title: Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Reynaldo Parra-Villagrana, 27, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release, for his role in a cross-border narcotics distribution conspiracy. Parra-Villagrana pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 18, 2023. In May 2019, during a multi-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Parra-Villagrana delivered 878.8 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover officer in the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Tucson. Parra-Villagrana was acting on behalf of a Mexico-based drug supplier when he delivered the methamphetamine to the undercover officer. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The Drug Enforcement Administration, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force Tucson, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02352-TUC-RM RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-097_Parra-Villagrana # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Sapulpa Man Sentenced for Stabbing Man to Death

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Arnold Dean Howell, Jr., 31, of Sapulpa, to 360 months imprisonment for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Howell is ordered to serve five years of supervised release following release from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. “Howell will serve 30 years in prison for the harm he has caused,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office remains steadfast in its commitment to seek justice for victims affected by criminal violence.” According to court documents, in April 2015, Howell was at the home of Michael Mondier, Sr. In a fit of rage, Howell stabbed Michael more than 90 times using two separate knives. After brutally killing Michael, Howell took Michael’s vehicle and several valuable possessions. Howell is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and Creek County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Jolly and Timothy L. Faerber prosecuted the case.


title: Ohio Medical Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Health Care Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: TOLEDO – Ankita Singh, 42, formerly of Maumee, Ohio, was sentenced to 26 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, for her role in a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that defrauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicare Program. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,470,931.02, serve two years of supervised release, and pay a special assessment fee of $600. On Feb. 29, 2024, a jury found Singh guilty of six counts of health care fraud for signing false orders for orthotic braces, that patients never requested and did not need, as part of a DME scheme. Beginning in 2019, Singh worked as an independent contractor for at least two companies, to purportedly provide “telehealth services,” and was paid a fee to conduct patient consultations. The consultations never took place. Telemarketers would cold call Medicare beneficiaries and tell them that orthotic braces would be provided to them at no cost. The beneficiaries were not previously Singh’s patients and she never spoke to them. Singh never saw them in person and did not conduct a telehealth visit. The telemarketers would prepare orders with the beneficiaries’ names, Medicare numbers, and purported diagnosis to support a false diagnosis that the braces were medically necessary. Orders were then electronically sent to Singh to affix her signature and certify that she was treating the Medicare beneficiary and affirm that the brace was medically necessary. Singh signed more than 11,000 prescriptions for orthotic braces for approximately 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries with whom she had no patient-physician relationship, and frequently ordered multiple braces for each patient, without ever having examined them. As a result of Singh’s false orders, more than $8 million was billed to Medicare for orthotic devices that were not medically necessary. In all, Medicare paid approximately $4.47 million in claims for the fraudulent prescriptions that Singh signed. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Angelita Cruz Bridges for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Office of Inspector General, and the FBI. To report suspected health care fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of HHS programs, visit https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/contact/ or call 1-800-447-8477.


title: Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting To Detonate Explosive Device in Downtown Chicago

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man was sentenced today to 27 years in federal prison for attempting to detonate an explosive device at a bar in downtown Chicago. ADEL DAOUD, 30, of Hillside, Ill., attempted to detonate what he thought was a 1,000-pound car bomb at a bar in the downtown Loop neighborhood of Chicago on Sept. 14, 2012. Prior to the attack, Daoud advocated for violent jihad and expressed an interest in working with operational terrorists. He researched and created a list of potential Chicago-area targets, which included movie theaters, bars, a suburban Chicago mall, and military recruiting centers. Unbeknownst to Daoud, the explosive device at the Loop bar was inert and had been constructed by the FBI, which was investigating Daoud in an undercover capacity. Daoud was arrested outside the bar after twice attempting to detonate the purported bomb. Daoud was originally sentenced in 2019 to 16 years in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed the original sentence to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which ordered the new sentencing hearing . Today, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Daoud to 27 years in prison and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. The new sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Justice Department, and Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Tiffany Ardam of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorneys Bridget Behling and Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The attempted bombing was one of three cases against Daoud to be resolved today as part of the new sentencing order. While he was jailed for attempting to detonate the bomb, Daoud solicited his cellmate to arrange for a violent gang member to murder the FBI agent who had worked undercover to investigate Daoud. The murder-for-hire plot was not carried out, and the FBI agent was not injured. The third case against Daoud involved a violent assault on a fellow jail inmate in 2015. While incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, Daoud attacked an inmate who had drawn what Daoud felt was an insulting picture of the prophet Mohammad. The inmate suffered lacerations on his head and a bite mark on an arm.


title: Court Sentences Two California Men Caught with Approximately Five Kilograms of Fentanyl to 70 Months Imprisonment

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – On June 17, 2024, United States District Court Judge, Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Zeshan Malik Fayyaz and Lener Daneski Jairon-Solis, each to 70 months imprisonment each for Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Documents filed with the Court established that on October 8, 2022 a cooperating source, along with a Mobile County Sheriff's Deputy, acting in an undercover capacity, agreed to meet the two defendants in Mobile County to purchase 2 kilograms of fentanyl for $38,000 per kilogram. When the men arrived at the meet location, Jairon-Solis got out of the vehicle and went into the back seat of the vehicle and opened a suitcase and removed two kilograms of fentanyl in exchange for the cash. Law enforcement had arranged the cash to appear to contain $76,000 by putting $100 bills on the outside and mostly $1 bills on the inside, but in fact it was less than $10,000. During the operation law enforcement observed what appeared to be more drugs in the suitcase. The vehicle was followed from the location and later stopped by law enforcement and officers recovered an additional three kilograms of fentanyl from the vehicle as well as the undercover buy money. The defendants were planning to deliver the additional three kilograms to Pensacola, Florida. United States Attorney Sean P. Costello commended the investigators for their hard work and dedication in removing 5 kilograms of the deadly drug fentanyl from the community. Costello added that 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a lethal dose and thus this seizure surely saved many lives given the fentanyl overdose epidemic facing the nation. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Immokalee Felon Sentenced To Federal Prison For Drug And Gun Offenses

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Javier Joel Perez (46, Immokalee) to 8 years in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Perez to forfeit the firearm involved in the offense. Perez entered a guilty plea on February 21, 2024. According to court documents, during the execution of a search warrant at Perez’s residence, deputies from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office located marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine packaged for distribution in addition to a loaded firearm. Perez told deputies that the items located in his home belonged to him. Perez is a nine-time convicted felon and is therefore prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. 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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Sells Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Roy Samuel Paredes, 64, of Tucson, was sentenced by United States District Judge James A. Soto on June 24, 2024, to 235 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Paredes pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor on November 8, 2023. In the summer of 2021, Paredes, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, molested a young girl on the Tohono O’odham Nation in Sells, Arizona. The Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1914-TUC-JAS RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-098_Paredes # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: 20-Year Prison Sentence Handed Down for Fourth of July Murder

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Brandon Smith, 38, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for the July 4, 2023, death of 43-year old Charles Stanton, of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo ordered five years of supervised release and ordered him to register as a gun offender. Smith pleaded guilty to second degree murder while armed on February 4, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 4:28 p.m. on July 4, 2023, police received a 911 call for a shooting in the unit bloc of Patterson Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. Officers arrived to find Mr. Stanton lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was unconscious and not breathing. Despite all lifesaving efforts, Mr. Stanton succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:40pm. It was later determined he had sustained at least 13 gunshot wounds. During the course of the investigation, detectives viewed video surveillance footage from locations near and around the crime scene that captured the defendant’s car in the unit block of Patterson Street, NE, prior to the shooting. At the time, the victim was sitting on a bicycle on the north side of the street interacting with someone in another vehicle. The video captured Mr. Stanton riding away from that vehicle and toward the defendant's car. A short time later, the defendant exited his car where he engaged the decedent in a conversation. After a few minutes of conversation, the defendant retrieved a handgun from his pants, moved a few steps toward Mr. Stanton and, as Mr. Stanton attempted to leave on the bicycle, extended his right arm toward Mr. Stanton. The surveillance video captured Mr. Stanton falling from the bicycle, to the ground, and never getting back up. The defendant walked toward Mr. Stanton and continued to shoot the victim who remained helpless and defenseless on the ground. No weapons were found on the decedent’s person or near his body. The defendant then reentered his vehicle and left the scene. In reviewing the surveillance video, detectives were able to retrieve the license plate number on the defendant’s car which ultimately led to his identification and arrest. This case was investigated by the MPD’s Homicide Branch. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke.


title: Dixie County Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing 12 Pounds Of Methamphetamine With The Intent To Distribute

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Stephen Godbolt (50, Cross City) has pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) with the intent to distribute it. Godbolt faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 13, 2024. According to court documents, on January 31, 2024, Godbolt sold three pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. After the transaction, Godbolt was stopped by law enforcement in Dixie County. A search of his vehicle revealed approximately nine additional pounds of methamphetamine, all of which was intended for distribution. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST), and the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Court Sentences Moss Point Woman Caught with Approximately Ten Pounds of Methamphetamine to 87 Months Imprisonment

body_text: MOBILE, AL – On June 17, 2024, United States District Court Judge, Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Christian Ikenya Amir Lewis to 87 months imprisonment for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 4 kilograms of methamphetamine. Documents filed with the Court established that on January 22, 2020, officers with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force stopped a vehicle being by Lewis on Interstate 65 in Baldwin County. Pursuant to further investigation a canine gave a positive alert on the vehicle Lewis was driving. Inside the trunk of the vehicle officers found almost ten pounds of pure methamphetamine in a hidden compartment in a large speaker box. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys George F. May and John P. Hutchins III.


title: Omaha Woman Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Shelby English, 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced July 17, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for distributing methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced English to 130 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After English’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On May 24, 2023, a confidential source coordinated a controlled purchase of 111 grams of meth from English. To make the purchase, the confidential source drove to the residence at 45th block of N. 41st Street, Omaha, and entered the residence with English. Inside the residence, the confidential source and English encountered a Hispanic female later identified as codefendant, Alondra Rebolledo, who is alleged to have provided the meth to English, who then gave it to the confidential source. Forensic laboratory testing confirmed the substance as meth with a purity level of 94.2%. Rebelledo is presumed innocent and is scheduled for trial on August 20, 2024. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.


title: U.S. Attorney Secures 19 Year Sentence for Attempted Murder of Border Patrol Agent

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An El Paso man was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for attempting to murder a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a routine immigration stop in New Mexico. According to court documents, on January 5, 2023, Roberto Esquivel , 25, was pulled over by a Border Patrol agent on a rural section of New Mexico Highway 146 for a routine immigration inspection. When the agent approached the vehicle, he observed individuals inside whom he suspected of being undocumented immigrants. The agent asked Esquivel to exit the vehicle. Instead, Esquivel produced a firearm and shot the agent, striking him twice in the torso area. After shooting the agent, Esquivel fled the scene but lost control of the vehicle and rolled it multiple times. He ran from the crash site and threw the gun into the desert. Law enforcement officers subsequently apprehended Esquivel and recovered the discarded firearm. The Border Patrol agent survived the shooting, largely due to his ballistic vest. One of the passengers required airlift to a hospital but has since recovered from injuries sustained during the incident. Upon his release from prison, Esquivel will be subject to 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. McNair is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Leaders Of Methamphetamine Ring Each Receive 200-Month Prison Sentence

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—The two leaders of a large-scale methamphetamine organization have been sentenced to a combined 400 months in federal prison. Adan Mendoza, 36, of Dallas, Texas, and Brian I. Wilson, 37, of Little Rock, each received 200-month prison sentences — which equals 16 years, 8 months — from United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. Judge Moody sentenced Mendoza today, and Wilson on July 12, 2024. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentences. Wilson and Mendoza were the two lead defendants in a 20-count, nine-defendant indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on September 8, 2022. Both Wilson and Mendoza pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine. In their plea agreements, each defendant was held responsible for distribution of between 5-15 kilograms of methamphetamine, a range which carried a 10-year minimum sentence. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Moody sentenced each defendant to five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. All nine defendants have pleaded guilty in the case. In addition to the sentences handed out to Wilson and Mendoza, Judge Moody sentenced David Chad Lane, 47, of North Little Rock, to 96 months in prison, and Samuel L. Johnson, 37, of Little Rock, to 65 months in prison. Judge Moody will sentence the remaining defendants at a later date. In this case, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a methamphetamine trafficking ring in central Arkansas in late 2021. The ring was headed locally Wilson, and supplied by Mendoza, out of Dallas. Wilson acquired methamphetamine from Mendoza in Texas and either personally transported it by car, or had associates transport it for him, to central Arkansas weekly. Wilson and others then distributed the methamphetamine to numerous people in Arkansas. On two different occasions, the DEA used a confidential informant to purchase a kilogram of methamphetamine directly from Wilson. Also, in February 2022, the DEA seized approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of cocaine from Wilson following a traffic stop when Wilson was returning from a trip to Dallas. Mendoza is also implicated in a separate federal conspiracy in Texas that began in 2019. While DEA was conducting surveillance on Mendoza in Dallas, agents observed Wilson meeting with him. During additional surveillance operations in Dallas, DEA agents observed an associate of Wilson (co-defendant Michael Odom) arrive at Mendoza’s house in a Corvette, meet with Mendoza, and then leave with a large bag. Following a high-speed chase with police, local law enforcement eventually arrested Odom and recovered 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine that Odom received from Mendoza. The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with assistance from the Arkansas State Police, North Little Rock Police Department, Little Rock Police Department, Lonoke Sheriff’s Office, and Arkansas Community Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Guilty Plea in Gallup Armed Robbery Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Gamerco woman pleaded guilty in federal court to robbery and federal firearms charges arising from her role in the armed robbery of a Gallup insurance company in 2021. According to publicly available court documents, on December 4, 2021, Amber Yazzie , 29, entered an insurance company in Gallup, New Mexico, with two of her co-defendants, while a fourth co-defendant, waited outside in a vehicle. Yazzie brandished a firearm, yelled at the employees to turn over money, and threatened them before firing the gun into the ceiling. Following the robbery, Yazzie and her co-defendants traveled to Albuquerque, where they used some of the stolen funds for a shopping spree at a local mall. Law enforcement later recovered receipts and surveillance footage documenting these purchases. At sentencing, Yazzie faces not less than ten years and up to life in prison. Upon her release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, the Navajo Nation Police Department, the Gallup Police Department and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Queens, New York Man Appears on Federal Drug Charge

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Jamonty Brister, 29, of Queens, New York, appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington on a complaint charging him with a federal drug offense. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered that Brister be detained without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled at this time. According to the criminal complaint filed on July 18, 2024, in June 2024, Burlington Police Department drug investigators and DEA Task Force officers made three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brister utilizing a confidential source. Earlier this week, officers obtained a state court warrant to search the Burlington residence where Brister had been living. They executed the warrant on the morning of July 17 and arrested Brister, who was alone in a locked bedroom. During the search of Brister’s bedroom, officers recovered about 900 grams of cocaine base, about 130 grams of fentanyl, about $10,000 in cash, and a handgun. The complaint charges Brister with possessing the seized narcotics with intent to distribute. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the complaint are accusations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. If convicted, Brister faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. This case was investigated by the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Brister is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Jury Convicts Phoenix Man of Assault on a Federal Officer and Alien Smuggling

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Leroy Witt, 55, of Phoenix, was convicted by a federal jury last week of Assault on a Federal Officer Causing Bodily Injury, Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. The jury also found that Witt placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to his alien smuggling offenses. The guilty verdicts came after a three-day trial before United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker. Witt’s sentencing is set for October 8, 2024. On February 20, 2023, a U.S. Border Patrol agent stopped Witt near Sonoita, on suspicion that Witt was transporting undocumented noncitizens. After Witt stopped and tried to wave the agent past him, the agent approached the driver’s side window and told Witt to turn off the vehicle. Witt did not comply with the agent’s instruction so the agent attempted to turn off the engine by reaching through the window. Witt then hit the gas pedal, leaving the agent hanging from the car window. The acceleration caused the agent to be dragged alongside the vehicle as it veered into the oncoming lane of traffic. The agent was able to turn the vehicle off and bring it to a stop on the opposite side of the road. In the backseat of the vehicle, Witt had concealed two undocumented noncitizens who were being illegally transported further into the United States. Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer H. Berman and Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00389-TUC-JCH RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-099_Witt # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Singer Sean Kingston and his Mother Charged with Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Kisean Anderson a/k/a “Sean Kingston,” 34, and Janice Turner, 61, both from Southwest Ranches, FL, made their first appearance in federal court to face conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges stemming from their involvement in a scheme to defraud victim sellers of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry, and other goods purchased by the defendants through the use of fraudulent documents. A grand jury sitting in Miami, Florida charged Anderson and Turner each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and five counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison on each count. According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers as payment for vehicles, jewelry, and other goods purchased by the defendants, when in fact no such bank wire or other monetary payment transfers had been executed by the purported banks, and thereafter the defendants retained or attempted to retain the vehicles, jewelry and other goods despite non-payment. Through the execution of this scheme, the defendants obtained in excess of $1 million in property. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros, United States Secret Service, Miami Field Office; and Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement. The United States Secret Service and the Broward Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton and Trevor Jones. An indictment and criminal complaint contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-60126. ###


title: Washington County Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Washington County man was sentenced on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to 240 months in federal prison for producing child pornography. According to public court documents, witnesses notified the Washington County Sheriff’s Office that Trevor Devon Miller, 23, produced a video of himself with a minor female engaged in sexual activity. That video was sent by Miller via Snapchat to other minors. Investigators recovered a copy of the video and confronted Miller who admitted he produced and distributed the video. Investigators also discovered that Miller had produced a similar video with another minor female. After completing his term of imprisonment, Miller will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Miller will be required to register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 . For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.


title: Lackawanna County Man Charged with Committing over $1,500,000 in COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that James G. Miller, Jr., age 53, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with wire fraud. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Miller and his coconspirators fraudulently obtained in excess of $1,500,000 by filing fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, Lost Wage Assistance (LWA) payments, and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PUA, LWA, and PPP applications allegedly submitted by Miller and his confederates were filed in the names of victims of identity theft, and bore false representations. For instance, the PUA applications contained false information about the identity theft victims’ demographics, employment statuses, and availability to work. Likewise, the PPP applications were filed on behalf of fabricated businesses, and bore false financial information and forged federal tax documentation. The PUA program was created by the March 2020 CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits. The LWA program was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pursuant to the President’s authority under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. LWA payments were designed to supplement unemployment payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP program, funded by the CARES Act, was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. Today, James G. Miller, Jr. is being held accountable for stealing over $1.5 million from three different COVID relief funds,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “Congress set these funds aside to help people and businesses survive the pandemic of 2020 and 2021, not for Mr. Miller and his coconspirators’ personal profit. The Postal Inspection Service has a long history investigating fraud schemes and will continue to do so to protect the American people. I want to thank the special agents of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General for partnering with us on this investigation. I also want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office in Scranton, PA for supporting the investigation and 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. "The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D, said, "Exploiting pandemic relief programs for personal enrichment is unconscionable. DHS OIG will continue to prioritize these investigations, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will hold these individuals accountable for their actions." The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalties under federal law for the charge of wire fraud is 20 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. Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: San Francisco Man Sentenced To 11 Years For Shooting At U.S. Postal Worker

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Vo Nguyen was sentenced yesterday to 132 months in prison for assault on a federal employee with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in the course of the assault, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and United States Postal Inspection Service, San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge William H. Orrick. Nguyen, 38, a resident of San Francisco, pleaded guilty on May 2, 2024. According to his plea agreement, a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, engaged in mail delivery and dressed in a postal uniform, was delivering mail to Nguyen’s residence on April 1, 2023. Nguyen came out of the house and yelled at the USPS employee, who Nguyen did not know. Nguyen admitted he aggressively approached the USPS employee and acted like he wanted to fight. The USPS employee backed up, then turned and ran. The USPS employee fled a couple of houses away but Nguyen followed, and the USPS employee pepper sprayed Nguyen. Nguyen admitted he then went home, grabbed a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, got into his car, and went looking for the USPS employee. Nguyen admitted that he shortly found the USPS employee and fired approximately five to six shots at him. Nguyen stated he paused briefly, then fired approximately five more shots at the USPS employee who was then running away. The USPS employee ran in the opposite direction that Nguyen was driving, so Nguyen made a U-turn and again drove towards the USPS employee. Nguyen stopped in front of a parked SUV that the USPS employee had crouched behind to hide. Nguyen saw the USPS employee and fired three more shots at the USPS employee. Nguyen drove away briefly before returning and chasing the USPS employee on foot until the USPS employee pepper sprayed him again. A federal grand jury indicted Nguyen on May 2, 2023. He was charged with, among other charges, assault upon a federal employee with a deadly or dangerous weapon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a) and (b), and discharging a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). He pleaded guilty to both of these charges. Nguyen has remained in custody since his arrest on April 1, 2023. In addition to the 132 month term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Orrick further sentenced the defendant to a three year period of supervision following his release from prison and scheduled a hearing on October 10, 2024, to determine the amount of restitution to be paid by the defendant. Kelsey Davidson is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Marina Ponomarchuk, and Victim Specialist Janice Pagsanjan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the San Francisco Police Department.


title: Member Of Violent Online Child Pornography Network Pleads Guilty To Sexually Exploiting A Child

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore (a/k/a “Rabid”), Of Kaleva, Is A Member of 764, A Decentralized Network Of Online Groups That Target Children To Engage In Violent Self-Harm And Pornographic Activity GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore, 47, of Kaleva, known by his online alias “Rabid,” pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child. Sexual exploitation of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. “The guilty plea of Richard Densmore is an important step forward in our efforts to protect kids from the rising threat of sadistic online predators,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “This case is a flashing red light to the dangers of devices. Parents, guardians, and users can protect themselves and their loved ones, but they have to be aware and they have to act.” As part of his guilty plea, Densmore admitted that in September 2022, as “Rabid#7997” on the social media platform Discord, he sent another user, a minor, a form of Discord currency (Nitro) to persuade her to send a picture of her chest area with “Rabid” written on them. When the minor expressed reservations about sending the picture, Densmore contacted another Discord user with whom the minor had an online relationship and told that user to get a nude photo of the minor with “Rabid” written on her chest. Densmore also sent that user Nitro to persuade him to get the requested image. Densmore’s efforts were successful and the minor, whom the other Discord user persuaded to send sexually explicit content, sent Densmore and that user a nude video of herself with “Rabid” written on her chest. Evidence presented at a February 2024 detention hearing in this case established that Densmore operated online servers (including “Sewer”) as part of a decentralized network, known as 764, that targets, induces, and extorts children into engaging in violent acts, self-harm, and sexually explicit activities. The evidence at Densmore’s detention hearing revealed that, in addition to the prepubescent child pornography that Densmore collected, for which he was charged in the indictment, Densmore kept violent images and videos on his phones, including images of people cutting symbols and names into their skin. The evidence established that after Densmore’s phones were seized in an initial search warrant, Densmore continued to collect such material on new devices, including a photo with a bloody “R” carved into a person’s skin. The FBI issued a public service announcement regarding these groups in September 2023. The Washington Post and Wired.com also published articles in March 2024 that describe a coordinated journalistic investigation into the groups’ activities. According to the FBI announcement, 764 and its affiliated groups target minors; particularly, marginalized children and children experiencing mental health challenges. Prospective members gain access to associated online platforms by livestreaming or uploading videos of minor victims engaging in self-harm and sexually explicit conduct, among other things. Group members use that content to extort additional self-harm and sexually explicit content from victims. “It’s frightening that individuals like Mr. Densmore seek access to our children through online platforms to exploit for gratification sexually,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We must educate and equip our children and parents with the resources to navigate the internet cautiously, thus reducing the risk of child exploitation activities like this from occurring again. It is a priority of the FBI to prevent predators like Mr. Densmore from victimizing our most innocent and impressionable youth. This plea should warn others that we will continue working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to rid our communities of predators and safeguard our children.” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten reiterated that parents should look for unexpected packages, as members of these abuse and extortion networks are known to send children razor blades, sexual devices, and other materials to use in creating online content. The FBI further advised the public to take a number of precautionary steps, including: Looking for fresh cuts, bruises, wounds, and scars in unusual patterns; Looking for sudden behavior and appearance changes; Being attentive to children wearing long sleeves or pants in unusual circumstances; Monitoring children’s online activity and discussing the risks of sharing information and content; and Running frequent online searches of family and children’s information to help identify and prevent the spread of personal information on the internet. If you are worried about someone who might be self-harming or is at risk of suicide, please consult a health care professional or call 9-1-1 in the event of an immediate, life-threatening emergency. The FBI is investigating this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend is prosecuting it. ###


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to Seven Consecutive Life Sentences for the Murder of Three People including a Federal Witness

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christopher Van Johnson, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to 7 consecutive life sentences for his role in the June 25, 2016 murders of three individuals in Mercersburg, Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. The sentence was imposed by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, who also sentenced to concurrent 10, 20, and 30-year terms of imprisonment on companion robbery, firearms, and conspiracy charges. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Johnson’s conviction was the result of a seven-year investigation into three murders that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County. When Pennsylvania State Police officers were called to the scene, they found the bodies of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, in a barn on victim Jackson’s property. All were shot. The three victims had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head. Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the back of her neck. Wendy Chaney and Brandon Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Phillip Jackson was transported to York Hospital where he died shortly after arrival. The evidence previously presented at the guilty plea proceeding on November 21, 2019, established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with co-defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operations. Co-defendant Kenyatta Corbett was likewise a heroin trafficker in Hagerstown and areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Corbett, Coles, White and co-defendant Devin Dickerson learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Corbett, and co-defendant Jerell Adgebesan who worked for Corbett recruited Johnson, who was a member of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family (BGF), and other members of BGF from Baltimore, to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. Adgebesan knew these individuals from Baltimore. Johnson and the killers were promised that they could take as payment for Chaney’s murder $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. The victims had their hands bound behind their backs with zip-ties. Chaney and Cole were shot execution style and their bodies set on fire. Jackson was shot when he charged Johnson and was likewise set on fire although he was still alive. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Corbett, Coles, White, Dickerson, and others. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms. The following individuals were charged along with Corbett as a result of the investigation: Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment; Torey White, age 32, Waynesboro, PA, was convicted by a federal jury in May of 2023 of three counts of first-degree murder and his case is on appeal; Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing; Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment; Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment; Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness; Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness; Kenyatta Corbett, age 41, Hagerstown and Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment; Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment; Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing; Kevin Coles, age 36, of New York, NY and Hagerstown, Maryland, was found guilty in April 2022 of multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking, and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences; Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, Md, indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial, recently pled guilty before Judge Conner and is awaiting sentencing; Joshua Davis, age 30, pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders and was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment. The following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation: Drug Enforcement Administration Harrisburg Resident Office; Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg; Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H; Franklin County Drug Task Force; Franklin County Adult Probation; Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole; Hagerstown Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division; Drug Enforcement Administration, Hagerstown Resident Office; Washington County Narcotics Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office, Strike Force Group 1; Maryland State Police Homicide Unit; Baltimore Police Department Narcotics, Fugitive And Homicide Units; Baltimore County Police Department Narcotics and Gang Unit; Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Management Unit, Quantico, VA; US Marshal’s Service Harrisburg, PA and Phoenix, AZ; Franklin County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Office, District Of Maryland; and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office. Judy Fernandez, Manager of Analytic Services at LexisNexis Special Services, Inc., (LNSSI) provided expert assistance to investigators and the prosecutors in the areas of analysis, support, and the rendering of her expert opinion. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses. This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identified as “Retribution for Welsh Run”. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. # # #


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to firing gun shots at current Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 campaign. According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 23, of Louisville, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office, where Greenberg was having a meeting with four staffers. Brown fired multiple shots at Greenberg before staffers were able to close and barricade the door. Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm that he had used in the shooting in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he shot at Greenberg because Greenberg was running for mayor. Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 18 years and one month in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division made the announcement. The FBI Louisville Field Office, ATF Louisville Division, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.


title: Orangeburg Man Sentenced To 7 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Chad Lavell Williams, Jr., 30, of Orangeburg, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and dipentylone. On Feb. 25, 2023, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with a defective taillight. Williams provided a fake name when asked for identification. Officers subsequently deployed a drug detection dog in the vicinity of the car and after a positive K9 alert, searched the vehicle. The search resulted in the recovery of a Glock 22 pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, and an extended magazine. Machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “Glock Switches,” allow Glock pistols to function as fully automatic machineguns. The Glock was found in a bookbag along with Williams’ South Carolina ID, ammunition, brass knuckles, and plastic bags of methamphetamine and dipentylone intended for distribution. Post-Miranda, Williams admitted the gun and drugs belonged to him. Federal law prohibits Williams from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior convictions for strong arm robbery, grand larceny, burglary 3 rd degree, and burglary 2 nd degree. he also has a pending charge for burglary 1 st degree. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Williams to 84 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted as 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana N. Gore is prosecuting the case. ###


title: North Chesterfield drug trafficker returning to prison for 15 years for drug trafficking and firearms convictions

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

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A North Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, in 2020, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Richmond and Petersburg areas. Law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin from conspirators who were charged and convicted of narcotics trafficking. Those conspirators, and others, identified Curtis James Dickerson, 55, as the narcotics supplier for the organization. Dickerson was the leader of this large-scale drug trafficking organization and was responsible for conspiring to distribute and distributing 40 kilograms of heroin, 40 kilograms of fentanyl, and 10 kilograms of cocaine in the two-years leading up to his arrest. He also maintained premises for drug packaging and distribution. In September 2022, investigators searched one of Dickerson’s residences. In addition to finding distribution quantities of fentanyl and heroin, investigators recovered industrial mixers with cocaine residue, digital scales, money counters, respirators that are worn while packaging fentanyl, a hydraulic press used to repackage narcotics, gloves with fentanyl residue, seven cellphones, a satellite phone, jewelry, and multiple high-end vehicles. Investigators also recovered a .223 caliber semiautomatic handgun along with two 30-round magazines, a 45-round magazine, and assorted ammunition from a safe hidden inside a wall in Dickerson’s bedroom. Dickerson has two prior drug trafficking convictions, including a prior federal conviction in the Eastern District of Virginia for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, Dickerson cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. The Virginia State Police assisted in the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea and Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-37.


title: Pain Management Physician and Former Member of Kentucky’s Medical Board Convicted of Unlawfully Prescribing Opioids

body_text: A federal judge convicted a medical doctor and former member of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) today for unlawfully distributing opioids. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML. In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances. However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients. Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher. Fletcher was convicted of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joseph Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement. The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Natalie Kanerva of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to firing gun shots at current Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 campaign. According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 23, of Louisville, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office, where Greenberg was having a meeting with four staffers. Brown fired multiple shots at Greenberg before staffers were able to close and barricade the door. Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm that he had used in the shooting in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he shot at Greenberg because Greenberg was running for mayor. Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 18 years and one month in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division made the announcement. The FBI Louisville Field Office, ATF Louisville Division, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately. xxx


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Smuggling Goods into Mexico

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national who had been living in Houston was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 51 months in prison for smuggling firearms and other goods from the United States into Mexico. According to court documents, Gustavo Belmudez-Ramirez, 36, gave negative declarations for weapons, ammunition, and currency over $10,000 while attempting to drive through the Del Rio Port of Entry into Mexico Oct. 20, 2021. Customs and Border Protection officers searched his vehicle and the attached trailer, revealing two rifles and a revolver, as well as rifle magazines, scopes, bipods and $10,319 in undeclared cash. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case. ###


title: Former Detroit Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges and is Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – On July 18, 2024, a former resident of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Court Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Andrew Brent Steel, 33. According to evidence presented during a prior hearing, federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County conducted a joint investigation into a drug trafficking organization from Detroit, Michigan, that was distributing controlled substances in and around Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Several controlled purchase operations revealed that drug customers would call a cellular telephone to purchase drugs. After negotiating the sale, the dealer would direct customers to one of several drug runners from apartments in Ambridge or New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Law enforcement identified the members of the conspiracy through the interception of members transporting controlled substances from Detroit into Beaver County, in addition to controlled purchase operations. In total, law enforcement seized 130 grams of acetyl fentanyl, 330 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture, and 200 grams of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack. At the time of Steel’s arrest, he was found in possession of the cellular phone used in all controlled purchase operations. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Steel and his conspirators.


title: West Mifflin Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearm Charges

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – On July 18, 2024, a resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 27 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release, on his convictions for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Marcus Valenzi, 35. According to information presented to the court, between August 2022 and November 2023, federal and state law enforcement conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating within the Western District of Pennsylvania. The investigation identified Valenzi as a member of the conspiracy, and federal search warrants executed upon residences used by the conspirators in McKees Rocks, PA, resulted in the seizure of fentanyl, firearms, and cellular phones. A subsequent federal search warrant executed upon Valenzi’s residence resulted in the seizure of over $16,000, multiple cellular phones, and xylazine, a dangerous substance used as a cutting agent for fentanyl. A search of Valenzi’s phones revealed communications with a drug customer, who requested the return of his firearm. Valenzi responded that he threw the gun in the river after the “fed raided that house in rocks.” At the time Valenzi possessed his drug customer’s firearm, he had been convicted in Florida of robbery, a felony. Under federal law, felons are prohibited from the possession of firearms and ammunition. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pennsylvania State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Valenzi.


title: Former Kissimmee Police Officer Arrested For Knowingly Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Dariel Javier Quiles-Davila (25, Kissimmee) pursuant to a criminal complaint charging him with knowingly receiving child sex abuse material. If convicted, Quiles-Davila faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. According to court documents, Quiles-Davila was an officer with the Kissimmee Police Department in October 2023. At that time, Quiles-Davila met a child victim while on duty. After receiving the child victim’s contact information, Quiles-Davila began to communicate directly with the child victim, sent the child victim money, and solicited and received sexually explicit photographs and videos of the child-victim. Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland stated, “Our Department is aware of the charges and arrest and we are cooperating fully with the Department of Justice.” A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal offense, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (“CEOS”), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Sextorting Numerous Minors

body_text: A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police. Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement. The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance. Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andolyn R. Johnson for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 .


title: Federal Jury Convicts Mississippi Man of Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A federal jury convicted a Harrison County man for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, George Wesley Washington, Jr., 32, was found to be in possession of over 2 kilograms of methamphetamine on March 16, 2023. Further investigation revealed that Washington had been engaged in drug trafficking activity for at least 16 months prior to the March 16 th incident. Evidence related to both counts was presented to the jury, who found Washington guilty on both counts of his indictment. Washington will be sentenced on October 24, 2024 and faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life 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 Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Meynardie and Erica Rose prosecuted the case.


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced For Sextorting Numerous Minors

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO - A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police. Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement. The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance. ###


title: Casper man arraigned for transportation of a minor, pleads not guilty

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: James Warren Martin, 38, of Casper, Wyoming, was arraigned on July 19, for transportation of a minor, in violation of federal law. Martin pleaded not guilty. A trial has been set for Sept. 23, 2024, before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl. The State of Wyoming has also charged Martin with 17 felonies, including numerous allegations of sexual assault of a minor and sexual exploitation of children. These counts stem from assaults allegedly perpetrated upon the same victim as in this case. As indicated by a notice filed by the Natrona County District Attorney’s office in the state case, the state and federal prosecutions are proceeding in tandem. If convicted, Martin faces 10 years to life imprisonment with five years to life of supervised release and up to a $5,000 assessment for Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This crime is being investigated by the FBI, Casper Police Department and the La Paz County Arizona Sheriff’s Office. The case is being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold. An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Case No. 23-CR-00005


title: Informational: Federal Court arraignments

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt: Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on July 18 was: Michael James Merzlak, 37, of Butte, on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Merzlak faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years to life of supervised release. Merzlak was detained pending further proceedings. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Forensic Science Division and Idaho State Police conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-19. Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on July 16 was: Kadin Hawkeye Lewis, 22, of Pray, on charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lewis faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Lewis was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Park County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-143. Kristopher Mikal Wright, 36, of Cody, Wyoming, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, assault on a federal officer, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serous crime, Wright faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release on the conspiracy charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the charge of possessing a firearm in a drug trafficking crime. Wright was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-93. Jessie Craig Iverson, 37, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Iverson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the charge of possessing a firearm charge. Iverson was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-90. Lindsey Whitewolf, 35, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Whitewolf faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Whitewolf was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Inspection and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-34. Jacob Charles Berger, 27, of Billings, on charges of possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm while under indictment and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Berger faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Berger was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-82. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl . XXX


title: Randolph postal employee charged with stealing gift cards from the mail

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Melissa Olson, 45, of Randolph, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with theft of mail by officer or employee, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated Olson was hired by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 2020 as a rural carrier associate assigned to the Randolph Post Office. According to the complaint, in May 2023, the USPS Office of Inspector General received information that a $200.00 Visa gift card was stolen from the mail. At the time, USPS management believed Olson could be involved in the theft of the card, which was used at retail locations in the Randolph area. Subsequent investigation determined that Olson did in fact use the gift card to make purchases at the retail locations. The complaint further states that in June 2023, Olson stole Walmart and Target gift cards included in a greeting card sent through the mail. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge Northeast Field Office. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.


title: Jamestown man arrested on multiple drug and gun charges

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Richard Pearson, 47, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute acetyl fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and aiding and abetting. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, late in the evening on June 25, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant on Newland Avenue in Jamestown, during which Pearson was present. During the search, they seized suboxone strips, $200 in cash, a digital scale, quantities of acetyl fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm and ammunition. Pearson was previously convicted of three felony crimes and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Leader of Lockport drug trafficking organization going to prison

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Bruno J. Haney, II, 35, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, heroin, fentanyl, and butyryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 184 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between April 2017 and March 2019, Haney organized and led a drug trafficking organization. In June 2017, the Niagara County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Haney’s residence, during which investigators seized several bags containing butyryl fentanyl, hydrocodone, acetaminophen, and alprazolam pills, $515 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. In January 2019, Haney was arrested, and a search warrant was executed at a second residence. During that search, investigators recovered quantities of fentanyl, a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, marijuana, $978 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. In February 2019, Haney was released from custody on various conditions, which included that he not commit any offense in violation of federal, state, or local law. On March 7, 2019, another search warrant was executed at Haney’s residence, during which a bag containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, $373 in cash, and a digital scale were recovered. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Drug Task Force and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott. Additional assistance was provided by the Niagara County and Orleans County District Attorneys Offices. # # # #