title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to over 14 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, IA – On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, a Des Moines man was sentenced to 170 months in prison for his role in a fentanyl conspiracy and his possession of several firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking. According to court documents, Jacquone Karrie Ford, also known as Antwon, 41, distributed a heroin-fentanyl mixture throughout the Des Moines area dating back to summer 2021. Law enforcement knew Ford utilized two residences, one of which operated as an in-home daycare, and a storage unit to facilitate his drug dealing. During an April 2022 search warrant at one residence, Ford was found in possession of over $75,000 and two firearms. At the other residence, officers found Ford’s co-defendant, Edgar Riley, and a firearm. In Ford’s storage unit, officers seized over six pounds of fentanyl and seven firearms, two of which were stolen. Following his prison sentence, Ford will serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. In February 2023, Riley, 43 of Jefferson, Missouri, was sentenced to a 36-month term of imprisonment following his plea to conspiracy to distribute heroin. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE).


title: Mebane Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar  Commercial Leasing Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Mebane man pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a $20 million dollar leasing fraud scheme. Dan Raymond, an owner and operator of multiple computer equipment and small business financial consulting companies had a role brokering fraudulent lease deals valued at more than $20 million dollars with 25 victim financers. Raymond pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced later this year. “Federal law enforcement specializes in unraveling complex financial frauds like this one, where a computer equipment supplier bilked financiers for millions in a scheme that lasted years,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The Research Triangle is a hub for tech and innovation. We are ramping up white collar fraud enforcement to ensure fraudsters who take advantage of our booming tech sector are held accountable.” According to court documents and information presented in court, from March 2016 to January 2022, while he was living in Cary, Raymond executed a scheme to defraud financing companies in connection with computer equipment lease deals. The targets of Raymond’s scheme were financing companies who offered small to medium-sized businesses (“customers”) financing and secured leases for computer servers and other computer equipment. Under these leasing programs, financers paid for and took title to the equipment and then in turn leased it to the customers for a fixed term. Financers entered into agreements with brokers who, for a fee, could bring potential equipment leasing opportunities to the financers for evaluation and approval. As a third-party independent financing source, financers did not manufacture or supply the computer equipment. Instead, the brokers, like Raymond, arranged for the purchase and delivery of the equipment to the customers, who then leased that equipment from the financers. Raymond targeted financially-distressed small business customers throughout the country and offered them leases for computer equipment. Typically, the customers Raymond targeted were seeking a cash infusion for operating expenses and had no immediate needs for computer equipment. Nonetheless, Raymond enticed customers by offering lease deals that included large cash rebates and long-term payback options. Raymond falsely assured customers that this was a common and legitimate practice, and that they could always sell the computer equipment if they chose to. The cash rebates and payback options offered by Raymond were not known to or approved by the financers. Raymond executed the lease agreements with the customers and then submitted the leases and invoices to a financer. If approved, the financer paid Raymond a lump sum payment which was intended to represent the cost of the computer equipment to be supplied by Raymond, plus a small fee to be retained by Raymond as profit. After the leases were signed and approved by the financer, Raymond instructed the customers to falsify documents representing that the computer equipment was delivered, installed and working properly at their business locations when, in fact, no equipment had been delivered or installed. These false declarations enabled Raymond to be paid by the financer. After Raymond obtained payment from the financers, he wired the cash rebates to the customers from his business checking account. Raymond sometimes did ship computer equipment to the customers. However, whereas the leases called for name brand computer servers and hardware valued between $30,000 - $100,000, Raymond sent generic computer parts valued at $50 - $3,500. Raymond’s was affiliated with businesses, including Integrity IT Solutions, Inc. (“IITS”), Logos Consulting, LLC (“Logos”), Lendberry Corp. (“Lendberry”), US Server Supply (“USSS”), Online Concepts Inc. (“OC”), Referral Marketing Services (“RMS”), Sandriver Group, Inc. (“Sandriver”), Business Repair Consultants (“BRC”), and Buyback Funders, LLC (“Buyback”). Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-96-BO.


title: Savage Life Boys Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms Charge

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on Monday, April 24, 2023, to 60 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms. In December 2021, law enforcement identified Milton Lee Howard, Jr., 21, after conducting surveillance at a residence in Davenport. Howard had an active arrest warrant for escape. Howard, a Savage Life Boys gang member, and four additional Savage Life Boys members left that residence in a vehicle, which law enforcement followed to a gas station. Law enforcement blocked the vehicle in, detained the occupants, searched the vehicle, and arrested Howard. Four firearms, an extended magazine, marijuana, and four cell phones were located inside the vehicle. A forensic examination was performed on the seized phones, as well as on the vehicle occupants’ social media accounts. The examination revealed photographs and videos of Howard and other gang members displaying firearms, including two firearms seized from the vehicle. At the time of his arrest, Howard knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his status as a felon. Following his prison term, Howard must also serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Ammunitions Charge

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Chicago, Illinois man was sentenced on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, to 92 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. On October 13, 2020, law enforcement identified Michael Jermaine Hambrick, 38, after responding to a burglary and domestic assault call at a residence in Davenport. Officers had served Hambrick with a No Contact Order earlier, which prohibited him from having contact with a female resident, his former significant other. Hambrick previously entered the residence and stole the female’s firearm and magazines. Late that night, he broke into the residence, struck the female in the face with the firearm, and fled. Once Hambrick left, the female found one of her firearm magazines on the floor, which had Hambrick’s fingerprints on it. Law enforcement also located Hambrick’s vehicle nearby, which contained a second magazine to the female’s firearm. As a convicted felon, Hambrick knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms. Following his prison term, Hambrick was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.


title: Peoria Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Methamphetamine

component: Department of Justice

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Demetrice L. Sharp, 39, of the 1500 block of West Candletree Drive, was sentenced on April 26, 2023, to 200 months in prison for each of four counts related to trafficking methamphetamine: one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 450 grams or more of methamphetamine. The sentences will be served concurrently and will be followed by an eight-year term of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence that Sharp and Lashonda Patterson conspired to distribute methamphetamine during the spring of 2022. As a part of the conspiracy, they sold methamphetamine on two occasions in April 2022. For the first sale, Sharp provided 55.85 grams of methamphetamine. For the second, Patterson provided 112.7 grams of methamphetamine. Both deliveries were 100% pure methamphetamine. In June 2022, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents obtained a search warrant for the apartment that Sharp and Patterson shared. When agents searched the apartment, they found a bag containing 298.6 grams of methamphetamine in the master bathroom. The substance was 97% pure methamphetamine. The distribution from the sales and search warrant totaled 467.15 grams of methamphetamine. A complaint was issued that same month, and Sharp and Patterson were arrested on federal warrants. They were indicted later in June, and Sharp pleaded guilty in October 2022. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest. Patterson also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and she will be sentenced at a later date. The statutory penalties for each of the four counts are 10 years to life imprisonment, followed by five-year to life term of supervised release. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and Western Illinois Transnational Organized Crime Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from the Peoria Police Department, Monmouth Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Galesburg Police Department, East Moline Police Department, Illinois State Police, and U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States in the prosecution.


title: Jackson Lobbyist Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud Investors

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – Jackson lobbyist Ted Brent Alexander pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to defraud investors in a timber deed investment scheme, announced United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Jackson Field Office. Alexander, 57, of Jackson, Mississippi, pled guilty yesterday afternoon before United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to a Criminal Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Alexander admitted that between 2011 and 2018, he and a co-conspirator participated in a scheme to defraud investors by soliciting millions of dollars under false pretenses and failing to use investor funds as promised. Alexander and his co-conspirator represented to investors that they were in the business of loaning funds to a “timber broker” to buy timber rights from landowners and then to sell the timber rights to lumber mills at a higher price. Alexander and his co-conspirator promised investors a return of 10% or more over twelve or thirteen months on each unit of invested capital. Alexander and his co-conspirator represented to their investors and led their investors to believe that Alexander and his co-conspirator were inspecting each tract of land and were vetting each document, deed, and contract in support of their investments. These promises and representations were material in that they were intended to cause investors to believe that their investments were secured by valid assets and to believe that the financial incentives and interests of Alexander and his co-conspirator aligned with those of the investors. In fact, Alexander and his co-conspirator failed to inspect each property related to the timber rights underlying each investment, and they failed to verify each executed lumber mill agreement related to each investment. Alexander and his co-conspirator made few or no such inquiries, and if Alexander and his co-conspirator had made such inquiries, they would have discovered that the timber deeds, lumber mill agreements, and related documents had been falsified and were not valid. Alexander and his co-conspirator also represented to their investors that Alexander and his co-conspirator would only profit from each series of the investment if it performed as promised to the investors. This gave the investors the misleading impression that their interests were fully aligned with those of Alexander and his co-conspirator. In fact, in addition to receiving a predetermined percentage of return on the investors’ funds, Alexander and his co-conspirator also received undisclosed payments of approximately 3% for recruiting investments to the timber investment scheme immediately upon transferring the investment funds to the purported timber broker. Alexander and his co-conspirator did not disclose to the investors: (a) the fact of these payments, or (b) the amount of the payments in relation to the investments made, or (c) the timing of the undisclosed payments to Alexander and his co-conspirator before any repayment was made to the investors. Alexander will be sentenced on August 21, 2023, before Judge Reeves. Alexander faces a maximum sentence of up to 5 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Restitution is mandatory under federal law. This guilty plea resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Dave Fulcher. ###


title: Fouad K. Zeton Pleads Guilty to Federal Conspiracy for Role in Insurance Fraud and Bribery Scheme

body_text: NEW ORLEANS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced the guilty plea of FOUAD K. ZETON for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. ZETON admitted that he falsely claimed to his home insurer that valuable paintings were stolen from his New Orleans home. ZETON also admitted that he was aided in the scheme by a New Orleans Police Department officer who agreed to document the purported theft in a police report in exchange for a share of the anticipated proceeds. Conspiracy is punishable by up to five years imprisonment followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled before Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown on August 17, 2023. This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Serve 12 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – The United States Attorney's Office announced that Darwin L. Craig, 34, of Charleston, Missouri, was sentenced to serve 12 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Craig appeared for his sentencing hearing Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. According to court documents, Craig made arrangements to sell approximately five ounces of methamphetamine to an individual in Charleston last May. Craig met the individual and provided the methamphetamine in exchange for $1,200 in cash. Unbeknownst to Craig at the time, however, the individual was an undercover agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). At his guilty plea hearing earlier this year, Craig admitted that he knowingly distributed the methamphetamine. After serving his 12-year sentence, Craig will be placed on supervised release for a period of three years. This case was investigated by the DEA and the SEMO Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.


title: Rio Rancho Man Charged with Possession of Destructive Devices

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

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, announced today that Peter Ryan Lynch was charged with receipt or possession of a destructive device. Lynch, 46, of Rio Rancho, appeared in federal court today for a detention hearing and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to a criminal complaint, on April 20, 2023, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a warrant authorizing the search of the residence of Lynch for receiving firearms silencers mailed from China. While clearing the residence, HSI agents located four “pipe bombs,” materials for building pipe bombs, a shotgun, corresponding ammunition, a ballistics vest and several inert grenades. Inert grenades are often sold as collectors’ items with a hole drilled into the end and the internal components removed. At least one of the grenades recovered at the residence appeared ready to load with a propellant. At the time the warrant was executed, agents determined that one of the pipe bombs was functional and capable of detonation. The other three pipe bombs consisted of two smaller PVC pipes with end caps, and one larger metal pipe fitted with end caps and a fuse. A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lynch faces up to 10 years in prison. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jon K. Stanford is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-91


body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Francisco B. Burrola, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, announced today that Peter Ryan Lynch was charged with receipt or possession of a destructive device. Lynch, 46, of Rio Rancho, appeared in federal court for a detention hearing and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to a criminal complaint, on April 20, 2023, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a warrant authorizing the search of the residence of Lynch for receiving firearms silencers mailed from China. While clearing the residence, HSI agents located four “pipe bombs,” materials for building pipe bombs, a shotgun, corresponding ammunition, a ballistics vest and several inert grenades. Inert grenades are often sold as collectors’ items with a hole drilled into the end and the internal components removed. At least one of the grenades recovered at the residence appeared ready to load with a propellant. At the time the warrant was executed, agents determined that one of the pipe bombs was functional and capable of detonation. The other three pipe bombs consisted of two smaller PVC pipes with end caps, and one larger metal pipe fitted with end caps and a fuse. A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Lynch faces up to 10 years in prison. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jon K. Stanford is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-91


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DEVONTE SMITH, age 22, of New Orleans , pled guilty to seven counts of an eight-count indictment, that charged him with multiple federal firearms and drug trafficking violations stemming from a March 30, 2022 shootout, on the corner of Orleans and Rocheblave Street that was captured on NOPD crime cameras, and the subsequent search of a Touro Street residence. Although no one was killed or injured in the shootout, several houses and automobiles sustained damage. The indictment charged SMITH as follows: Count 1: Charge: Possession, brandishing, and discharging of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18 USC 924(c)(1)(A); Statutory Sentence : 10 years to life. Any sentence imposed must be served consecutive to any other sentence ; a fine of up to$250,000 and not more than 5 years of supervised release. Count 2: Charge: Possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18 USC § 924(c)(1)(B)(ii); Statutory Sentence : 30 years to life. Any sentence imposed must be served consecutive to any other sentence; a fine of up to $250,000 and not more than 5 years of supervised release. Count 3: Charge: Illegal Possession of a machinegun in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(o); Statutory Sentence : 0-10 years; a fine of up to $250,000 and not more than 3 years supervised release. Count 4: Charge: Possession of a firearm by a felon in violation of Title 18 USC § 922(g); Statutory Sentence : 0-10 years; a fine of up to $250,000 and not more than 3 years supervised release. Count 5: Charge: Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of marijuana, cocaine, and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 USC §§841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) and (D); Statutory Sentence : cocaine/fentanyl: 0-20 years; not more than $1,000,000.00 in fines and at least 3 years of supervised release; Marijuana: 0-5 years; a fine of up to $250,000 and at least 2 years supervised release. Count 6: Charge: Possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of marijuana, in violation of Title 21 USC§§841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); Statutory Sentence : 0-5 years; a fine of $250,000, and at least 2 years supervised release. Count 7: Charge: Maintaining a drug involved premises, in violation of Title 21 USC § 856; Statutory Sentence : 0-20 years; a fine of $250,000, and at 3 years of supervised release. Count 8: Charge: Possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of mixture or substance containing a detectible amount of cocaine and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 USC §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); Statutory Sentence : 0-20 years; a fine of $250,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release. As to each count, SMITH faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Today, SMITH pled guilty to Counts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the indictment and the Government agreed to dismiss Count 2. As part of this guilty plea, the SMITH will be sentenced to not less than 20 years in prison and not more than life. He will face a fine of not more than $1,000,000.00 and be placed on supervised release for not more than five years. He will also have to pay a mandatory $700.00 special assessment fee This matter is still under investigation by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (A.T.F.) and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Mishawaka Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Erskine Jones, 31 years old, of Mishawaka, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Jones was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in October 2022 Jones was on federal supervised release and state parole with active arrest warrants on both cases. When investigators found Jones, he had a loaded .380 semi-automatic firearm in his pocket. Jones’ prior convictions include two for robbery and one for felon in possession of a firearm. Any one of Jones’ prior felony convictions prohibit him from possessing the firearm. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and the St. Joseph County Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Molly E. Donnelly. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Savage Life Gang Members Sentenced to Racketeering Charges

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – Two Davenport men were sentenced on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in relation to a racketeering prosecution. Austin Zachary Ruiz, 28, was sentenced to 202 months in federal prison for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering and use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Olajuwan Hakeem Culbreath, 27, was sentenced to 152 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the same charges. In 2016 and 2017, as members of Savage Life Boys (SLB), a Davenport-based street gang, Ruiz and Culbreath were involved in multiple shootings. In December 2016, Ruiz and other SLB members robbed and physically assaulted another male, including pistol-whipping him, at a dice game at an apartment in Davenport. The male escaped from the apartment, but Ruiz chased him, firing numerous rounds at the vehicle in which he fled. The male sustained wounds from the assault and the driver of the vehicle sustained a gunshot wound. In January 2017, Ruiz, Culbreath, and co-defendant Dimetri Smith were at the NorthPark Mall when they saw a rival gang member. Culbreath, Ruiz, and Smith went to their car, where they had firearms. Culbreath drove to the mall entrance where they expected the rival gang member to exit. When they saw the rival gang member, Ruiz and Smith chased him through the mall parking lot, shooting at him. In February 2017, Culbreath and co-defendants Smith, Darion Gardner, Najawaun Quinn, and other SLB members started an altercation at a concert at the Hotel Davenport due to perceived disrespect for their gang. During the altercation, Gardner shot and killed one male and injured another. To create a diversion and escape from the hotel, Culbreath fired one round, which did not strike anyone. In April 2017, Ruiz and Smith were at Centennial Park in Davenport when they saw a male who recently robbed another SLB member’s dice game. Ruiz, armed with a firearm, got out of their vehicle to confront the male. The men struggled over the firearm, which discharged, striking the male in the foot. Smith then joined the altercation, choking the male to unconsciousness to assist them in their flight. Ruiz and Culbreath committed these acts with the intent to maintain or increase position in the gang. Following their prison terms, both Ruiz and Culbreath must each serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Co-defendants Quinn and Smith are scheduled to be sentenced on August 8, 2023, after a federal jury convicted them of racketeering-related charges following a 7-day trial in February 2023. In December 2022, Gardner was sentenced to 450 months in prison . “The hard work and dedication of our officers, investigators, and federal prosecutors delivered justice for those impacted by these violent crimes,” said Davenport Police Assistant Chief Major Jamie Brown. “These cases demonstrate the collaboration and commitment to keeping our community safe.” United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.


title: Nine Individuals Charged and Arrested on Various Firearms, Drug, and Fraud Charges

body_text: CHICAGO — Nine individuals have been charged in Chicago, including eight alleged members of the Black P Stone Nation (“BPSN”) street gang, eight Chicagoans, and one suburban resident. The nine defendants have been charged in federal court on an array of charges including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, firearms trafficking, and trafficking, distribution, and conspiracy to distribute drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, fentanyl-laced heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Steven Nash, also known as “Redd”, 56, is charged with firearms trafficking (counts 1 and 4), possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl (count 2), and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, namely 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin (count 3). Marcus Taylor, 38, of Hinsdale, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Josephus Turner, also known as “Jamo”, 35, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely a mixture and substance containing heroin (count 1), distribution of a controlled substance, namely a mixture and substance containing cocaine base (counts 2 and 4), firearms trafficking (count 3), and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely 40 grams or more of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl (count 5). Calvin Bunting, also known as “White Boy”, 39, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely 40 grams or more of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl (count 5). Antonio Washington, also known as “Itch” and “Britney”, 45, is charged with distribution of crack cocaine. Fernando Ramirez, also known as “Enterprise”, 67, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Alix Aurel, 47, is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, namely, a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Andre Howard Jr., also known as “Baby Stone”, 35, is charged with possession of a weapon as a convicted felon. Joshua Broughton, ”Twiggz”, 33, is charged with possession of a weapon as a convicted felon. Defendants Turner, Bunting, Aurel, Howard, Nash, and Broughton are alleged to be members of the Rack City faction of BPSN, which controls territory in the vicinity of W. 93rd St. and S. Halsted St. on the South Side of Chicago. Washington and Taylor are alleged associates of the Rack City faction belonging to another faction of the PBSN. All men have been charged via complaint with the exception of Howard, who was been charged via indictment. During the course of the multi-year investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 62 firearms, approximately 6 kilograms of cocaine, approximately 500 grams of heroin/fentanyl, and approximately 250 grams of crack cocaine. All nine defendants are in law enforcement custody. Arraignments will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The charges are announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Eric Carter, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Unit, the Internal Revenue Service, and Rosemont Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jimmy L. Arce and Patrick Mott. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The maximum terms of imprisonment for the charges range from 5 to 40 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.


title: Hinds County Sheriff Candidate Indicted for Soliciting Bribes and  Providing Ammunition to a Convicted Felon

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A federal grand jury in Jackson returned an indictment charging Marshand Crisler with soliciting bribes and with providing ammunition to a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to court documents, Crisler, 54, of Jackson, is charged with having solicited and accepted thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for agreeing to pass information concerning criminal investigations to the person who paid the bribes. Crisler also allegedly agreed to protect a jailed family member of that person and agreed to award employment with the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office to that person. These actions are alleged to have taken place during Crisler’s previous unsuccessful campaign for Hinds County Sheriff in 2021. The indictment also alleges that Crisler gave ammunition to a person he knew to be a convicted felon. It is against federal law for a public official to solicit or accept bribes. It is also against federal law to provide firearm ammunition to a known convicted felon. Crisler will make his initial court appearance today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac in U.S. District Court in Jackson. If convicted, Crisler faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison as to each of the two counts in the indictment. The FBI is investigating the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Overland Park Man Indicted for $800,000 COVID Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Overland Park, Kansas, man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for receiving more than $800,000 in fraudulent business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Mirza Michael Reazuddin, 65, who currently resides in Lawrenceville, Georgia, was charged in an 11-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on April 4, 2023. That indictment was unsealed and made public upon Reazuddin’s arrest and initial court appearance Tuesday, April 25, in Atlanta, Georgia. The federal indictment alleges that Reazuddin received two loans under the Paycheck Protection Program totaling $804,100. As a part of the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program was created to provided forgivable loans to small businesses. The purpose of the loans was to provide support to small businesses and assist their payroll to their employees during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the indictment, Reazuddin claimed to be the owner of Grandview Hotel, LLC, a Missouri corporation. Reazuddin submitted a loan application to First Home Bank in St. Petersburg, Florida, on June 25, 2020. He allegedly claimed Grandview Hotel was an operating business with an average monthly payroll of $148,680, and submitted false documents in support of his loan application. Reazuddin submitted a second loan application to First Home Bank on Jan. 26, 2021. He allegedly claimed Grandview Hotel had a monthly payroll of $120,000, and submitted false documents in support of his loan application. In fact, the indictment says, Grandview Hotel ceased doing business in March 2018. On July 14, 2020, First Home Bank transferred $384,100 to Reazuddin’s bank account in the name of Grandview Hotel. On Feb. 22, 2021, First Home Bank transferred $420,000 to Reazuddin’s bank account in the name of Grandview Hotel. Reazuddin allegedly transferred most of those funds into his other bank accounts. Reazuddin is charged with four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.


title: Muscatine Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Charges

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Muscatine woman was sentenced on April 26, 2023, to 192 months in prison following her guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of five grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, law enforcement received information that Cristina Kaye Briones, 38, and her co-conspirators were obtaining large quantities of pure methamphetamine through the mail directly from California suppliers. Following her prison term, Briones was ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Former Mississippi Department of Corrections Official Pleads Guilty to Using Excessive Force Against an Inmate

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A former case manager with the Mississippi Department of Corrections pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Tom Lee for using excessive force against an inmate, involving the use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury. According to court documents and information presented in court, on July 11, 2019, Nicole Moore willfully deprived inmate L.C. of the Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment when the defendant, aiding and abetting others, kicked a non-resisting inmate in the head even though L.C. was not resisting. “When corrections officials working inside jails and prisons violently assault inmates held in their custody, they will be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department stands ready to hold all prison officials accountable for violating the Eighth Amendment right of prisoners to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.” “Those that abuse positions of power will be dealt with accordingly,” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This should be a reminder to those responsible for the care and control of inmates, that they too must abide by the laws of this nation.” “Our citizens serving time for crimes against the public deserve the safety and protection from harm by those officials who are charged with their care,” said Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby for the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Ms. Moore's blatant violation of this trust is a disservice to those in the penal system, the corrections officers who take pride in their profession and citizens in general. The FBI is committed to protecting all citizens of our community.” Moore faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 25. The FBI Jackson Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Firearm Charges

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 270 months in prison for charges of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, Ricky Timothy Williams, 41, engaged law enforcement in a high-speed chase along the interstate in Scott County before leaving the road and driving to the edge of a cornfield. Williams attempted to flee but was apprehended by officers a short distance from the vehicle. A search of Williams’ vehicle revealed a loaded pistol and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Williams was convicted of the charges against him by a federal jury on November 15, 2022, following a two-day trial. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Former St. Joseph Police Officer and His Wife, a Former Deputy, Plead Guilty to Fraud Scheme Against Fraternal Order of Police

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former St. Joseph, Mo., police officer and his wife, a former Buchanan County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy, have pleaded guilty in federal court to a wire fraud scheme in which they used debit cards from a local lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, where they served as officers, for unauthorized expenses. Michael A. Hardin, 47, and his wife, Sarah J. Hardin, 43, pleaded guilty in separate appearances to multiple counts of wire fraud. Michael Hardin appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts on Tuesday, April 25. Sarah Hardin appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Greg Kays on Wednesday, April 26. Michael Hardin, a former officer with the St. Joseph Police Department, was the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Northwest Missouri Lodge #3 for approximately 10 years, until January 2020. Sarah Hardin, formerly a deputy with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, was the treasurer of the lodge for approximately 10 years, until January 2020. The lodge, headquartered in St. Joseph, is a fraternity of approximately 300 law enforcement officers from police departments in nine northwest Missouri counties. By pleading guilty, the Hardins admitted they used debit cards linked to the bank accounts of the Fraternal Order of Police Northwest Missouri Lodge #3 to make unauthorized purchases. Sarah Hardin admitted that she made hundreds of personal purchases with the lodge’s debit card while serving as treasurer, which the government’s financial analysis concluded totaled at least $77,342. The government’s financial analysis concluded an additional $22,484 in unauthorized purchases were made from the lodge’s bank accounts between 2015 and 2019. Sarah Hardin specifically admitted to making personal purchases at Menards, Party City, HyVee, Walmart, and Sam’s Club. The purchases included fence panels and fence posts for a fence at her residence; flowers, potting soil, bench cushions, and LED lights for her residence; and letter balloons spelling out the word “Falcons” for an event at her child’s school. Michael Hardin specifically admitted to fraudulently using the lodge’s debit card for payments in 2017 to Hampton Inn twice and to Life Lock Advantage. The government’s financial analysis concluded that Michael Hardin conducted transactions to cover unauthorized expenses that totaled between $6,500 and $15,000 with lodge funds during his time as lodge president. Under the terms of their plea agreements, the Hardins must pay a money judgment in an amount to be determined by the court based on the proceeds they obtained as a result of the fraud scheme. Under federal statutes, the Hardins are each subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of three counts of wire fraud. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney R. Pratten and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. It was investigated by the FBI.


title: Burlington Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug, Firearm, and Cyberstalking Charges

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Burlington man was sentenced on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, to 264 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of an unregistered firearm, and cyberstalking. Law enforcement identified Kevin Arthur Andries, 32, following a traffic stop in September 2021 when Andries fled from law enforcement at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. Andries eventually crashed the vehicle into the backyard of a residence. Andries then fled on foot and was apprehended nearby. Law enforcement located a backpack, that contained two pounds of methamphetamine, on the ground outside of the driver’s door of the vehicle. There was also a sawed-off shotgun in the trunk. In November 2021, the Burlington Police Department investigated Andries for stalking. Andries appeared at the victim’s children’s bus stop and school. When Burlington police officers attempted to apprehend Andries, he drove at high rates of speed in a stolen vehicle. When apprehended and arrested, Andries was in possession of methamphetamine and ammunition. A search of Andries’ residence revealed two additional firearms. Meanwhile, the Iowa City Police Department had a separate investigation into Andries for cyberstalking the same victim from May 2020 until his arrest in November 2021. Andries obtained approximately 25 TextNow phone numbers that he used to call and send text messages to the victim, which at times were hundreds of contacts within one day. Andries also used the numbers to “spoof” people or businesses known to the victim, to induce her to answer the phone. Andries hacked the victim’s email, social media, cell phone, and bank accounts. He added himself to her cell phone plan and wiped the contents of her phone remotely. Andries used the access he gained to her financial accounts to make purchases for himself. Additionally, Andries locked the victim out of all her accounts which prevented her access to the accounts and their contents. Andries coupled his cyberstalking with physical stalking and showed up at the victim’s and the victim’s family’s residences. Andries’ conduct caused the victim substantial emotional distress. Following his prison term, Andries must also serve seven years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Muscatine Police Department, Burlington Police Department, and Iowa City Police Department investigated the case.


title: Logan County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Vada Leann White, 32, of Big Creek, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2021, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which White was a passenger in the Jeffrey area of Boone County. The officer searched the vehicle and found seven bags containing a total of approximately 139 grams of methamphetamine. The officer also found $3,436 on White’s person and in the vehicle. White told the officer that she possessed the methamphetamine and intended to sell it. White is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-142. ###


title: Drug-trafficking indictment names 15 Chatham County defendants

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: A newly unsealed federal indictment names 15 defendants as part of a major drug trafficking network operating in the greater Savannah area. The indictment in USA v. Smiley et al., dubbed “Operation Be Real Every Second,” charges all defendants with a drug trafficking conspiracy that carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The indictment was unsealed Wednesday, April 26, in U.S. District Court. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to identifying and eradicating the conduits of illegal drugs into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This indictment sends a clear message that we will hold accountable those who would profit from distributing deadly and addictive drugs in in the Southern District.” Initiated as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation, the indictment in Operation “Be Real Every Second” alleges that from about January 2017 through March 2023, the defendants conspired to distribute large amounts of cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout Chatham County. Along with drug possession and distribution charges against multiple defendants, all 15 defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine, 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine, and a Quantity of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana. The charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. They include: Gregory Smiley , 45, of Savannah, the lead defendant in the case; Lena Smiley , 42, of Savannah, Gregory Smiley’s wife; James Burton , a/k/a “Muffin,” 48, of Savannah; Jason Burton , a/k/a “JB,” 45, of Savannah; Charles Tolbert , a/k/a “Charlie Boy,” 42, of Savannah; Wilbert Gordon , a/k/a “Slap,” 47, of Savannah; Anthony Williams , 49, of Savannah; Ebony Coleman , 44, of Savannah; Richard Wood , 38, of Savannah; Armond Smith , 42, of Savannah; Jerome Jenkins , 46, of Pooler, Ga.; Robert Jones , 36, of Savannah; Leon Brown , 57, of Savannah; Shadar Wright , 40, of Garden City, Ga.; and, Tywanna Lewis , 46, of Savannah. Thirteen of the defendants are in custody and are having initial appearance hearings. Armond Smith and Shadar Wright are being sought. In addition to the conspiracy charge, the 40-count indictment alleges Gregory Smiley, conspiring with Lena Smiley and Tywanna Lewis, used gambling casinos in Nevada and Maryland to illegally launder and conceal profits derived from the conspiracy. The indictment also includes a notice of the government’s intent to seek the forfeiture of nearly $200,000 in cash seized during the investigation; three bank accounts registered to the lead defendant; four Savannah residences; and high-end jewelry valued at more than $138,000, including a Rolex watch. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Savanah Resident Office; the Chatham Savannah Counter Narcotics Team; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Savannah Police Department; the Chatham County Police Department; and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and OCDETF Coordinator Marcela C. Mateo.


title: Indictment Charges Postal Employee with Cocaine Distribution, Mail Theft

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging SHAWN R. FULLER , 36, of Hamden, with cocaine distribution and mail theft offenses. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Fuller, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier in Meriden, was under investigation for stealing mail packages. On April 17, 2023, an investigator observed Fuller at the Meriden post office opening two mail packages, removing two items from the packages, and placing the items in the trunk of his car. He then notified his supervisors that he had to leave work for the day. Hamden Police subsequently stopped Fuller’s car for a motor vehicle violation. After a police K9 alerted officers to the possible presence of narcotics, a search of the trunk of the car revealed approximately four kilograms of a substance containing cocaine. Fuller was arrested at that time. The indictment charges Fuller with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and three counts of theft of mail by a postal employee, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years on each count. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Fuller is released on a $100,000 bond. This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Hamden and West Haven Police Departments. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Brendan J. Keefe.


title: Shiprock Woman Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Courtney Frank was arraigned on an indictment charging her with involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Frank, 19, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of Navajo Nation, will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to the indictment, on Sept. 28, 2022, Frank operated a motor vehicle without due caution and circumspection and with a wanton and reckless disregard for human life when she knew and should have known that her conduct imperiled the lives of others. Frank, who was driving drunk, crashed her car head-on into a car driven by a mother and son, killing the mother and injuring the son. A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Frank faces up to 10 years in prison. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-93


title: Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing a Semiautomatic Firearm

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Esteban Gonzalez-Melendez, 26, of Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Gonzalez-Melendez also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Gonzalez-Melendez pleaded guilty to Possession of Firearms and Ammunition knowing that he was an undocumented non-citizen illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On September 9, 2022, Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Gonzalez-Melendez was a passenger. One of the officers observed the muzzle of a rifle on the passenger floorboard protruding from under a blanket covering Gonzalez-Melendez. A search of the vehicle revealed a semiautomatic AR-15 pistol with large capacity magazine capabilities, along with a 9mm pistol and .380 pistol where Gonzalez-Melendez was seated. The search further revealed a two-way radio, a 30-round AR-15 magazine, a 100-round AR-15 drum magazine, two .380 magazines, a 9mm magazine, 12 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 14 rounds of .380 ammunition, 92 rounds of 5.56x45 NATO ammunition, and a pair of handcuffs. United States Border Patrol agents, who were called by DPS, determined that Gonzalez-Melendez was illegally present in the United States. Gonzalez-Melendez stated he knew it was illegal for him to possess a firearm and indicated he had purchased two of the weapons in Phoenix, and a friend gave him the third gun “to hold.” Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bolling, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-02127 -TUC-JGZ (EJM) RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-063_Gonzalez-Melendez # # # 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Duval Man Pleads Guilty To Lying On A Federal Form While Attempting To Purchase A Firearm While Subject To An Injunction For Protection Against Domestic Violence

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dr. Rakesh Verma (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a federal firearms dealer. Verma faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court records, on October 16, 2020, Verma attempted to purchase a Smith and Wesson, 9mm pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Verma falsely stated that he was not subject to a court order restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner, when in fact he was subject to a permanent injunction for protection against domestic violence. The instant background check prevented Verma from receiving the firearm. All instant background denials are referred to law enforcement for possible prosecution. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Three Individuals Charged with Unlawfully Possessing U.S. Postal Service Key and Possession of Stolen Mail

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury yesterday indicted three individuals with possession of stolen mail and the unlawful possession of postal service keys, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division. A nine-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Derrell Allen Matthews , 25, of Birmingham and Keaundria Janae Gresham , 30, of Pleasant Grove, with conspiracy. Matthews was also charged with paying a bribe to a public official, possession of U.S. Postal Service Keys, stolen or reproduced, and possession of stolen mail. Gresham was also charged with public official accepting a bribe and possession of U.S. Postal Keys, stolen or reproduced. Steven Cornelius Hudson , Jr, 34, of Bessemer, was charged with possession of stolen mail. According to the indictment, Gresham was employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a letter carrier and was assigned to a U.S. Post Office in Birmingham. Between July 2022 and November 2022, Gresham used her position to provide unauthorized access to a USPS Arrow Keys to Matthews in exchange for money. In October 2022, Matthews was found in possession of a postal service key and stolen mail. In April 2023, Matthews, along with co-defendant Hudson, Jr., was found in possession of a postal service key and stolen mail. If you like to report United States Postal Service mail theft or other crimes committed through or towards the United States Postal Service, please contact the United States Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 or https://www.uspis.gov/report . The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison. The maximum penalty for unlawful possession of a postal service key is 10 years in prison. The maximum penalty for paying a bribe to a public official and a public official accepting a bribe is 15 years in prison. The maximum penalty for possession of stolen mail is five years in prison. U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel McBrayer is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer Charged With Sexually Abusing Two Female Inmates

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Bureau of Prisons Corrections Officer with two counts of sexually abusing two female inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Aliceville, Alabama. Specifically, the indictment alleges Robert D. Smith sexually abused two incarcerated persons – T.M. and R.-R-L. The indictment further alleges that Smith knowingly engaged in sexual acts with both persons who were, at the time, in official detention and under Smith’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison on each charge, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Convicted Felon Charged with Illegal Firearm Possession

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury yesterday indicted a convicted felon for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. A two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Timothy Jabbar Wyatt , 31, of Clanton, with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. According to the indictment, on January 15, 2023, Wyatt illegally possessed a Sundance .25 caliber pistol. Wyatt is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions. Wyatt was convicted in the Circuit Court of Elmore County, in May 2006, of the offense of Obstructing Justice Using a False Identity; in the Circuit Court of Chilton County in October 2005, of the offense of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, and in October 2003, Criminal Mischief, First Degree. Wyatt was convicted in the Municipal Court of Prattville, Alabama, in May 2014, of a misdemeanor crime of Domestic Violence, Third Degree - Harassment. The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 15 years in prison. ATF investigated the case, along with the Calera Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Rensselaer County Officials Indicted for Civil Rights Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richard W. Crist, age 55, of Nassau, New York; James R. Gordon, age 42, of North Greenbush, New York; and Leslie A. Wallace, age 35, of Troy, New York, were arrested and arraigned today on an indictment charging them with conspiring to violate the rights of Rensselaer County voters in connection with elections held in 2021. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Crist is the Director of Operations for Rensselaer County, Gordon is the Director of the Bureau for Central Services of Rensselaer County, and Wallace works for the Rensselaer County Executive’s Office. The indictment (copy attached) alleges that during local elections held in 2021, Crist, Gordon and Wallace conspired to use their official positions, and actual and apparent authority over Rensselaer County employees, to obtain absentee ballots in voters’ names through fraud and intimidation; these voters did not intend to request absentee ballots, nor did they seek voting assistance from Crist, Gordon or Wallace. Crist, Gordon and Wallace then conspired to cast false and illegal votes in these voters’ names in primary and general elections held in Rensselaer County in 2021. Their conduct violated the constitutional rights of Rensselaer County voters to have their votes counted equally as compared to votes cast by other voters, and made it more likely that the defendants’ preferred candidates would win the elections. Gordon is also charged with one count of witness tampering, and Wallace is also charged with one count of making false statements. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Crist, Gordon and Wallace were each arraigned today before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter, and ordered released with conditions pending a trial before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. If convicted of conspiracy to violate constitutional rights, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison. If convicted of witness tampering, Gordon faces up to 20 years in prison. If convicted of making false statements, Wallace faces up to 5 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The FBI is investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Steven D. Clymer are prosecuting this case.


title: Former Bureau Of Prisons Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty To Providing Contraband To Federal Inmates

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Edward Davis (52, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of providing contraband into a prison. He faces a maximum penalty of six months in federal prison. According to court records, Davis is a retired Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) correctional officer. In 2019, he was working as a BOP correctional officer at the United States Penitentiary II, Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Florida. Between December 10, 2018, and February 1, 2019, Davis gave contraband to Coleman inmates in exchange for payment. When confronted, Davis told BOP staff that he “really messed up,” had “a weak moment,” and “brought cigarettes in for an inmate.” Davis added that he had been paid in two separate transactions for smuggling in the contraband—one payment was for $1,300 and another payment was for $1,400. Cigarettes are an item prohibited by the prison’s rules. If possessed by inmates, they threaten the order, discipline, and security of the prison as well as the life, health, and safety of other prisoners and staff. This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.


title: Citrus County Man Arrested For Receiving Stolen Benefit Payments From The Department Of Veterans Affairs

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Robert Howard Lawrence II (55, Citrus County) with one count of receiving stolen government property. If convicted, Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and the forfeiture of at least $364,000. According to court records, the Veterans Affairs (“VA”) Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (“DIC”) program furnishes a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of deceased military service members. If the surviving spouse remarries, however, they are no longer eligible to receive DIC benefits. Lawrence was a surviving spouse of a military service member who died in 1994. Lawrence remarried in November 1995. Beginning in November 1995, and continuing through approximately April 1, 2023, Lawrence received DIC benefits to which he was not entitled because he repeatedly told the VA that he had not remarried. In fact, Lawrence had remarried twice – once in 1995 and again in 2023. By failing to report his subsequent marriages, Lawrence illegally received a total of $364,497.80 in stolen VA DIC benefit payments. An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.


title: Suburban Chicago High School Coach Charged With Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago high school track and field coach has been charged with possessing child pornography. Per the complaint, beginning in the summer of 2022 and continuing until September of 2022, GLEN CLIFFORD MESSMER, 46, of Darien, an assistant track coach at High School A, interacted with at least two minors, Minor A and Minor B, in another State via the social media platforms Snapchat and Telegram. Messmer convinced the two minors to produce child sexual abuse material, in at least one instance providing specific instructions as to how to produce the material he wanted. The complaint alleges that Messmer paid Minor A and Minor B for the child sexual abuse material via CashApp. On April 25, 2023 law enforcement executed a search warrant at Messmer’s home and identified multiple image and video files that contained child pornography on a computer in the residence. Messmer was arrested and had an initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cummings on April 26, 2023. Messmer is currently detained in federal custody pending a detention hearing before Judge Cummings. The charge was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Homeland Security Investigations. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Rosenbloom. The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The charges are punishable by a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Baytown woman admits embezzling millions from her employer

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 54-year-old Baytown woman has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Judy M. Green admitted to embezzling over $3 million from her employer for approximately 10 years. Green worked as an account manager for a Houston-based building and maintenance supply company. As part of the scheme, she submitted fraudulent invoices to induce payment from the company and pocketed the funds for personal expenses. Ultimately, the scheme was uncovered when one of the business owners noticed a large payment to an unknown credit card company in the summer of 2022. An audit revealed the fraud had been ongoing since 2012. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for Aug. 3. At that time, Green faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Green was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.


title: Former University Administrator Sentenced For Role In Wire Fraud Scheme

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Brian Carroll (47, New Market, Tennessee) to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud. The court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $42,000, representing the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme. Carroll had pleaded guilty on January 5, 2023. According to court documents, at the time of the commission of the offense, Carroll was serving as the Executive Vice President of Southeastern University, a private university in Lakeland, Florida. Carroll became involved in a project to redesign the website and digital brand of the university’s President. Carroll conducted a self-dealing scheme to enrich himself by setting up an “anonymous” LLC based in New Mexico and setting up a bank account in the name of that LLC, both of which he controlled. The Board of Directors and President of Southeastern University were unaware of Carroll’s involvement in this LLC. The LLC that Carroll controlled then submitted a bid to the university to perform the web rebranding project for a total price of $185,000. Carroll recommended and promoted the acceptance of this contract, thereby causing the university to make a number of wire payments to that LLC for work done on the project. Unbeknownst to the university, Carroll’s LLC contracted with an unrelated company based in New York to do the actual work on the project and create the new website. This New York company charged Carroll’s LLC $30,000 for the project. Carroll thus engineered a scheme to pay his LLC $185,000 for a project that, in reality, cost only $30,000 to perform. He thereby defrauded Southeastern University out of approximately $155,000. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.


title: Waterbury Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Lying to Federal Agents Investigating Waterbury Gang Violence

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SHAN THOMPSON, 25, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements to federal law enforcement agents investigating gang-related violence in Waterbury. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been conducting a long-term investigation into drug trafficking and numerous acts of violence being committed by gang members in Waterbury. In November 2018 and September 2019, Thompson made false statements to FBI special agents about a shooting incident that occurred in the area of Wolcott Street in Waterbury on November 22, 2017, which resulted in the deaths of two individuals. Thompson has been detained in state custody since February 2018. On February 2, 2023, he pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of making a false statement to a government agent. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, ATF and Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo of the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office, who have been cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Five Southwest Missouri Residents Plead Guilty to Kidnapping

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Five southwest Missouri residents have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in the death of the victim. Amy Kay Thomas, 39, of Webb City, Mo., and Lawrence William Vaughan, also known as “Scary Larry,” 51, of Newton County, Mo., pleaded guilty today in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool. Thomas and Vaughan each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Thomas also pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Co-defendants Carla Jo Ward, 49, of Joplin, Mo., James B. Gibson, 40, of Neosho, Mo., and Russell Eugene Hurtt, also known as “Uncle,” 51, of Greenwood, Mo., pleaded guilty earlier this month to their roles in the kidnapping conspiracy. Ward and Gibson also each pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. By pleading guilty, the five defendants admitted they participated in a conspiracy to kidnap the victim, identified as “M.H.,” in July 2020 in retaliation for him helping to retrieve a stolen trailer. Ward picked up M.H. and took him to Vaughan’s residence. Thomas and Gibson arrived at Vaughan’s residence in the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. They bound M.H.’s hands with handcuffs, and duct tape was placed around his mouth and other parts of his body. In Vaughan and Ward’s presence, Thomas cut M.H. repeatedly with a knife; Gibson beat M.H. with a club and burned him with a blowtorch. M.H. was fatally shot in the head. They wrapped M.H.’s body in plastic wrap and transported it to Hurtt’s property. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hurtt’s property on July 28, 2020, based on information that a deceased body was located on the acreage. When officers attempted to contact the occupants of the residence, a co-conspirator fired multiple shots from inside the residence at the officers before being apprehended. Officers found M.H.’s body on the property. Officers searched the residence and found multiple firearms, including a disassembled HR1871 12-gauge shotgun with a sawed-off butt and a shotgun barrel inside a box. Officers also found a burned cell phone that contained photos and screen shots from a video of M.H. being assaulted. Under federal statutes, each of the five defendants is subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Neosho, Mo., Police Department, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) 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.


title: Cedar Rapids Felon Who Possessed a Sawed-off Shotgun Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A convicted felon who possessed a sawed-off shotgun in his truck was sentenced April 26, 2023, to more than four years in federal prison. Joseph John Senger, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 9, 2022 guilty plea to unlawfully possessing a destructive device. In a plea agreement and at the guilty plea hearing, Senger admitted he was driving his truck in Cedar Rapids on April 29, 2022. Cedar Rapids Police officers stopped the truck after it drove over a curb and onto a sidewalk. As they approached the truck, officers saw a methamphetamine pipe. Officers then searched the truck and found four grams of methamphetamine, more methamphetamine pipes, seventeen shotgun shells, and a set of brass knuckles. Finally, officers found a weapon made from a Revelation shotgun. Both the barrel and the stock of the shotgun had been shortened. Senger had four shotgun shells on his person. Senger was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Senger was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Senger is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-cr-78. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Firearms

body_text: Felipe Martin, 26, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on April 27, 2023, to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. Evidence at the plea hearing showed that on August 29, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop in Lemars, Iowa, of a vehicle that defendant was driving and noted the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, a Glock 9mm Luger, a .45 ACP pistol, ammunition, and a marijuana roach were found. Law enforcement later executed a search warrant at defendant’s residence and recovered drug paraphernalia, baggies, cocaine, and marijuana. Defendant further admitted he was an unlawful user of marijuana and cocaine, which by federal law prohibits a person from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Martin was allowed to remain on release pending sentencing. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office, Le Mars Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4078. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

body_text: A Mason City, Iowa man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced yesterday to the statutory maximum term of 10 years in federal prison. Harley Davidson Llewellyn, age 44, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 26, 2022, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. In a plea agreement, Llewellyn admitted to being convicted of domestic abuse assault impeding air/blood flow causing bodily injury. Llewellyn admitted to knowing he was prohibited from being in possession of a firearm. The case began after Llewellyn threatened a co-worker with a firearm, which led to termination of his employment. Over the course of the next two months, Llewellyn went on a shooting spree in Mason City and fired shots from a 9 millimeter pistol into 4 houses in Mason City. First, on April 7, 2022, Llewellyn shot multiple times into a house that he incorrectly believed to be the home of a co-worker whom he had threatened. On April 25, 2022, he fired a shot into another home where he believed the co-worker lived and then on May 3, 2022, he fired a round into the home of his co-worker’s parents, where the co-worker previously resided. Also on May 3, 2022, Llewellyn shot into a sober living facility in Mason City. Following this shooting spree, Mason City police served a search warrant at defendant’s residence in Mason City where they located two Hi-Point 9 millimeter handguns, one of which had been used in all four of the shootings. Llewellyn was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Llewellyn was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment, the statutory maximum sentence for the crime. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Llewellyn is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-3026. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sioux City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lying on Firearm Purchase Form

body_text: Christen Williams, 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced today to 10 months in federal prison for making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. Williams received the prison term after a December 5, 2022, guilty plea. Evidence at the hearing established that between August 23 and 24, 2021, Williams purchased three firearms from Fleet Farm in Sioux City. Williams falsely indicated on the purchase forms that she was the intended recipient when she was purchasing the firearms on the behalf of another. These firearms were later recovered at three separate crime scenes over the next 46 days, one of which was a drive-by shooting. Williams was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 10 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 1-year term of supervised released following the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4079. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Silicon Valley Start-Up Founder Pleads Guilty To Securities Fraud For Overstating Revenue To Investors

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Manish Lachwani pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to wire fraud and securities fraud charges in connection with his scheme to dupe potential investors into supporting the technology start-up he founded and led, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The guilty pleas were accepted by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer. Lachwani, 47, of Los Altos, Calif., founded Silicon Valley-based HeadSpin, a company that provided clients with software tools and access to devices to test mobile applications. Lachwani founded the company in 2015 and served as its Chief Executive Officer until May 2020. Between April 2017 and April 2020, HeadSpin raised more than $100 million from investors over multiple rounds of fundraising, leading to a valuation of approximately $1.1 billion. According to his plea agreement, Lachwani admitted that he disseminated false and overstated revenue metrics to potential investors to lure investments into his company. The plea agreement provides several details of the fraud. Lachwani acknowledged that while HeadSpin was raising money, he provided to prospective investors information about the company’s business, customers, revenue, and finances. Further, because HeadSpin was a software-as-a-service company, Lachwani knew that annual recurring revenue, known as “ARR,” was significant to investors and their decisions whether to invest in HeadSpin. According to the plea agreement, Lachwani admitted that he provided prospective investors with inflated ARR numbers and overstated revenue numbers. With respect to these metrics, Lachwani included amounts from potential customers that had not agreed to pay subscription fees to HeadSpin, amounts that were more than real customers had agreed to pay, and amounts from customers that had stopped using and paying for HeadSpin’s services. Lachwani maintained and controlled an ARR spreadsheet that contained this false information and which he shared with potential investors. In 2018, in connection with a round of fundraising, Lachwani sent a slide deck to investors that stated HeadSpin’s ARR was more than $33 million as of the second quarter of 2018, though Lachwani knew the company’s ARR was far less. In 2019, during another round of fundraising, Lachwani again provided information to investors that overstated ARR, this time stating that HeadSpin’s ARR was $54 million when, in fact, it was far less. Similarly, with respect to revenues, Lachwani sent invoices to HeadSpin’s accountant that Lachwani knew were altered to show amounts not actually invoiced to clients. HeadSpin investors received financial statements that were impacted by the altered invoices. On August 4, 2022, a federal grand jury handed down a superseding indictment that charged Lachwani with 11 counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, one count of money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957, and four counts of securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. § 78j(b) and 78ff and 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Lachwani pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud. If Lachwani complies with the plea agreement, the remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing. Lachwani is currently released on bond. U.S. District Judge Breyer scheduled Lachwani’s sentencing hearing for September 27, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. The maximum statutory penalty for each count of wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum statutory penalty for securities fraud is 20 years in prison and a fine of $5 million, plus restitution if appropriate. In addition, as part of the sentence Lachwani may be ordered to pay additional fines and to serve an additional term of supervised release after any prison sentence. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The case is being prosecuted by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lloyd Farnham, Noah Stern, and Ross Weingarten are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Elizabeth Kim and Pat Mahoney. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). An SEC civil enforcement action is currently pending against Lachwani in the Northern District of California.


title: Man Indicted Following Seizure of More Than 150 Pounds of Fentanyl at Border Patrol Checkpoint

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Isidro Pantoja-Ramirez, 57, of Mexicali, Mexico, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. The United States alleges that, on March 24, 2023, Pantoja-Ramirez was stopped while in a vehicle at a Border Patrol checkpoint located between Yuma and Wellton, Arizona. United States Border Patrol agents conducted an inspection that revealed a total of 16 packages hidden within the vehicle’s tailgate and spare tire. The total weight of the packages was more than 150 pounds, and they contained a substance that field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to lifetime supervised release. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Yuma Office, is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua B. Tesoriero, District of Arizona, Yuma, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00594-MTL RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-064_Pantoja-Ramirez # # # 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.