Villanueva, Magaly Cano, Donovan Jude Andrews and Stephen Paul Brinson pleaded guilty earlier this year; three other defendants, including Mr. Navarrete, have been charged but not yet convicted. (All are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.) Mr. Soliz now faces up to 40 years in federal prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he may be called upon to testify in court. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Carrollton - Farmer’s Branch Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case. Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill .


title: Violent Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 27+ Years in Prison

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

body_text: A drug trafficker arrested following a disturbing domestic violence altercation was sentenced Thursday to more than 27 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Carlos Carrasquillo, 21, was charged via criminal complaint in April and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty in December 2022 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown to 327 months behind bars. According to court documents, in February 2022, law enforcement was tipped off that Mr. Carrasquillo was advertising the sale of narcotics, firearms, and firearm conversion devices, including Glock switches, via Instagram. Two months later, on April 16, officers were summoned to a Grand Prairie Gas Station to respond to a domestic dispute between Mr. Carrasquillo and his girlfriend. When an officer attempted to speak to Mr. Carrasquillo, he fled the scene, dropping a black bag containing more than 1,000 grams of fentanyl and 600 grams of cocaine. Severely injured, his girlfriend was transported to the hospital. She told officers that Mr. Carrasquillo broke into her apartment, physically assaulted her, and stuffed her into the trunk of her own vehicle. He crashed the car near the Trinity River, pulled her from the trunk, and forced her towards a wooded area, punching, kicking, and stabbing her with a knife en route. He was arrested ten days later at his apartment, where he attempted to break out of the officer’s grip. At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced evidence showing that Mr. Carrasquillo attempted to obstruct the investigation into both his drug and firearms dealing and into the assault of his girlfriend. In his first call from jail, he instructed his sister to delete content from his Instagram account and to reach out to his girlfriend to dissuade her from participating in the prosecution. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, and the Grand Prairie Police Department, conducted the investigation with the help of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Briggs prosecuted the case.


title: Dane County Woman Charged with Money Laundering & Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – A Windsor, Wisconsin woman is charged with money laundering and possessing fentanyl for distribution in an indictment returned on June 28, 2023 by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, Wisconsin. The indictment is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. The indictment charges Alicia M. Allen, 37, with 4 counts of money laundering and 1 count of possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that Allen caused proceeds from the distribution of controlled substances to be deposited in her business banking account on four occasions in June 2022, July 2022, and January 2023. The alleged drug proceeds deposited were in the amounts of $5,000, $4,000, $4,000, and $104,332.88. The indictment also alleges that on November 28, 2022, Allen possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Allen made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Madison on Friday, June 30 and her arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow. If convicted, Allen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each money laundering charge. The fentanyl charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years. The charges against her are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Anderson is handling the prosecution. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.


title: Mastermind of $10 million Amazon fraud scheme sentenced to 16 years in federal prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Kayricka Wortham has been sentenced for stealing more than $9.4 million from Amazon.com while employed as a manager for the company. Seven individuals, including Wortham, have now been charged in connection with the scheme. “The defendant abused her position of trust at Amazon to steal nearly $10 million from the company based on a brazen fraud scheme involving fake vendors and fictitious invoices,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “She then committed new crimes while on bond, even creating a fake dismissal document purporting to be from the court and that included the forged signature of the Chief U.S. District Judge, all for the purpose of misleading a franchising company about the status of her criminal charges. Her prison sentence recognizes the magnitude of her fraud and serves to protect the integrity of our courts and justice system.” “The Secret Service takes cases of fraud extremely seriously,” said Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Atlanta Field Office Steven R. Baisel. “This individual stole millions from a business that employed her – exploiting not only their trust, but our nation’s financial systems. Thanks to the hard work of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s office, her sentence reflects the seriousness of her crimes and sends a message that this kind of fraudulent activity will not be tolerated.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Kayricka Wortham abused her position at Amazon to submit more than $10 million in fictitious invoices for fake vendors, causing Amazon to pay approximately $9.4 million to Wortham and her co-conspirators. From about August 2020 to March 2022, Wortham worked as an Operations Manager at the Amazon Warehouse in Smyrna, Georgia. In her position, Wortham supervised others and acted with the authority to approve both new vendors and the payment of vendor invoices for Amazon. Wortham, who was the leader of the scheme, provided fake vendor information to unknowing subordinates and asked them to input the information into Amazon’s vendor system. Once the information was entered, Wortham approved the fake vendors, enabling them to submit invoices. Wortham and co-conspirators then submitted fictitious invoices to Amazon, falsely representing that the vendors had provided goods and services to Amazon. Wortham approved the invoices, causing Amazon to transfer millions in fraudulent proceeds to bank accounts controlled by her and her co-conspirators. Wortham conspired with others, including Brittany Hudson, in the scheme. Hudson was in a relationship with Wortham and owned a business, Legend Express LLC, that contracted with Amazon to deliver packages to customers. Hudson allegedly worked with Wortham to submit millions in fictitious invoices for fake vendors to Amazon. Wortham and Hudson purchased expensive real estate and luxury cars, including a nearly $1 million home in Smyrna, Georgia, a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a 2021 Dodge Durango, a 2022 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Porsche Panamera, and a Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle, all with fraudulent proceeds from the scheme. Wortham also recruited co-conspirators Demetrius Hines, who was in Loss Prevention at Amazon, and Laquettia Blanchard, who worked as a Senior Human Resources Assistant at the company. Hines and Blanchard provided names and Social Security numbers to Wortham to create additional fake vendor accounts. Blanchard provided names of relatives and associates. Hines provided stolen personal identifying information that he purchased from JaQuan Frazier, who in turn allegedly purchased the information from Darrel J. Burgo, also known as “Fleet.” Hines and Blanchard were paid in fraudulent proceeds. Hines also recruited Jamar L. James, Sr., another Operations Manager at Amazon’s location in Duluth, Georgia, into the scheme. Like Wortham, James allegedly approved fake vendors and fictitious invoices, including after Wortham left Amazon in March 2022. While on bond, Wortham and Hudson committed new criminal conduct that resulted in the revocation of their bonds. In January 2023, they were working with CRU Franchising Company to open a hookah lounge in Midtown Atlanta. During the due diligence to close the deal, CRU discovered and asked about the Amazon fraud charges against them. In response, Wortham and Hudson allegedly lied to CRU, claiming that their Amazon-related criminal charges were dismissed. The two then emailed fraudulent court documents to CRU that purported to show dismissal of the charges and contained forged signatures of Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. and forged seals and signatures of the Clerk of the Court. Hudson also allegedly emailed CRU doctored bank statements and personal financial statements that fraudulently inflated the balances in her accounts to support the franchise deal. Kayricka Wortham, also known as “Kayricka Dupree” and “Kayricka Young,” 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to 16 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution to Amazon in the amount of $9,469,731.45. More than $2.7 million in fraudulent proceeds seized from multiple bank accounts, the residence in Smyrna, and the vehicles purchased with fraudulent proceeds were forfeited. Wortham was convicted of the Amazon fraud charges on November 30, 2022, after she pleaded guilty. She has been indicted for defrauding CRU and forging the signature of a federal judge and seal of the Court. Those charges remain pending. On June 20, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Brittany Hudson, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Jamar L. James, Sr., 47, of Calera, Alabama, for conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering, and Hudson for forging the signature of a federal judge and seal of the Court. Darrel J. Burgo, 32, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was charged in the same indictment with conspiracy, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. These charges are pending. For their roles in the scheme, on November 30, 2022, Demetrius Hines pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy; on June 27, 2023, Laquettia Blanchard pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy; and on June 27, 2023, JaQuan Frazier pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. Judge Batten will sentence these three defendants at a later date. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Norman L. Barnett are prosecuting the cases. 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: Portland Man Charged with Assaulting a Federal Officer

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man is facing federal charges today after he assaulted and injured a court security officer at Pioneer Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland. Jett Avery Thomas, 39, a Portland resident, has been charged by criminal complaint with assaulting an employee of the United States with a dangerous weapon and causing bodily injury. According to court documents, on the morning of July 3, 2023, Thomas threw an object at the Pioneer Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland. After a court security officer attempted to address him, Thomas charged up the front steps of the courthouse. The officer retreated into the courthouse and attempted to secure the door behind him. Before he could do so, Thomas grabbed the door, forced it open, and assaulted the officer. The struggle continued outside the door, where Thomas continued assaulting the officer, striking him with a hard object and placing him in a chokehold. The officer accessed his service weapon and fired two shots into Thomas’ torso. Thomas was apprehended, provided first aid, and transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries. The officer was also transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and later released. Thomas will make his first appearance in federal court at a later date. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the Federal Protective Service and Portland Police Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Young man sent to prison for over 30 years for crime spree

body_text: HOUSTON – A 22-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm during a one-man crime spree that lasted approximately 12 hours, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jose Luis Perez Jr. pleaded guilty Jan. 19 to four counts each of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Today, Judge Alfred H. Bennett sentenced Perez to 36 months in prison for the robberies. He also received an additional 336 months for the firearms charges which must be served consecutively. The total 372-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard Perez is also alleged to have committed several robberies of individuals during the crime spree. “This young man has thrown his most of his life away,” said Hamdani. “At 22 now, he will likely be an old man before his release from federal prison. Crime does not pay. Jose Luis Perez terrorized the Houston area for 12 long hours, robbing convenient stores and a gas station at gun point. Thanks to brave victims who relayed concise and expeditious information, law enforcement was able to stop his reign of terror before it became even worse.” The charges stem from numerous commercial aggravated robberies that began on March 2, 2021, at approximately 11:15 p.m. and ended the following day before 1 p.m. During that 12-hour spree, Perez robbed at gunpoint a Circle K in Friendswood, a Cindie’s Number One in Fantasy and Fun adult novelty shop in Webster, the same Circle K in Friendswood for a second time and a Chevron gas station in Friendswood. During the robberies, Perez would enter the commercial businesses armed with a rifle, point it at the store clerks and demand money from the registers. He would then leave in his vehicle which was a dark color Chevrolet. The clerks were able to give authorities a description of the vehicle along with a license plate number. Law enforcement was on alert located him driving the described vehicle after he committed the Chevron robbery. A pursuit ensued. It eventually ended, at which time Perez exited the vehicle with the assault rifle. Authorities took him into custody without incident. At the time of his plea, Perez admitted he robbed the commercial businesses with the assault rifle. Perez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Friendswood Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and Task Force officers with the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts prosecuted the case.


title: New York Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Offenses Related to Robbery and Murder of Stamford Jeweler

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PAUL PROSANO, also known as “Tony Pro,” 63, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 360 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from the robbery of Marco Jewelers in Stamford in March 2020. During the robbery, the owner of Marco Jewelers was shot and killed. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2020, at approximately 2:48 p.m., Stamford Police Officers responded to Marco Jewelers, located at 16 Sixth Street in Stamford. When officers arrived, they found evidence of a robbery and encountered the storeowner, Mark Vuono, lying on the ground in front of an open safe. Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced Vuono deceased. Investigators collected and analyzed surveillance video from Marco Jewelers, surrounding businesses and Stamford city cameras. Video obtained from Marco Jewelers revealed that, on March 28, 2020, Prosano drove Robert Rallo and Thomas Liberatore in a black Jaguar to Marco Jewelers. Rallo and Liberatore then entered the store. Rallo, armed with a handgun, engaged in a physical altercation with Vuono, while Liberatore stole items from the display cases. Vuono, who also possessed a firearm, and Rallo struggled next to a large open safe. During the more than three-minute struggle, Rallo reached into the safe and pulled out a third firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver. Rallo subsequently shot and killed Vuono with the .357 revolver. Between $360,000 and $430,000 worth of jewelry was stolen during the robbery. Following the robbery, law enforcement located the black Jaguar in Staten Island and maintained surveillance on the vehicle. On March 31, 2020, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a black BMW X3, driven by Prosano, pulled up beside the black Jaguar. Rallo exited the rear door of the BMW and entered the driver’s door of a black Jaguar. The two vehicles then left the area and rapidly accelerated. The Jaguar crashed on Tompkins Street. Rallo attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended. The BMW crashed into a tree and parked car at the intersection of Daniel Low Terrace and Corson Avenue. Prosano also attempted to flee and was apprehended. A search of the BMW revealed 63 rings, eight bracelets, two tie pins, an earring and a cufflink, and a search of Prosano’s residence revealed 23 pairs of earrings and three rings. These items were stolen from Marco Jewelers. Liberatore was arrested on April 1, 2020. Prosano has been detained since his arrest. On December 19, 2022, a jury found Prosano and Liberatore guilty of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and interstate transportation of stolen property. Liberatore was also found guilty of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. Prosano’s criminal history, which includes multiple robbery convictions, spans more than 40 years. He met Rallo and Liberatore while incarcerated within the New York State Department of Corrections. On April 5, 2022, Rallo pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery, interstate transportation of stolen property, and using a firearm to cause a death during a robbery. On March 1, 2023, he was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment. Liberatore awaits sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stamford Police Department and Greenwich Police Department, with the assistance of the New York Police Department, Yonkers (N.Y.) Police Department and New Rochelle (N.Y.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, Rahul Kale and Margaret Donovan.


title: North Easton Contractor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of a concrete company was charged today and has agreed to plead guilty to a multi-year scheme to underreport income on his tax returns. Cleber Gomes Pecanha, 48, of North Easton, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging document, Pecanha, the owner of CGP General Construction, Inc., cashed customer checks and did not deposit the receipts in his business bank accounts. Pecanha did not tell his tax preparer that he was cashing large numbers of checks from customers and only gave the tax preparer his bank statements as support for his tax filings. By hiding his income in this manner, Pecanha underreported income from the business on his personal tax returns, resulting in an income tax loss of more than $1,862,033 for the tax years 2017 to 2021. Pecanha used the proceeds of his income tax evasion scheme to fund an off-the-books cash payroll. The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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 Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Statement From United States Attorney Jane E. Young on The Rainbow Family Gathering

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Special sessions of the U.S. District Court’s Central Violations Bureau were convened by U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnston at the Littleton District Courthouse in Littleton on Friday, June 30, 2023, and the Warren B. Rudman United States Courthouse in Concord on Wednesday, July 5, 2023. The purpose of these special sessions was to process violation notices that were issued by the U.S. Forest Service at the Rainbow Family Gathering, being held in the White Mountain National Forest. There were 121 violations issued by the U.S Forest Service, of which 37 were resolved by the defendants agreeing to pay a fine, ranging between $25-$200 per violation. Circumstances, or the evidence, warranted a dismissal of 58 violations. 24 were unresolved and will be rescheduled for the next hearing date, as the individuals failed to appear. Bench trials have been scheduled for two defendants on September 23, 2023, and November 13, 2023. “The orderly resolution of these violations was a testament to the coordination of this office, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. District Court, who agreed to host these two special sessions,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. Any additional violations issued during the Rainbow Family Gathering will be processed during the U.S. District Court’s normal business. ###


title: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK –Thomas Brace, a/k/a “Justice,” age 62, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the names of seven other people, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG). Brace admitted that he provided Jamie Johnson with the personal identifying information of seven other people, which Johnson used to file false claims via the NYSDOL website. Brace further admitted that as a result of the seven fraudulent applications submitted by Johnson, the NYSDOL paid $299,553 in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Brace agreed to pay $299,553 in restitution to the State of New York. Johnson previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $701,441 in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme. Brace’s two co-defendants, Taliek Lanier and Errol Murray , previously pled guilty to conspiring with Johnson to defraud the NYSDOL of $113,936 and $69,954 in unemployment insurance benefits, respectively. Murray faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on October 26, 2023 by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. This case was investigated by the New York State Inspector General’s Office, HSI, USPIS, and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and the Albany County Department of Social Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Serial Robbers Plead Guilty To Conspiracy To Commit Robbery And Pair Of Commercial Armed Robberies In South Tampa And Ybor City

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Antonio Brown (55, Tampa) and Steve Jackson (41, Tampa) have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, two counts of robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 7 years for the firearm offense, and up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and each count of robbery. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreements, Brown and Jackson conspired to commit armed robberies of two auto parts stores in the Tampa area. On August 29, 2021, at around 7:00 p.m., Brown and Jackson drove from Jackson’s residence to an auto parts store on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. Surveillance video captured the pair leaving Jackson’s residence in a white pickup truck with distinctive damage to the rear passenger portion of the vehicle. Brown wore dark clothing, a tan face mask, a distinctive straw hat, and brandished a revolver. Jackson wore a surgical mask, a black baseball cap, and brandished a semi-automatic pistol. At the auto parts store, Brown and Jackson brandished their firearms and demanded money from the store employees. Brown instructed one employee to empty the cash registers in the front of the store and ordered the other employees to go to back of the store and open a safe. Brown and Jackson obtained approximately $300 from the cash registers. Jackson and Brown then returned to the pickup truck and drove to another auto parts store located near 50 th Street North in Ybor City, via the Selmon Expressway, wearing the same clothing and carrying the same firearms. At around 7:50 p.m., Jackson and Brown entered the Ybor City auto parts store, brandished their firearms, and demanded the store employees retrieve cash from the registers. The pair stole approximately $1,140. Nearby surveillance footage captured Brown and Jackson leaving the store, entering the white pickup truck, and driving away. At around 10:00 p.m., officers from the Tampa Police Department (“TPD”) conducted a traffic stop of the pickup truck which Brown was driving. Inside the vehicle, officers located the straw hat that Brown had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification. Further investigation corroborated Brown and Jackson’s proximity to the Tampa and Ybor City auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. TPD officers also collected disposed items from Jackson’s garbage outside his residence and recovered the clothes he had worn during the armed robberies. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Charlie D. Connally.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced To Four Years For Gun Possession

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Anthony Quantarius Brooks (21, Winter Park) to four years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Brooks to forfeit a Glock 9-millimeter handgun and ammunition, which were used to commit this offense. Brooks had pleaded guilty on January 24, 2023. According to court documents, Brooks possessed a loaded black Glock 9-millimeter handgun inside of a black shoulder bag just one day after he was convicted in a local robbery case. Law enforcement learned that the firearm had previously been reported stolen. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Winter Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Richardson-Jones. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Jacksonville Convicted Sex Offender Indicted For Committing Multiple Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Kevin John Merritt (61, Jacksonville) with the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Merritt faces a minimum mandatory 25 years, and up to 110 years, in federal prison. Merritt is a registered sex offender. In 2011, he was convicted in federal court in Jacksonville of possessing child sexual abuse materials. Merritt was arrested on March 16, 2023, and has been in custody since that time. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.justice.gov/psc. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.


title: Chicago Man Convicted of $2.7 Million COVID-Relief Fraud

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a Chicago man of fraudulently obtaining more than $2.7 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. From April to November of 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 41, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The EIDL program was intended to provide loan assistance and grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses for legitimate businesses suffering the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Amuwo submitted to the SBA numerous applications for loans on behalf of businesses that he and others purportedly owned. The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning the purported entities’ owners, employees, revenues, costs, and dates of establishment. In an attempt to support his applications, Amuwo provided false business registration forms and bogus personal identifying information of the purported owners. Amuwo caused the SBA to disburse at least $2.7 million in EIDL loans and grants into bank accounts that he and others controlled. He used the money to make cash withdrawals, transfers, and purchases for his personal benefit. After a trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, Amuwo was convicted June 29, 2023, of all twelve wire fraud counts against him. The jury also found that approximately $120,000 seized from accounts held by Amuwo should be forfeited to the government. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang set sentencing for Oct. 10, 2023. The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA’s Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heidi Manschreck and Matthew Moyer.


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Norman Pannell, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Pannell admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, from about December 2022 to around March 2023, Pannell conspired with other individuals to distribute quantities of cocaine in the Charleston area. Pannell regularly obtained cocaine from a co-conspirator, sometimes multiple times per day, and would typically obtain one-half to 1 ounce of cocaine at a time. Pannell often had a third-party customer waiting to purchase the cocaine before he obtained it. On March 20, 2023, law enforcement officers watched Pannell meet with his co-conspirator to obtain cocaine. Shortly after the meeting, officers conducted a traffic stop of Pannell’s vehicle and found approximately 1 ounce of cocaine in his possession. Pannell is scheduled to be sentenced on October 30, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Pannell is among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement has seized of well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash. A dozen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. 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. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31. ###


title: Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Heroin Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who pleaded guilty in federal court today is the final defendant convicted for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin in Greene County, Mo. James D. Elbert, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. By pleading guilty today, Elbert admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin in Greene County from Oct. 2, 2015, to Nov. 13, 2017. Elbert admitted that, on three separate occasions, he sold a total of 6.86 grams of heroin to a law enforcement undercover informant in Springfield. Elbert is the final defendant to be convicted in this case. Five additional defendants have been sentenced and three additional defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Dangelo P. Moore, 35, of Willard, Mo., was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole. Jerry R. Blue, 34, of Springfield, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Kevin D. Paine, 33, of Cahokia, Ill., was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole. Keilan A. Murray, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole. Presley A. Pike, 31, of Springfield, was sentenced to time served. Michael K. Johnson, Jr., 36, of Ozark, Mo., Rodriguez R. Bradley, 40, of Fordland, Mo., and Kewan J. Rogers, 39, of St. Louis, Mo., also have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Under federal statutes, Elbert is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert and Cameron A. Beaver. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Ozark, Mo., Police Department.


title: Hattiesburg Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

body_text: Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Jamarquis Vasean Tate, 25, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg. According to court records, on December 3, 2021, Tate was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by the Hattiesburg Police Department after a reported disturbance at an area hotel. Tate fled from the vehicle, and an officer chased and caught Tate on foot. During the chase, Tate discarded a firearm, which was observed by the officer and recorded on video. Tate was detained and the firearm recovered. Tate has a previous felony conviction, and it is a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Tate is scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2023, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ATF and Hattiesburg Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Hattiesburg Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Hattiesburg man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Christopher Myers, Jr., 21, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg. According to court records, in February 2022, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Christopher Myers, Jr. and others, occurring in Laurel, Mississippi. Agents conducted two controlled buys from Myers. In each instance, 10lbs of methamphetamine were purchased. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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: Young adult guilty of producing child pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 21-year-old Laredo resident has admitted he recorded sexual material and posted it on social media, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. On June 5, 2022, Victor Antonio Puente rented a motel room in Laredo. There, he engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old female victim. He used his personal cell phone to record and photograph sexually explicit conduct between him and the minor and then uploaded the content via social media. A forensic analysis of Puente’s cell phone revealed videos of him engaging in intercourse with the victim. Other videos showed him fondling her while both are naked or were of her naked body while she slept. The minor victim’s family was able to discover Puente’s location from a third-party and contacted law enforcement. Puente denied that the minor victim was in the room. However, they located her and took her to a local hospital for observation and treatment. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Sept. 28. At that time, Puente faces a minimum of 15 and up to 30 years in federal prison. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) Homero Ramirez and Michael P. Makens and former AUSA April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.


title: Two New Orleans Men Sentenced in Connection with Jung Hotel Shooting

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DARIUS DANNEL, age 28 , and TERRELL MOORE, age 25, both of New Orleans, were sentenced on June 28, 2023 by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. DANNEL received a total sentence of 360 months imprisonment, while MOORE received a total sentence of 330 months imprisonment. In addition, both defendants received five years of supervised release following their term of imprisonment, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, DANNEL and MOORE previously pled guilty to attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This prosecution stems from a December 28, 2020 shootout that occurred at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans. DANNEL and MOORE, along with four other co-defendants, entered the Jung Hotel in an attempt to rob drug dealers (hotel occupants) of significant amounts of marijuana. During the attempted robbery, a shootout ensued with over 80 shots fired and three people wounded. These events were documented by video footage from Jung Hotel security cameras. Three of the marijuana distributors involved in the shootout, Clarence Santiago, Brian Jacob, and Malik Fernandez, pled guilty to similar crimes before United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry. On March 7, 2023, Judge Guidry sentenced Santiago to a 30-year term of imprisonment. Defendants Everson, Batiste, Ross, Howard, and Fernandez are scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2023 and Brian Jacob will be sentenced on October 31, 2023. 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 case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit.


title: Bridgeport Gun Trafficker Pleads Guilty

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAQUAN LAMONT WRIGHT, 26, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a firearm offense stemming from his illegal trafficking of firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Wright was illegally selling firearms without a license. In January and February 2023, investigators made three controlled purchases of handguns from Wright. One of the handguns had been reported stolen in North Carolina. During the investigation, Wright indicated that he possessed, and had access to, other firearms and firearm parts. Wright was arrested on March 13, 2023. On that date, a search of his Bridgeport residence revealed a Glock Model 43 handgun, ammunition, and various gun parts. Wright was previously convicted in state court of theft of a firearm, and possession with intent to sell narcotics. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Wright pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. Wright has been detained since his arrest. This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Fairfield, and Stamford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Theft of Social Security Funds Result in Federal Prison Sentence for Eunice Man

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAKE CHARLES, La. – A Eunice, Louisiana man has been sentenced in the Western District of Louisiana for theft of funds from the Social Security Administration, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Scotty Paul Fournerat , 50, was sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to two 37-month terms of imprisonment to run concurrently, followed by two 3-year terms of supervised release which will also run concurrently. In addition, Fournerat was ordered to pay restitution to the SSA in the amount of $49,792. The Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that M.V., a Title XVI Supplemental Security Income Disability (SSID) program participant and the aunt of Fournerat, failed to appear for a redetermination hearing in October 2017. The SSA subsequently suspended payments to M.V. due to her failure to cooperate with the redetermination. Through their investigation, the SSA learned that M.V. had died on January 2, 2012, some five years earlier, but they were not made aware of her death. SSA determined that two days following M.V.’s death an unidentified individual changed the bank account associated with her account so that the payments would route to Comerica Bank and the payments could be accessible by debit card. Fournerat admitted to using the debit cards to access the SSID funds for his own personal use by making purchases and ATM withdrawals at various locations in St. Landry and Evangeline Parishes. He admitted that he had not applied for the program funds and that he knew the funds were for the sole use of M.V. while she was alive, but yet he willingly and knowingly used the funds for his own personal benefit. Fournerat pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of government money on March 22, 2023. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker. # # #


title: D.C. Man is Fifth Defendant to Admit Role in Conspiracy That Sold Drugs Near a School

body_text: WASHINGTON –The fifth of five defendants engaged in a drug trafficking conspiracy entered a guilty plea today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. Kurtis Mathes, 33, of Washington, D.C, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, acknowledging that the drug distribution transactions took place within 1,000 feet of a school. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2023. The investigation focused on a drug trafficking organization that operated outside a gas station and within 1,000 feet of a school on South Capitol Street. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon, of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Mathes was charged with Tayion Hamiel-Ward, 25, of Washington, D.C.; Karl Dunn, 45, of Suitland; Brian Williams, 27, of Largo, Maryland; and DeShawn Barnes, 28, also of Washington, D.C., all of whom have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. According to court documents, the defendants were operating an open-air drug market near a gas station and tobacco store in the 4600 block of South Capitol Street S.W. Several shootings in that area, dating back to at least March 2021, sparked an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police Department, focusing on violent crime and drug trafficking activities near the Exxon Gas Station (“Exxon”) and the SC Discount Tobacco and Grocery Store (“Tobacco Store”), located at 4665 South Capitol Street SW and 4675 South Capitol Street SW, Washington D.C., respectively. The Exxon and the Tobacco Store, which are next to each other, are located within 1,000 feet of Ingenuity Prep Public Charter School, a public charter school in the District of Columbia. Law Enforcement observed individuals loitering in front of and inside the Exxon and Tobacco Store and selling controlled substances to gas station customers. Through the investigation, Law Enforcement identified five defendants, including Mathes, as being involved in this drug trafficking operation. As part of the conspiracy, Mathes and his co-defendants sold narcotics in a coordinated manner at various locations. Such coordination included the co-conspirators’ having common sources of supply, re-supplying or helping each other fill orders for narcotics, and referring customers to each other. Members of the conspiracy also possessed firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy. Law Enforcement executed controlled purchases of marijuana from members of this drug trafficking group. These purchases were recorded and monitored. On or around July 13, 2022, Law Enforcement executed a search warrant at Mathes’ residence, where they found: 3,056 grams of marijuana, assorted packing materials, and ammunition. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement also recovered firearms, magazines, marijuana, and more than $79,000 in cash. The case is being investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, the DEA’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO). Former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison McGuire and Brian Lynch previously worked on the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.


title: U.S. Attorney Elected to Serve as Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for D.C.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves was elected to serve a two-year term as Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the District of Columbia, beginning in July 2023. The CJCC, chaired by the District’s Mayor, is an independent District agency focused on enhancing public safety and the fair administration of justice in the District of Columbia. Mr. Graves was elected to this position by fellow members of the CJCC, which include the Mayor, members of the D.C. Council, the Chief Judge of D.C. Superior Court, the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, the Attorney General of the District of Columbia, and other federal and District justice system agency leaders. “I am deeply humbled and honored that a council of the stakeholders responsible for keeping our community safe—our elected officials, the Metropolitan Police Department, and other federal and local justice leaders—has elected me to help steer the important work of the CJCC,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The safety of our community is our highest priority, and successful coordination among the officials and agencies responsible for protecting our community is critical to our mission.” For more on the history of the CJCC, visit: https://cjcc.dc.gov/page/history-cjcc


title: Bowling Green State University Student Charged with FACE Act Violation

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson, and Bowling Green Police Chief Tony Hetrick announced today that a federal misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, was filed by information against Whitney M. Durant, a.k.a. Soren Monroe, age 20. The FACE Act (18 U.S.C. § 248(a)(3)), prohibits a person from intentionally damaging or destroying the property of a facility because that facility provides reproductive health services. According to the information, on April 15, 2023, Durant intentionally damaged the property of HerChoice, a pregnancy care center located in Bowling Green, Ohio, by defacing the clinic’s building with spray paint because the clinic provides reproductive health services. Durant is a Bowling Green State University Student. An information is only an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum of one year incarceration. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelita Cruz Bridges and Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson, who is also a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, following a joint investigation by the Bowling Green Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: High-Speed Police Chase Ends With Guilty Plea To Federal Drug Distribution Charges

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that De’Andre Swain (26, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances (fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin) with the intent to distribute them. Swain faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. Swain had been indicted on May 24, 2022. According to court documents, on April 22, 2020, Swain and an accomplice led police on a high-speed car chase through the City of Ocala. After crashing their vehicle, Swain and his accomplice fled on foot. Swain was apprehended by police after a brief pursuit. Officers found a discarded leather bag nearby containing more than $36,000 in cash, a cellphone, 197.56 grams of fentanyl powder, and more than 60 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. All of the drugs were intended for distribution. A forensic analysis of the cellphone revealed that Swain was the owner of both the phone and the leather bag containing the drugs. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.


title: Cairnbrook Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison and 3 Years of Supervised Release for Violating Federal Narcotics and Firearms Laws

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Cairnbrook, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 33 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on his convictions of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing a firearm, United States Attorney Eric Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Stephanie Haines imposed the sentence on Travis Emert, age 44, of Cairnbrook, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, on or about November 9, 2021, Emert knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. Further, on or about November 9, 2021, Emert knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully, possessed firearms and ammunition, after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Mr. Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency, the Pennsylvanian State Police, and the Somerset County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Emert.


title: Former Miami-Dade Police Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Samuel Harris, 43, who was a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department (“MDPD”), has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), and an EIDL advance. Harris entered his guilty plea in Miami today before U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. According to the facts admitted at the change of plea, Harris, who was a full-time MDPD police officer, also was the owner and president of Oregen Digital, Inc. (“Oregen”). Working with an associate, on June 29, 2020, Harris submitted and caused to be submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application falsely claiming that Oregen had 10 employees and a monthly payroll of over $50,000 per month. In support of this application, Harris submitted a fraudulent IRS Form W-3 falsely claiming that Oregen had paid 10 employees over $602,000 in wages during 2019. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, Harris obtained a $125,579 PPP loan from a Georgia-based SBA-approved PPP lender. Harris also admitted that on June 30, 2020, he caused to be submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application in the name of Oregen, seeking both an EIDL and an EIDL advance. In this fraudulent application, Harris falsely claimed that for the twelve-month period prior to January 31, 2020, Oregen had gross revenues of over $859,000 and 10 employees. As a result of this fraudulent application, Oregen obtained from the SBA a $10,000 EIDL advance that did not need to be repaid and $149,900 in EIDL loan proceeds. Harris is scheduled for sentencing on September 25 at 8:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Scola in Miami, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, and SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Investigations Division’s Eastern Region, announced the guilty plea. The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Professional Compliance Bureau, IRS-CI, and SBA OIG investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Lapointe thanked the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General for their invaluable assistance with this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . 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-20189. ###


title: Tampa Man Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Deandre Riviera Lopez (33, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Lopez faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison under the Armed Career Criminal Act. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the court documents, on May 15, 2022, officers with the Tampa Police Department (“TPD”) arrested Lopez on an active felony warrant from the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. During Lopez’s arrest, the officers observed Lopez reach for an item near his waist. A search of Lopez revealed a Century Arms “Canik” TP9 Elite Combat Semi-Automatic Pistol tucked near Lopez’s waist. The firearm was loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition. Lopez later admitted that he always carries a firearm for personal protection and that he had owned the pistol for several months. At the time, Lopez had multiple prior felony convictions and had served time in Florida State Prison. As a convicted felon Lopez is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.