title: Sigourney Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud and Defrauding the IRS

body_text: DES MOINES, IA – A Sigourney man pleaded guilty on April 17, 2023, to mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. According to court records, Mark Lynn Haines, 48, engaged in a scheme to defraud and obtain money from 2015 to 2018 concerning sales of grain as organic, when in fact, the grain was grown in violation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP). NOP is a federal regulatory program governing organic agricultural products. Key among Haines’ NOP violations were the use of treated seed, which is prohibited by NOP. Haines concealed his NOP violations from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), the organic certifier. The grain was then sold by Haines to a number of unwitting purchasers. Haines also conspired to impede and obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the assessment and collection of income taxes. Between April 2017 to April 2019, Haines obtained false invoices, backdated checks, and exchanged checks to give the appearance of an expense that was not in fact incurred. This conduct increased Haines’ expenses and decreased Haines’ federal income taxes. “The USDA Organic Seal is a symbol of trust and confidence amongst consumers seeking to purchase organically grown produce. When farmers, like Haines, subvert NOP and its regulations, they compromise the integrity of the program and impair USDA’s ability to protect the health and value of American agriculture,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shantel R. Robinson, USDA, Office of Inspector General, Midwest Region. Haines is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18, 2023. A related defendant, Daniel DeRycke, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States , and is also pending sentencing. A federal district court judge will determine the sentences of Haines and DeRycke after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) revoked Haines’ organic certificate in 2018 due to several NOP violations and assisted the federal agents in the investigation and the prosecution of the case. If you witness or have knowledge of any violations of laws and regulations related to USDA programs, contact the OIG Hotline by telephone at (800) 424-9121 or TDD (202) 690-1202.


title: Eight Time Convicted Felon Sentenced To Five Years’ Imprisonment For Possessing Loaded Firearm

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Niko Wimbley (30, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Wimbley had pleaded guilty on January 12, 2023. According to court documents, on December 26, 2021, Wimbley was driving a stolen sedan with another convicted felon as his passenger. Both men were armed with fully loaded, semi-automatic pistols. Wimbley and his passenger were arrested that night during a traffic stop in the Rivergrove neighborhood of Tampa, near the intersection of East Sligh Avenue and Rowlett Park Drive. The officers had followed the stolen vehicle until Wimbley and the passenger exited the car. When ordered to stop, both men fled on foot, leaving behind their loaded semi-automatic pistols in the stolen vehicle. During a search of the stolen car, the officers recovered a loaded black SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol on the driver’s seat, and a loaded black Springfield XDS (HS Produkt) .45 caliber pistol in the passenger side footwell. Wimbley’s DNA was found on the SCCY CPX-1 pistol. Wimbley agreed to forfeit the pistol and ammunition, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. 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 Tampa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.


title: Previously Deported Honduran Man Convicted Of Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Nicholas Heriberto Vallecillo-Tejada, age 39, was convicted on April 18, 2023, of illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported alien following a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vallecillo-Tejada was previously deported from the United States to Honduras in November 2008 and again in July 2009. He reentered the United States again sometime after July 2009 without first obtaining legal permission to do so. Vallecillo-Tejada was encountered in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 2020, when he was arrested by the Shenandoah Police Department on charges which eventually led to convictions for simple assault and weapons possession. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022 and charged with illegal re-entry into the United States. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Brian J. Gallagher prosecuted the case. Vallecillo-Tejada faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: Carthage Man Sentenced to 24 Years for Child Sexual Exploitation

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for sexually exploiting a child from Michigan whom he met online. Charles Ward Kuentzel, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough on Tuesday, April 18, to 24 years and five months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Kuentzel to 20 years of supervised release following incarceration. Kuentzel will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life. On Sept. 12, 2022, Kuenzel pleaded guilty to one count of the sexual exploitation of a child. Kuentzel admitted that he used a child victim to produce child pornography from Sept. 1, 2020, to April 21, 2021. The mother of the child victim, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1, contacted law enforcement in Michigan because her daughter was in an inappropriate online relationship with an adult man. The child victim told investigators she met Kuentzel in a public Discord game server, through which they communicated. FBI agents in in the Detroit division were able to identify Kuentzel in the online chats, in which Kuentzel and the child victim sent one another sexually explicit images of themselves. Kuentzel engaged in video chats and sexual conversations with the victim. Officers executed a search warrant at Kuentzel’s residence on Aug. 26, 2021, and seized his cell phone and microSD card. Numerous images of the child victim, including child pornography, were found on the cell phone and the microSD card. During the forensic examination, investigators also found several sexually explicit images of another child victim, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 2. She told investigators she was 14 years old when she met Kuentzel on Omegle, and they communicated through the Snapchat and Kik applications. Kuentzel requested nude images from Jane Doe 2, which she provided. Today’s sentence encompasses this criminal behavior with a sentencing enhancement for Kuentzel’s pattern of illegal sexual conduct. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the FBI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Canton, Mich., Police Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Jacksonville Convicted Felon Guilty Of Possessing A Firearm

body_text: Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Thelonious Wayne Kirby (51, Jacksonville) has been found guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, following a bench trial. Kirby faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Kirby is currently in state custody and appeared in federal court on a writ. He is currently serving a state prison sentence for unrelated charges. According to court documents, on October 28, 2020, Kirby sold a .38 caliber revolver to an undercover officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. At the time, Kirby had eight prior felony convictions and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran is handling the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition. 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: Poplar felon admits possessing ammunition after shootout on Fort Peck Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Poplar man with a felony conviction for murder admitted today to illegally possessing ammunition after a shootout on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Buddy Gene Walking Eagle, 38, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of ammunition. Walking Eagle faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Sept. 13. Walking Eagle was released pending further proceedings. In court documents filed by the government, on March 16, 2020, Walking Eagle was on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation when a shootout occurred. Law enforcement recovered .40-caliber shells that belonged to Walking Eagle. Walking Eagle was prohibited from possessing the ammunition because he was previously convicted of murder in 2004 in Colorado. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wendy A. Johnson and Ryan G. Weldon are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement Services and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Arizona Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Sacramento Area

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jose Manuel Navarro, 65, of San Luis, Arizona, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in May 2019, a law enforcement officer working in an undercover capacity (UC) negotiated with an unknown male, using a Mexico telephone number, for the delivery of methamphetamine to the Sacramento area. The unknown male informed the UC that a third party would be calling the UC to coordinate an in-person meeting in the Sacramento area. On May 19, 2019, Navarro called the UC and arranged to meet at a Target parking lot the following day. At the meeting, Navarro told the UC he had the “product” hidden in his truck. The two agreed to travel to a more discreet location to finish the deal. On the way to his location, a law enforcement officer pulled Navarro over for various traffic violations. Navarro consented to a search of his truck, and the officer found 68 pounds of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was 99% pure. This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team with assistance from the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Arson Charges Against Two Philadelphia Men for Pizza Shop Fire That Resulted in the Death of Firefighter Lt. Sean Williamson

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Al-Ashraf Khalil, 29, and Isaam Jaghama, 29, both of Philadelphia, PA, were charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy to commit malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce, and one count of malicious damage by means of fire of a building used in interstate commerce. Khalil was also charged with one count of wire fraud, and one count of using fire in furtherance of the commission of that wire fraud. Khalil and Jaghama are charged with the arson at 300 West Indiana Avenue in Philadelphia on June 18, 2022, which resulted in the death of Philadelphia Firefighter Lieutenant Sean Williamson, and injuries to five other first responders, who were inside the building when it collapsed following fire suppression activities. Defendant Khalil was the owner of the property at 300 West Indiana Avenue, which contained both apartments and a business. According to the allegations in the indictment, Khalil and Jaghama set a fire inside 300 West Indiana Avenue so that Khalil could profit by filing an insurance claim related to the fire. According to the indictment, after the fire occurred, Khalil signed paperwork authorizing an insurance adjuster to file an insurance claim on his behalf. As alleged in the indictment, this claim was then filed on June 20, 2022. If convicted, defendant Khalil faces a mandatory-minimum sentence of 17 years in prison, and up to a maximum of life in prison. If convicted, defendant Jaghama faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years in prison and up to a maximum of life in prison. The case was investigated by ATF Philadelphia and the ATF’s National Response Team, the Philadelphia Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Philadelphia Police Department, with significant assistance provided by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz. An Indictment, Information, or Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Law Enforcement and Community Leaders Announce One Detroit Partnership to Reduce Violent Crime in the City of Detroit

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT — Today, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison, along with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym Worthy, Kenyatta Stephens, CEO Black Family Development, Detroit Police Chief James E. White, Alvin Stokes, Citywide President, Detroit Citywide Police Community Relations Council, Heidi E. Washington, Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections and Bishop Edgar Vann, Second Ebenezer Church, announced a community partnership named “One Detroit” designed to reduce violent crime in the City through a multi-faceted program of crime prevention, services for the re-entry of returning citizens, and focused law enforcement. Joining in the announcement were Kenyatta Stephens, the Chief Executive Officer of Black Family Development, Inc.; Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge James M. Deir, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division; and Sheryl Jones, Director, Detroit Youth Violence Prevention Initiative and Ceasefire Detroit. One Detroit is the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s comprehensive violence reduction initiative that links evidenced-based strategies with a coalition of stakeholders in the community, government, and law enforcement. The core of the initiative is partnership. By bringing together leaders in government, the community, and law enforcement, and aligning their work, the One Detroit partnership will work to reduce violence through engagement, coordination, and action. The One Detroit partnership is an effort to reinvigorate and augment the Detroit One initiative by incorporating the lessons we have learned since that effort was announced 10 years ago. One Detroit, like the earlier effort, includes aggressive investigation and prosecution of the relatively small number of individuals responsible for the most violence. But the One Detroit partners recognize that violence must be prevented and not just punished. And so, the One Detroit partners will also develop and foster meaningful community relationships, promote prevention and intervention programs, and emphasize prisoner reentry programs that involve the community. One Detroit will focus on leveraging the resources, skills, and capacities of the program’s stakeholders to reduce crime and to make our residents and city safer. A key aspect of this strategy is to boost efforts at crime prevention. The One Detroit prevention effort, which is led by the City of Detroit, along with community leaders such as Bishop Vann and Black Family Development, will seek to reduce crime through blight elimination, community engagement, job training, and collaboration. The partnership includes community members, faith leaders, law enforcement, and representatives from intervention/outreach organizations. Through open dialogue with these partners, we will better understand the underlying causes of violent crime in the community and collaborate to develop comprehensive solutions to address them. The partners will deter violence through open communication about law enforcement strategies with the community and with those most at risk of becoming involved in violence. And the partners will work to provide alternatives to crime to those in neighborhoods most affected by violence. Importantly, One Detroit will also be focused on providing opportunities and assistance to those citizens who are returning to our community from incarceration. Led by the Michigan Department of Corrections, One Detroit will work to ensure that returning citizens have the employment, job training, and support they need to fully reintegrate into society. Helping those who have served their time return to their families and become contributing members of their communities is one of the most effective means to reduce crime in Detroit and across the Eastern District of Michigan. The third aspect of One Detroit is an enforcement strategy aimed at the most dangerous offenders in those areas of the city suffering the most from violent crime or that face the prospect of increased crime. The One Detroit partnership will work collaboratively to focus its law enforcement efforts on the relatively few individuals and groups inflicting the most violence, rather than the entire community. It will involve close coordination between federal and local law enforcement to identify emerging violent offenders or trends within particular neighborhoods. The partnership will also draw on the expertise of local officers, who have deep experience in the communities they serve. And it will pair that personalized knowledge with technology like the National Integrated Ballistics Identification Network (NIBIN), and evidence-based tools like Gunstat. By implementing this data-driven and intelligence-led approach, law enforcement will be able to focus on the small number of people perpetrating violence. This strategy is a part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN continues to be the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime. “One Detroit seeks to disrupt violence in our neighborhoods by focusing law enforcement resources on the drivers of violent crime, supporting community-based solutions to prevent crime, and ensuring that individuals returning from prison have sufficient supports to take full advantage of their second chances, “stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. “We need a more mindful approach to violence reduction that acknowledges that law enforcement cannot be the only solution to keeping our communities safe. Through this partnership we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who refuse to stop the violence, but we also endeavor to empower communities and provide opportunity in order to make our community and residents safer,” continued Ison. "The most sustainable way to reduce violent crime is to get the people committing it to change their own behavior," said Mayor Duggan. "For some, being provided a pathway to an opportunity after being incarcerated may lead to that change. For others it may be the certainty of being arrested and incarcerated if they reoffend. Effective crime reduction has to be a communitywide effort and I'm grateful to U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison for her leadership in forming this partnership between law enforcement agencies and community organizations." “As a One Detroit partner, Black Family Development, Inc. commits to provide basic needs (food, clothing, shelter), mental health and substance use treatment, mobile health services, a young men of color support network and social-emotional counseling as prevention and re-entry supports to Detroit residents and families impacted, or at-risk of being impacted, by gun violence,” said Kenyatta Stephens stated. “I have always known and understood that we must work collaboratively with law enforcement, community stakeholders, and faith leaders, if we want to address crime and keep our citizen’s safe. The One Detroit Initiative is important because it is taking an approach which includes intervention programs, as well as prisoner reentry programs to effectively combat crime,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “It still takes a village,” said Alvin Stokes. “The Detroit Police Department looks forward to being a part of the One Detroit partnership and will continue to strategically target the dangerous offenders who victimize our community and work to ensure they are held accountable for their actions,” said Detroit Police Chief James E. White. “Combining the hard work of our officers, our data-driven technology-aided approach and this partnership will assist us in our mission to make Detroit a safer place.” “We are proud to share our expertise and the time and talents of our agents as partners in this type of focused and targeted action on those perpetrating violence in Detroit,” said Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington. “We are also focused on our efforts to provide reentry resources, education and training so individuals have a way to support themselves and their families, rather than feel the need to resort back to a life of crime so we can create true long-term public safety in this great city.” “One Detroit is a powerful collaboration of government, the US Attorney’s Office, branches of law enforcement agencies, community activists and stakeholders, and the latest cutting-edge technology. But let this initiative also send a strong message to "heads and hearts" throughout this city and region as this becomes a movement. Think before you act. Inhumanity has consequences. "Stop the violence. Increase the peace,” said Bishop Edgar Vann. “ATF’s core priority is to protect our communities from violent criminal acts,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir, “We are proud to participate in One Detroit a collaborative crime-abatement initiative between our federal, state, and local partners.” “Law enforcement and community partners are working together to combat crime in the most violent areas of Detroit,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The FBI contributes to that effort by not only targeting those who commit armed robberies of businesses, along with the leadership of gangs and criminal enterprises, but also by engaging with schools, youth groups, and community groups. By doing so, we are working collaboratively to ensure our neighborhoods are safer places for everyone to live and work.” “The enforcement aspect of One Detroit is focused on the few bad actors who are causing the most harm, and often these individuals are drug traffickers who use violence and intimidation to broaden their markets. DEA will work with federal, state, and local partners to pursue the worst offenders and make metro-Detroit a safer community,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene.


title: Man Indicted for Attempted Kidnapping

body_text: FLINT– A Mount Morris Township man was indicted today by a federal grand jury for his role in the attempted kidnapping of a woman and his illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining in the announcement was James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Field Division and Chief Terence Green, Flint Police Department. Lugene Maxie, II, age 44, was charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, and felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment and other court records, Maxie and two other men in a car approached the female victim as she was walking. The men made sexual remarks towards the victim and told her to come with them. When the victim refused, one of the men got out of the vehicle and began following the woman on foot. Maxie and the other man picked up the man on foot who was following the victim. The three then drove past the woman, turned on a side street and stopped. After the vehicle stopped, Maxie got out and began walking towards the victim. As Maxie approached the victim, he grabbed her. The victim pulled away from Maxie and began running from him. As the woman ran away from Maxie, he pulled a firearm from his waistband and fired two to three gunshots. Maxie continued to follow the victim as she ran away. The incident came to the attention of the Michigan State Police who were conducting aerial observation in a Michigan State Police helicopter. The helicopter radioed to Flint Police who responded to the scene. When Flint Police arrived, Maxie took off running. Police pursued Maxie and took him into custody a short distance away. The Michigan State Police helicopter saw Maxie drop his gun as he was running from the police. Police recovered the firearm after detaining Maxie. “I applaud the teamwork of the Michigan State and Flint Police,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “They prevented a brazen kidnapping and likely saved the victim from a sexual assault.” “The arrest of Maxie is another fine example of area law enforcement working in partnership to increase public safety in the Flint community. The Flint Police Department, along with our local federal and state agencies are making the message clear, if you commit crime in Flint, arrest and incarceration is in your future,” said Chief Green. Based upon the charges in the indictment, Maxie faces up to life in prison if convicted. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police and the Flint Police Department, with assistance from special agents of the ATF. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony P. Vance.


title: Cape Girardeau Felon Admits New Gun Crime

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

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – A felon on probation for a gun crime pleaded guilty Wednesday and admitted being caught with another firearm in December. Trenier Roosevelt Jackson, 22, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to a felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being the passenger in a speeding vehicle pulled over by Cape Girardeau police on Dec. 1, 2022. After the vehicle stopped, Jackson immediately got out and walked away. The officer asked Jackson to return, but he ran away again when the driver said he had a gun and officers said they would search for weapons. Jackson dropped a bag containing a stolen Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and multiple forms of identification as he ran. He was arrested a short distance away. At the time, Jackson was on probation after having been convicted of unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. on July 27. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting the case.


title: Mobile Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Machinegun That He Fired During New Year's Eve Shooting

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a machinegun that he fired during a shooting in downtown Mobile on December 31, 2022. According to court documents, Thomas Earl Thomas, Jr., 22, possessed and fired a .40 caliber Glock pistol equipped with an extended magazine and an illegal machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” during New Year’s Eve celebrations in downtown Mobile on December 31, 2022. The shooting, which occurred in a crowded section of Dauphin Street near South Jackson Street, killed one person and injured nine others. In connection with his guilty plea, Thomas admitted that he lied to homicide detectives about possessing and firing the gun, as captured on surveillance video. Thomas further admitted, among other things, that he had bought the gun at a gun show in Mobile weeks before the shooting and knew it had been illegally modified with a “switch.” Firearms experts examined and test fired Thomas’s illegally modified gun, which operated as a fully automatic weapon and expelled multiple rounds of ammunition with a single pull of the trigger. Thomas admitted that he had never registered his machinegun in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law. Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2023, and faces up to ten years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Norfolk Church Youth Group Leader Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 7 years in prison for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. According to court documents, Charles Willoughby III, 39, served as a youth group leader at New Life Worship Center (NLWC) in Norfolk. From 2006 to 2012, Willoughby routinely groomed minor teenage girls who were part of the church’s youth program in order to attempt to sexually abuse them. On June 26, 2012, Jane Doe, who was then 15 years old, and other youth group members boarded a chartered bus from NLWC to travel to Georgia for a national church youth group conference. Willoughby served as one of the chaperones. While on the bus there, Willoughby forced Jane Doe to engage in a sexual act. Jane Doe did not disclose the abuse until 2018, and other victims were identified after that disclosure. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Yusi and Megan Montoya prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org . To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at USAVAE-UnMasked@usdoj.gov . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-96.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Cashing Counterfeit U.S. Treasury Checks

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Samuel Dixon, 28, of New Orleans was sentenced to six months of incarceration after pleading guilty to two counts of cashing counterfeit United States Treasury checks. According to court documents, Dixon admitted that on February 14, 2020, he successfully cashed two counterfeit checks at different Walmart stores in Mobile, Alabama. The counterfeit checks cashed by Dixon were created from a template based on a legitimate U.S. Treasury check stolen in 2018. Counterfeit checks created from this template have been cashed over 450 times throughout the United States. In the first instance, Dixon presented a Walmart employee with a counterfeit check bearing a female’s name identified in the plea agreement as “R. Smith.” To verify that Dixon was authorized to cash the check on behalf of R. Smith, he presented a counterfeit Georgia drivers license that contained Dixon’s picture, but other identifying information belonging to a real male who is identified in the plea agreement as K. Smith. In addition, Dixon provided K. Smith’s actual social security number. Believing that Dixon was K. Smith, and thus had the authority to cash the check on behalf of R. Smith, the Walmart employee cashed the check for $2,195.00. Several hours later, Dixon presented a Walmart employee at a different store in Mobile with another counterfeit U.S. Treasury check bearing the name R. Smith. This time, Dixon presented a counterfeit Virginia drivers license containing his picture and the real information of a male identified in the plea agreement as M. Smith. After Dixon provided M. Smith’s real social security number, the Walmart employee cashed the check for $2,195.00. In addition to the two counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks cashed in Mobile, Dixon also admitted to previously cashing two other counterfeit checks in Louisiana. Finally, Dixon admitted that when he was arrested on unrelated charges in New Orleans in February 2020, he had in his possession five similar counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks. “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who endeavor to corrupt Federal tax administration,” said J. Russell George, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice in this investigation.” This case was investigated by the United States Department of the Treasury – Office of Inspector General, as well as the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Also assisting with the apprehension of Dixon was the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Bodnar and S. Gaillard Ladd prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.


title: Des Moines, Washington, woman sentenced to 30 months in prison for bank fraud and identity theft scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 49-year-old Des Moines, Washington woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison and five years of supervised release for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Jennifer Suazo, aka Jennifer Esperanza, was arrested in August 2022 after fleeing from law enforcement at an earlier encounter. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “… identity theft is something that everyone lives in fear of …. Having one’s identity stolen steals that person’s sense of confidence, faith, and security too ….” According to records filed in the case, Suazo purchased victims’ identifying information from various sources, including the dark web, which she then used to open accounts at financial institutions in the victims’ names and to take over victims’ existing bank accounts. To carry out this fraud, Suazo created identification documents in victims’ names but with her photograph on the ID. Suazo also changed the mailing addresses for the accounts created or taken over so that she would receive all communications about the accounts and thereby hide her fraud and theft from the victims. Suazo also deposited victims’ checks into her personal bank account. Between 2019 and 2022, Suazo defrauded individual victims and financial institutions of at least $107,472. When law enforcement executed a court authorized search warrant at her home, they discovered notebooks with the personal information of some 316 victims. Suazo pleaded guilty in January 2023. Due to her history of drug addiction, Judge Lin recommended Suazo participate in the Bureau of Prisons’ intensive Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). In sentencing materials, Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly noted the harm posed by identity theft, writing, “… the ramifications of her actions were wide-reaching: Suazo not only drained state and federal law enforcement resources to identify victims and trace the fraudulent transactions, but also caused victims ongoing anxiety about the security of their accounts and credit after their information was compromised.” The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Des Moines Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Ly.


title: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aalik Wilsher, 26, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money, admitting to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,459.33 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 14, 2021, Wilsher applied for a PPP loan for his purported business, “Aalik Wilsher.” Wilsher admitted that he falsely certified that “Aalik Wilsher” was established in 2019 and was in operation on February 15, 2020. Wilsher further admitted to submitting a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, to state that “Aalik Wilsher” had earned $97,587 in gross income during 2019. The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses applying for PPP loans had to certify that the business was in operation on February 15, 2020, and were required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Wilsher’s fraudulent PPP loan application was approved and $20,330 was electronically deposited from a financial institution in Florida to Wilsher’s bank account in Charleston, West Virginia, on April 30, 2021. Wilsher later applied to have the fraudulent PPP loan and $129.33 in accrued interest forgiven. Wilsher admitted that he had not spent the loan proceeds on permissible business expenses. The SBA forgave Wilsher’s fraudulent PPP loan on December 13, 2021. Wilsher is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Wilsher also owes $20,459.33 in restitution. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is 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 . 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-51. ###


title: DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day set for April 22, 2023

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BILLINGS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana joins the Drug Enforcement Administration in support of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22. The biannual event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at sites across Montana, including a DEA site in Billings. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in homes are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses from these drugs. “We can all do something to help stop the epidemic of overdose deaths and addictions plaguing Montana by getting rid of expired or unused prescription drugs in our homes. Dropping off these drugs at DEA Take Back Day collection sites across the state is a convenient way to keep loved ones, friends, and our communities safer,” U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. “Opiate overdoses are occurring throughout the United States, and Montana is no different. But we can all pitch in to help stop this epidemic,” said DEA Montana Resident Agent in Charge Stacy Zinn-Brittain. “I encourage everyone to clean out their medicine cabinets and nightstands of expired or unneeded prescription medicine, especially opioids, and to bring them to DEA’s designated Take Back locations. Together, we can make a difference.” The DEA will have a drop off location in Billings at the Billings Fire Station #5, 605 S. 24 th Street W. More than 28 sheriff’s offices, police departments and federal agencies across Montana are participating in Take Back Day. Information about collection sites and more information about event is available here: https://takebackday.dea.gov/ During the last Take Back Day held on Oct. 29, 2022, 4,340 law enforcement participants at 4,902 collection sites across the country brought in a total weight of 647,163 pounds, or 324 tons, of drugs. This brings the total weight collected to 16.6 million pounds, or more than 8,318 tons, of prescription drugs collected in the history of the program. Collection results may include materials other than prescription drugs. During the October 2022 event, Montanans turned in 1,450 pounds of prescription drugs at 27 collection sites. Thirty law enforcement agencies participated. In addition to DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day on April 22, prescription drugs can be disposed of any day throughout the year at any of the 11,000 authorized collectors. For more information on collection sites, visit: https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1 For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 22 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com . XXX


title: Boogaloo Movement Supporter Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

body_text: DETROIT – A supporter of the “Boogaloo” movement pleaded guilty today to being a drug user in possession of firearms and ammunition, and for making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Timothy Allen Teagan, 23, of Plymouth, Michigan, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Sean F. Cox. According to court records, Teagan is a supporter of the anti-government Boogaloo movement. Members of the Boogaloo movement advocate for the violent overthrow of the government. They believe that a civil war or uprising against the government is coming to the United States, and they refer to that conflict as the “Boogaloo.” On July 17, 2022, Teagan completed a Firearms Transaction Record, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473, in connection with the acquisition of a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Westland, Michigan. Teagan applied for the purchase of a Glock 34, 9 millimeter pistol. On the ATF Form 4473, Teagan checked “no” to the question concerning drug use. At the time Teagan prepared the ATF Form 4473 and submitted it, he was a frequent and habitual user of marijuana and was also addicted to the drug. Teagan lied on the ATF Form 4473 because he knew that he would be legally prohibited from purchasing and possessing a firearm if he answered truthfully and admitted that he was addicted to marijuana, or a habitual user of marijuana. Teagan subsequently purchased the Glock 9 mm pistol on July 20, 2022. In addition, in October 2022, Teagan possessed a Diamondback Arms, Inc. DB-15 .556 caliber semi-automatic rifle and ammunition. Teagan stored the rifle and some of the ammunition in his bedroom at his father’s home located in Plymouth, Michigan. Teagan purchased the rifle in December 2019 from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Canton, Michigan. At the time of the December 2019 purchase, Teagan knew that he was a frequent and habitual user of marijuana and therefore not permitted to possess the firearm. On October 27, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Teagan’s father’s residence in Plymouth. During the search, agents recovered the DB-15 rifle, Level IV body armor, gas masks, dozens of rounds of rifle and pistol ammunition, an ACOG rifle sight, firearm magazines, and Boogaloo movement flags and patches. The Glock 9 mm pistol was recovered from a nearby vehicle. “Individuals who illegally possess firearms and who lie to purchase them present a danger to our community,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “We will aggressively prosecute those who would violate and seek to circumvent federal firearms laws.” “Working with our law enforcement counterparts and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and prosecute individuals who lie about their habitual drug use in order to purchase a firearm helps keep our communities safe,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Investigations such as this show the FBI in Michigan is working diligently and tirelessly to protect the American people and uphold the United States Constitution.” Teagan faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison on the firearms possession charge, and a maximum of ten years in prison on the false statement charge. A sentencing hearing is set for August 16, 2023. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Saima Mohsin.


title: ‘Modern-day Bonnie and Clyde’ sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for using stolen mail to raid bank accounts

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: STATESBORO, GA: A South Carolina man who referred to himself and his girlfriend as the “modern-day Bonnie and Clyde” was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to a scheme in which he used information from stolen mail to steal or attempt to steal more than a million dollars from multiple victims. Michael H. Boatwright , 33, of Chesterfield, S.C., was sentenced to 150 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Bank Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randall Hall also ordered Boatwright to pay $427,131.37 in restitution for actual losses to the victims, and to serve five years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. Boatwright’s co-defendant, Stephanie Michelle Lea Napier , 29, also of Chesterfield, is serving a 28-month prison term for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and must serve three years of supervised release after completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “These thieves didn’t just steal their victims’ mail; they stole their money, their privacy, and their sense of security,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “They are now being held accountable for their insidious acts.” As described in court documents and proceedings, Boatwright and Napier called themselves the “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde” when, in a period from about November 2020 to June 2021, they drove around Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida to steal mail from mailboxes, capturing personal identifying information from the stolen mail, and then using that information to gain access and control of their victims’ bank accounts. Using that information, the two stole, or attempted to steal, hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims, including those residing in the Statesboro area, with actual and attempted financial losses of more than $1.5 million. “The sentencing should serve as a warning to those who intend to steal and misuse the U.S. Mail for criminal activity,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This is a great example of how law enforcement partnerships work together across state lines to vigorously investigate and deliver justice to mail thieves.” “As evidenced by the length of the prison sentence in this case, fraud is a pernicious crime, especially when it involves identity theft,” said Craig Reno, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Savannah Resident Office. “The result of this case should serve as a deterrent to those who seek to steal from others and attempt to escape the long arm of the law. The Secret Service, along with its law enforcement partners, is committed to holding these criminals accountable for their fraudulent activities.” The case is being investigated by the Jacksonville, Fla. and Savannah, Ga. offices of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office, and the Statesboro Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan C. Grover.


title: Michigan Man Sentenced to 10 Months in Federal Prison for Hate Crimes Targeting Black Lives Matter Supporters

body_text: WASHINGTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington to 10 months in federal prison and one-year supervised release for a series of hate crimes he committed in June and July of 2020. According to court records, Kenneth D. Pilon, 62, previously pleaded guilty to willfully intimidating and attempting to intimidate citizens from engaging in lawful speech and protests in support of Black Lives Matter. Specifically, Pilon admitted to calling nine Starbucks stores in mid and southeast Michigan and telling the employees answering his calls to tell Starbucks employees wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts that “the only good n***er is a dead n***er.” Pilon also admitted to telling one employee, “I’m gonna go out and lynch me a n***er.” Additionally, over the course of the next month, Pilon left four nooses in parking lots and a fifth noose inside of a 7-Eleven store. Pilon attached each noose to a handwritten note, reading: “An accessory to be worn with your ‘BLM’ t-shirt. Happy protesting!” “The nooses, the threat letters, and the calls to Starbucks were all intended to terrorize the targeted victims solely because of their race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will always stand up to race-based threats of violence, which have no place in civilized society.” “A noose is a symbol of hatred that evokes the darkest days of our country’s past. Its placement is meant to terrorize a part of our community, but we will not tolerate these race-based threats. Our office stands ready to vigorously investigate and prosecute criminal violations of our civil rights laws,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Pilon’s hateful conduct, motivated by racial intolerance, was intended to intimidate the victims as well as create fear within the African-American community,” said Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will ensure that if a crime is motivated by bias, it will be investigated as a hate crime and the perpetrators will be held accountable for their actions.” The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Turkelson for the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case


title: Mexican man sent to prison for transporting fentanyl and meth

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 21-year-old non-U.S. citizen illegally residing in Harlingen has been ordered to prison following his conviction for attempting to traffic fentanyl and meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jorge Mario Vazquez-Zuniga pleaded guilty Dec. 1, 2022. Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Vazquez-Zuniga to serve 84 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. On June 14, 2022, law enforcement stopped Vazquez-Zuniga for following too closely to another vehicle. After a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics, authorities searched the vehicle and discovered approximately 10.50 kilograms of meth hidden inside an ice chest. Vazquez-Zuniga ultimately admitted knowing narcotics were inside his vehicle and agreeing to transport them to another person for financial gain. The investigation led to his residence where law enforcement also located approximately 8.08 kilograms of fentanyl. Vazquez-Zuniga will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.


title: Greensboro, N.C. Clinic Owner Indicted For $4.7 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The owner of a Greensboro, N.C. area clinic has been indicted for his alleged involvement in a health care fraud scheme that defrauded the North Carolina Medicaid Program (Medicaid) of more than $4.7 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The 10-count indictment charges Aljihad Shabazz, 44, of Kernersville, N.C., with health care fraud conspiracy, health care fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI), and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who oversees the North Carolina Medicaid Division (MID), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. The federal indictment alleges that Shabazz owned and operated Reign & Inspirations, LLC (R&I), a clinic that purportedly provided outpatient behavioral services in Greensboro and surrounding areas. According to allegations contained in the indictment, between 2017 and 2020, Shabazz allegedly conspired with other individuals to carry out an extensive health care fraud scheme involving the fraudulent submissions of fake reimbursement claims to Medicaid, for services that were never provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. Shabazz allegedly obtained the personal identifying information (PII) of Medicaid beneficiaries through community outreach programs, including football and mentoring programs, and misused the beneficiaries’ PII to create and submit hundreds of fraudulent reimbursement claims and to receive payment for services that were never in fact provided by R&I. During the relevant time period, Shabazz and his co-conspirators allegedly used the beneficiaries’ PII to submit more than 1,500 fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicaid, some of which claimed that R&I provided services that exceeded 24 hours in a single day. The indictment also alleges that the reimbursement payments made by Medicaid were deposited in bank accounts under Shabazz’s control. Shabazz used a portion of the fraudulent proceeds to pay kickbacks to his co-conspirators and to cover personal expenses, including to pay for personal travel, luxury items, and timeshares, and to make cash withdrawals, among other things. “Health care fraud hurts individuals who rely on government-funded programs to cover legitimate patient care needs. Working with our law enforcement partners we will investigate and hold accountable health care fraud cheats and safeguard taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney King. “This desire for money, along with the power and material items it buys, allegedly drove the defendant to perpetrate crimes against our healthcare system,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “Thanks to the financial expertise and diligence of IRS-CI special agents and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to uncover these schemes and pursue individuals who allegedly operate counter to laws protecting the federal healthcare programs.” "This health care provider allegedly used people's personal data to steal millions in Medicaid dollars, said Attorney General Stein. "I want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI for working with our Medicaid Investigations Division to hold accountable providers who cheat taxpayers." A summons has been issued and Shabazz will appear in federal court for his initial appearance. The health care fraud conspiracy and health care fraud offenses carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison per count. The money laundering conspiracy and money laundering offenses carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. The charges against Shabazz are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. The FBI, IRS-CI, and the North Carolina Medicaid Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassye Cole and Mike Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jermaine Sellers with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.


title: Bloodhound Brims Leader and Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering and Attempted Murders on Long Island

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, a 22-count indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging Jussiah Herbert, a leader of the Bloodhound Brims (BHB) street gang, and BHB gang members Brandon Hicks and Janell Johnson with racketeering, attempted murders in aid of racketeering, assaults and attempted assaults in aid of racketeering, firearms charges and narcotics possession and distribution. Herbert was arrested today in North Carolina and will make an initial appearance tomorrow in federal court in Winston-Salem. Hicks and Johnson were previously arrested and will be arraigned at a later date. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, Herbert showed zero regard for others by ordering his underlings to carry out shootings that wounded numerous victims and endangered the community just so he could maintain and increase the violent reputation of the ruthless street gang that he led,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working relentlessly to address gun violence in our district and bring to justice members of violent gangs.” “Jussiah Herbert is accused of using violence, fear, and intimidation to maintain his leadership of the Bloodhound Brims (BHB) street gang,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “He is alleged to have ruthlessly ordered gang members to commit horrific acts, to include attempted murder against suspected rival gang members to further his criminal enterprise and control Long Island neighborhoods so the BHB could thrive. HSI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and free of violent gang members.” As alleged in the indictment and court filings and proceedings, Herbert directed other BHB gang members, including Hicks, to shoot at members of rival gangs on August 16, 2020, August 25, 2020 and October 15, 2020 at locations in Brentwood, Central Islip and West Babylon, New York. During those shootings, four individuals were shot and suffered injuries as a result of the shootings. In a fourth incident, which occurred on September 15, 2021, in Bay Shore, New York, Herbert and other BHB members, including Johnson, shot at individuals whom they believed to be rival gang members. Hicks was previously arrested on federal narcotics and firearms offenses in April 2021 and Johnson was previously arrested in December 2022 in connection with New York State conspiracy offenses. Both Hicks and Johnson are currently incarcerated and awaiting trial on the earlier charges. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Herbert faces up to a maximum sentence of 60 years’ imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant Arrested Today: JUSSIAH HERBERT (also known as “Loko” and “Lokkoo BeenHoundin”) Age: 26 Blanch, North Carolina The Defendants Previously Arrested: BRANDON HICKS (also known as “Bang Swoop” and “Swoopy”) Age: 21 Hauppauge, New York JANELL JOHSNON (also known as “Jahh Jahh” and “Glizzy”) Age: 20 Shirley, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-164 (GRB)


title: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking Ring

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILFREDO ROSADO-RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Turtle,” 40, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for his role in a large-scale heroin trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, Rosado-Rodriguez was a close associate of Ivan Rosario, also known as “Ghost,” who headed a Bridgeport-based heroin trafficking organization that, between approximately April 2015 and March 2017, received at least 30 kilograms of heroin that had been transported from Mexico to Bridgeport hidden inside motorcycles equipped with secret compartments. The organization then distributed the drug in the Bridgeport area. Rosado-Rodriguez’s primary role was transporting the organization’s cash proceeds to money launderers. In October 2015, law enforcement stopped a car Rosado-Rodriguez was driving and seized approximately $120,000 in suspected drug proceeds that he was couriering to New York. On March 16, 2017, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Rosario, Rosado-Rodriguez and five other individuals with heroin trafficking and related offenses. Rosado-Rodriguez was arrested on October 28, 2021. On September 20, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Rosado-Rodriguez has been detained since his arrest. Rosario was convicted of a related charge and, on July 18, 2019, Judge Bryant sentenced him to 210 months of imprisonment. This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, DEA’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Bridgeport Police Department and Stratford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Ruff and Natasha M. Freismuth through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Man Admits Robbery that Led to St. Louis County Taxi Driver’s Fatal Shooting

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri teenager on Wednesday admitted helping to rob a cab driver in Hazelwood in 2022 before he was fatally shot. Coron Dees, 19, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey to a robbery charge. In his plea agreement, he admitted involvement in a series of events that led to the robbery and shooting of Dewight Price, a driver for St. Louis County Cab, on April 24, 2022. Dees and three co-defendants were at a party in downtown St. Louis before calling a cab from the Shell gas station at 721 North Tucker Boulevard at 5:23 a.m. They used a fake name and address and planned to run away without paying when they were dropped off in St. Louis County. When they learned they would have to pre-pay for the ride, however, they began hatching a plan to pay, then rob, the driver, Dees’ plea says. During the ride, Price was redirected to Hazelwood Central High School because Dees and the others thought there would be no witnesses there early on a Sunday morning, the plea agreement says. Once they arrived, Dees and another teen pulled out firearms and demanded Price’s money, the plea says. Price handed over his cash, then grabbed a gun he kept in his door and began to get out of the cab. One teen in the backseat opened his door, knocking Price to the ground before another shot Price once in the torso. Price died before police arrived. Police arrested three of the four teens and found their guns that afternoon, the plea agreement says. Dees is scheduled to be sentenced July 18. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The three other teens face a robbery charge and a charge of aiding and abetting the commission of a murder, with one also facing a charge of being an accessory after the fact. All three have pleaded not guilty. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI.


title: Utah Truck Driver Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Utah returned an indictment charging a Utah man after he allegedly attempted to meet with a minor to engage in sexual activity. According to the court documents, on February 16, 2023, Kendrick Aristotle Eastes, 31, of Taylorsville, Utah, attempted to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity in the District of Utah. He did so by communicating through the internet, a means of foreign commerce. According to statements made in open court on April 19, 2023, Eastes was employed as a truck driver at the time of the alleged crime. Using a social networking application, on February 16, 2023, Eastes contacted an undercover agent whom he believed was the stepfather of a 7-year-old boy. As the chat continued, Eastes and the undercover agent planned a meeting so that Eastes could meet with and engage in sexual activity with the minor. Estes arrived at the meeting site intending to have sex with the minor but was immediately arrested and taken into custody. Eastes is charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography. The defendant had his initial court appearance April 19, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah. “The weight of the evidence is substantial,” said Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead, and ordered Eastes remain in custody. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Las Vegas. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mark Y. Hirata, of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Employee Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Molotov Cocktail Attack on St. Charles Restaurant

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A disgruntled former employee of a St. Charles, Missouri restaurant who attacked it with Molotov cocktails was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison. On the evening of April 30, 2021, Rashaad Cotton, 25, of St. Louis County, first threw a Molotov cocktail on a residential street in a suburban area in St. Charles. Twenty minutes later, he threw another on the northeast side of the Sauce on the Side restaurant on Beale Street and one near the front door. A juvenile female with Cotton threw a Molotov cocktail at a patio area. The restaurant was open and serving customers. The pair then ran back to Cotton’s vehicle and fled, but were arrested after they crashed. Cotton told police that he had been fired from the restaurant the night before and wanted to scare people. Cotton pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in December to a felony charge of attempting to commit arson. Cotton also has pending charges in St. Charles County Circuit Court related to the attack. The case was investigated by the St. Charles Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.


title: Canton Woman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding HUD Section 8 Housing Program

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONNA CARNEY, 67, of Canton, was sentenced today by U.S. Circuit Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to one month of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for defrauding a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) program. According to court documents and statements made in court, in approximately 1995, Carney began receiving Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance under HUD’s housing choice voucher program. From approximately 2004 to 2019, Carney failed to report to HUD that she was married to her landlord and therefore had an interest in the home in which she lived, failed to report certain others living in her home, and falsely claimed that unauthorized residents were live-in aides. Judge Merriam ordered Carney to pay $33,594. On October 12, 2022, Carney pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Carney, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 29. This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations and the Canton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.


title: North Branford Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH AMADEO, 38, of North Branford, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a child exploitation offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, HSI began investigating Amadeo for his involvement in an online community of individuals who sent and received child pornography images and videos on the dark web. On March 24, 2021, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Amadeo’s residence and seized Amadeo’s computer and other electronic devices. Analysis of the devices revealed thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, many as young as infants. He was arrested on June 3, 2021. Amadeo pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on July 12 in Hartford. Amadeo is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing. Amadeo is a registered sex offender on the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry based on a 2013 state conviction involving child pornography. This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda S. Oakes and Nancy V. Gifford. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Second Conspirator in Russia-Ukraine Sanctions Violation Case Arrested

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL – Sergey Karpushkin, 46, of Miami and a citizen of Belarus, has been arrested and charged by a federal criminal complaint with engaging in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions against oligarch Sergey Kurchenko and two related companies by purchasing over $150 million in steelmaking materials. Karpushkin’s alleged co-conspirator, John C. Unsalan, 41, of Orlando, was indicted by a federal grand jury for the same scheme on April 12, and was arrested on April 14 on related charges. According to court documents, Kurchenko was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating Ukrainian state assets or economically significant entities. The two sanctioned companies – Kompaniya Gaz-Alyans, OOO (Gaz-Alyans), based in the Russian Federation, and ZAO Vneshtorgservis (Vneshtorgservis), based in the unrecognized territory of South Ossetia – were designated by OFAC in 2018 for acting on behalf of and providing material support to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic in the separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine. The complaint charges Karpushkin with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The indictment against Unsalan charges him with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the IEEPA; 10 counts of violating the IEEPA; one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering; and 10 counts of international money laundering. If convicted, Karpushkin and Unsalan each face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count with which they are charged. Unsalan made his initial appearance in federal court on April 17, and has been detained pending further court proceedings. Karpushkin made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon and was also detained. The FBI Tampa and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, OFAC, and the FBI Miami Field Office. Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.


title: Justice Department Hosts Forum In Newark To Highlight Nationwide Effort To Combat Modern-Day Redlining

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The Justice Department hosted a forum in Newark, New Jersey, to discuss efforts to combat modern-day redlining. Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in certain communities because of the race, color or national origin of the residents of those communities. The forum, which commemorated Fair Housing Month and the 55th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, featured Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Director Rohit Chopra of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, who each spoke at today’s program about their respective agencies’ response to the pernicious problem of residential redlining. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also provided opening remarks at the event, which was hosted at Seton Hall Law School. “Part of the promise of America is equal opportunity,” U.S Attorney Sellinger said. “Achieving that dream should be color blind – whether you get a home loan should not depend on the color of your skin or national origin. Redlining is racist, pure and simple. This type of systemic and intentional discrimination cannot – and will not – be tolerated.” “We must use every tool available to us to confront modern-day redlining and to hold banks and financial institutions accountable when they fail to provide communities of color equal access to lending opportunities,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “Since the launch of the Justice Department’s Combating Redlining Initiative, we have secured nearly $85 million dollars in relief for communities that have suffered from lending discrimination. Redlining, appraisal discrimination, so-called crime-free ordinances and racial steering stand as continued threats to fair housing and economic opportunity in our country – we are committed to eradicating these unlawful practices that have caused harm to communities of color for far too long.” “Redlining is not a relic of the past. It exists in new forms, including in the physical and digital worlds,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “When it comes to modern-day redlining, the CFPB is prioritizing efforts with federal and state prosecutors to uncover illegal digital redlining by algorithms and artificial intelligence, reverse redlining through predatory targeting, and harmful discrimination by nonbanks.” “Access to quality and safe housing is a right that should be enjoyed by all,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “As we commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, we still have work to do to ensure that no one is denied that right due to the color of their skin or national origin. New Jersey’s strong housing laws and our federal fair lending laws send the message that we will not tolerate discriminatory practices in housing access, and, as a nation, we must ensure that those laws are enforced.” “Redlining has been historically pervasive and deliberate in this country, and cities like Newark have been at the front end of the abuse. While redlining is illegal, we know that this ugly form of racism is still widely practiced,” said Mayor Baraka. “To deny people, specifically in Black and Latino neighborhoods in Newark, mortgage-lending services, based strictly on their race, robs and makes the American dream of homeownership unattainable. It impedes families from building generational wealth and widens the racial wealth gap. We must hold lenders accountable for their illegal and racist policies and behaviors and take deliberate action to reverse the effects of redlining and stop it.” The forum also featured Seton Hall Law professors as well as civil rights stakeholders in New Jersey, who provided their invaluable perspectives on the effects of redlining on communities of color in New Jersey, and the vital role that community engagement can play in combatting redlining. In connection with the event, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division also released a fact sheet highlighting the successes of the Combatting Redlining Initiative. In October 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland launched the Justice Department’s Combatting Redlining Initiative , a coordinated enforcement effort to address this persistent form of discrimination against communities of color. The initiative has expanded the department’s reach by strengthening partnerships with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country, regulatory partners and its partners in state Attorneys General offices. Since the initiative was launched, the department has announced six redlining cases and settlements and nearly $85 million in relief for communities of color that have been victims of lending discrimination across the country, including a $31 million settlement with City National Bank , the largest redlining settlement in department history. The settlements also include two agreements with Trident Mortgage Company , for $20.4 million, and the Lakeland Bank , for $13.4 million. These two settlements provide tens of millions of dollars to increase credit opportunities for residents of communities of color in and around Camden and Newark, New Jersey. Additional information about the department’s fair lending enforcement can be found at Fair Lending Program . Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online. Individuals may also report civil rights violations through www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement or call the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339.


title: Starkville Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearms Possession

body_text: Greenville, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced today to almost four years in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a prior convicted felon. According to court documents, Lasang Kemp, 38, a convicted felon, was found in possession of a Taurus 9mm handgun and a Zastava 5.56mm handgun in Starkville, Mississippi on March 4, 2021. Kemp, who pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, was sentenced today in Greenville by Chief U.S. District Judge Debra Brown to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. “Keeping guns out of the hands of criminals will always be a priority for this office,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “The FBI and our local partners deserve our thanks for ensuring this successful prosecution.” “Mr. Kemp’s sentencing should serve as a warning to those bad actors who unlawfully possess firearms,” remarked FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners, through impactful programs such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, will continue to identify, investigate, and deliver justice to anyone violating federal laws designed to protect our communities.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Starkville Police Department, and the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: North Dakota Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking of a Delivery Truck

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Devils Lake, North Dakota man has been sentenced to 136 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for carjacking a man at gunpoint in Blaine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on July 30, 2022, at approximately 3:52 a.m., Joshua Lee Sinawa, 27, approached a bakery delivery box truck in the parking lot of a Cub Foods in Blaine, Minnesota. While the delivery driver was in the vehicle’s driver seat, Sinawa approached the vehicle on the driver’s side, pointed a firearm at the victim, and demanded that the victim get out of the vehicle. Sinawa then forced him to walk into the Cub Foods store at gunpoint. Sinawa left the Cub Foods store while the victim remained inside and fled the scene in the stolen bakery delivery box truck. Sinawa was sentenced yesterday before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz to 52 months for carjacking and a consecutive 84 months for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Blaine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew S. Dunne and Craig R. Baune prosecuted the case.


title: Bemidji Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Murder and Assault on the Red Lake Indian Reservation

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bemidji woman has been sentenced to 240 months in prison for her role in a murder and an assault that took place in August 2019 on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, shortly before 1:00 a.m. on August 12, 2019, Alexia Gah Gi Gay Mary Cutbank, 21, Mia Faye Sumner, 21, of Duluth, and Daniel Charles Barrett, 31, of Redby, entered the garage of a Red Lake residence where Daniel Alan Johnson was known to reside. Cutbank, Sumner, and Barrett were masked and armed. Once inside, Cutbank fired multiple gunshots, fatally wounding Johnson and seriously injuring a second victim, T.B.S. The three defendants returned to the waiting vehicle and left the scene. To assist the defendants in avoiding arrest, Rose Celeste Siewert, 50, of Cass Lake, drove Cutbank, Barrett, and Sumner off the Red Lake Indian Reservation. On September 20, 2022, Cutbank pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting murder in the second degree and one count of aiding and abetting assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Cutbank was sentenced yesterday before Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson. Sumner was sentenced on March 9, 2023, to 120 months in prison and Siewert was sentenced on March 8, 2023, to 48 months in prison. Barrett will be sentenced at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, the FBI, the FBI Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force, the Duluth Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deidre Y. Aanstad prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit to Co-Sponsor United Against Hate Event at BSU

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit along with Boise State University, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of the Pacific Northwest, and Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel are convening a United Against Hate meeting on April 26 at Albertsons Library at Boise State University in conjunction with the last day of the “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibition. The event is free and is open to the public. Registration is required to attend. Register here no later than Monday, April 24 at 5:00 p.m. Free parking for From History to Today: Shared Legacies, Shared Aspirations is available in the Liberal Arts parking lot ( map ). United Against Hate is an initiative launched by the Department of Justice focused on improving efforts to combat hate crimes and hate incidents through relationship building at the local level. Through this endeavor, the Office seeks to create and strengthen trust and partnerships among law enforcement, community leaders, and residents. “As Attorney General Garland has said, this is a moment for an all-hands-on-deck approach to combatting unlawful hate,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “I look forward to meeting community members and hearing different perspectives on how we can work together to stand up to unlawful hate in Idaho.” The April 26 event will include a presentation by U.S. Attorney Hurwit about hate crimes laws and reporting mechanisms followed by an hour-long community panel featuring leaders from the Jewish, Black, and Japanese American communities. “For me, holding this event in conjunction with the ‘Americans and Holocaust’ exhibit is a great way to explore how difficult history can inspire a hopeful future,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “I am grateful to BSU, the ADL of the Pacific Northwest, and Congregation Ahaveth Beth Israel for our collaboration.” Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel ###


title: Kenner Man Guilty of Stealing Mail  by Using a U.S. Postal Service Mail Key

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- ADOLPH KENDRICK , age 27, of Kenner, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on April 18, 2023 to Unlawful Possession and Use of a United States Postal Service (USPS) “arrow” key used by USPS employees to access authorized mail receptacles in violation of Tile 18, United States Code, Section 1704 and Theft of United States Mail that had been deposited into authorized mail receptacles in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708 announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment, on November 14 and 15, 2022, KENDRICK stole mail from the Citrus Post Office in New Orleans, Louisiana. On November 15, 2022, was observed stealing mail and was caught after a brief police chase near Williams Boulevard. KENDRICK was also found in possession of a United States Postal Service “arrow” key used to access postal collection boxes. If convicted, KENDRICK faces a maximum penalty of up to five (5) years imprisonment on the two counts of stealing mail, and up to ten (10) years imprisonment on the count of unlawful possession of the United States Postal Service mail key, to be followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, as to each count. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is charge of the prosecution. * * *