title: New Scam Uses Fake Court Documents, Fake Government Correspondence, and False Charges Under COVID Relief Programs to Solicit “Preemptive Bail” Payments

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – United States Attorney Robert J. Troester, Anand Ramlall, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), and David Thompson, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service (USSS) Oklahoma City Field Office, are warning the public of a new scam utilizing fake court documents, fake government correspondence, and false charges under COVID relief programs to solicit “preemptive bail” payments. With this scam, imposters pose as law enforcement officers and send text messages to a target recipient. These messages may include images of fake federal court documents that falsely assert criminal fraud charges against the recipient arising from the Paycheck Protection Program and/or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The fake federal court notice may also advise the target that they can avoid arrest by paying “preemptive bail bond.” In addition to fake federal court documents, the scam may involve images of fake correspondence from the FDIC OIG and FDIC Legal Division which purports to explain the “preemptive bail opportunity.” The public is reminded that if you receive any communication purportedly from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FDIC OIG, or the federal court asking for sensitive personal information, or demanding payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or digital currency – DO NOT TRANSMIT MONEY OR SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION. Instead, the public is encouraged to contact the appropriate authorities with the information below.. “These fraudsters utilize fear and pressure tactics to create a sense of urgency in their victims and often prey on the most vulnerable in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Troester. “If you are contacted by someone who demands payment or private information, do not engage. Instead, report the incident to law enforcement.” “Scammers such as these may use the FDIC or FDIC OIG logo and seal to make their demand for funds appear legitimate” said FDIC OIG Special Agent in Charge Anand Ramlall. “The FDIC OIG reminds the public that the FDIC and FDIC OIG will not send unsolicited correspondence that requests sensitive personal information or demands payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or digital currency. Such correspondence should be reported to the FDIC OIG hotline.” “Criminals constantly find ways to use technology and communication platforms to commit fraud. The Secret Service is at the forefront of both combating financial fraud and educating the public about financial fraud,” said USSS Oklahoma City Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Thompson. “Please contact the Secret Service if you are a victim of a scam or if you have information regarding such scams.” If you have been a victim of a related scams or would like additional information on identifying similar scams and how to report them, please refer to the following: FDIC OIG Hotline at https://www.fdicoig.gov/oig-hotline or 1-800-964-FDIC. The OIG reviews all allegations and will investigate a matter in appropriate circumstances. Individuals contacting the Hotline via the website can report information openly, confidentially, or anonymously. Please also see https://www.fdicoig.gov/sites/default/files/document/2022-08/oigimpersonationscamflyer.pdf . USA.gov website “Scams and Fraud” at https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-fraud which will help identify where to report different types of scams. United States Courts website on Federal Court Scams at https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/federal-courts-public/federal-court-scams . United States Secret Service Oklahoma City Field Office at 405-272-0630 or visit the U.S. Secret Service website at https://www.secretservice.gov/ . United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma at 405-553-8700.


title: Former USPS Employee Pleads Guilty for Stealing the Contents of U.S. Mail

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – TOI SMITH, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on January 30, 2024 to theft of mail by a postal employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1709, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. SMITH’S sentencing is set for May 14, 2024. SMITH faces up to five years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. On or about July 2022, SMITH stole first class letters entrusted to her as a postal carrier and removed credit cards contained in the mail. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Roberto Esquivel pled guilty to one count each of attempted murder of an officer of the United States, aggravated assault of an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Esquivel, 25, of El Paso, Texas, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Esquivel on April 19, 2023. In his plea agreement, Esquivel admitted that on Jan. 5, 2023, he agreed with other persons to transport five illegal aliens who had unlawfully come to the United States. Esquivel was to pick up the aliens in El Paso, Texas, and transport them to Deming, New Mexico. After picking up the aliens, Esquivel was driving on New Mexico State Road 146 when he was pulled over by a Border Patrol Agent. As the agent was approaching Esquivel’s vehicle to conduct an immigration inspection, Esquivel removed a gun from the center console and placed it under his right leg. When it became apparent to the agent that Esquivel was transporting aliens, he asked Esquivel to exit the vehicle. Instead, Esquivel partially opened the door and began shooting, hitting the agent twice in the torso-area. After shooting the agent, Esquivel sped off. While fleeing, Esquivel lost control of the vehicle and rolled it multiple times. Esquivel ran from the crash scene and threw the gun in the desert, where it was subsequently recovered by law enforcement officers. The Border Patrol Agent survived the shooting due in large part to the bullets striking his ballistic vest. None of the illegal aliens were seriously injured in the rollover. Per the terms of his plea agreement, Esquivel is facing 19 years in prison. Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. McNair is prosecuting the case. View the Information View the Plea Agreement # # # 24-46


title: Spring Hill Man Sentenced To More Than Eight Years In Federal Prison For Conspiring To Sell Fentanyl

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Luis Irizarry-Santiago, a/k/a “Bullet” (33, Spring Hill), to eight years and four months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and cocaine. Irizarry-Santiago was also ordered to forfeit $28,889 in cash that was seized from his residence. Irizarry-Santiago entered a guilty plea on June 26, 2023. According to court records, Irizarry-Santiago was indicted after a coconspirator, Janel Genereux, sold a gram of fentanyl and 0.2 grams of cocaine to a confidential source on one occasion, and almost 7 grams of a fentanyl analogue to another coconspirator on a separate occasion. A subsequent search of Irizarry-Santiago’s residence revealed drug paraphernalia and bulk cash. Genereux previously pleaded guilty for her role in this case. She was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United State Attorney James Muench.


title: Federal Prisoner Captured After Escaping from Halfway House

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A former New York man has been arrested and charged after escaping from the Hampshire House Residential Reentry Center in Manchester, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Michael Villanueva, 43, was charged with escaping from federal custody. Villanueva was arrested yesterday in the Manchester area and will make an initial appearance in federal court today at 11:30 a.m. According to the charging documents, Villanueva was previously sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely heroin and cocaine base. In June 2023, he was transferred by the Bureau of Prisons from the federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania to Hampshire House. At Hampshire House, he was allowed house arrest and wore an electronic GPS monitoring ankle bracelet. On January 10, 2024, Villanueva was told to report to Hampshire House after authorities found inappropriate messages in his phone. That evening, at 6:41 pm, the Bureau of Prisons received an alert that Villanueva’s GPS monitoring ankle bracelet had been tampered with. Villanueva did not return to Hampshire House. He was at large for three weeks before being captured. The charge of escape provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. U.S. Marshals Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Gloucester County Man Admits Violating the Travel Act by Way of Money Laundering

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man admitted violating the Travel Act using the internet to engage in money laundering, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Juan Perez-Aguila, 69, of Paulsboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Feb. 1, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Perez-Aguila unlawfully accessed and controlled customer accounts of a company offering point-of-sale services and issued chargeback refunds from those accounts to other accounts that he controlled. Once he obtained the stolen funds from the customer accounts, Perez-Aguila laundered more than $20,000 of the criminally derived proceeds into another bank account that he controlled. Perez-Aguila misappropriated over $1 million from the victims of his fraudulent scheme. The violation of the Travel Act carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Suggs of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Trenton. perezaguila.information.pdf


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Mass-Mailing Fraud Schemes

component: Civil Division

body_text: A New Jersey man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to 72 months in prison and two years of supervised release for committing two separate mail fraud schemes in which he stole more than $50 million from victims throughout the United States by sending letters falsely telling them that they were entitled to receive a large sum of money in exchange for payment of a small fee. According to court documents, Ryan Young, 41, of Upper Saddle River, operated two separate mail fraud schemes. In the first scheme, which Young operated from 2011 through 2016, Young and his co-conspirators sent fraudulent prize notification letters to victims in the United States and numerous other countries. The letters falsely claimed recipients had won money or valuable prizes, such as luxury cars. Victims were instructed to send small processing fees – typically $20 or $25 – to claim the prizes. Many victims received nothing; others received only a cheap piece of jewelry or a report listing unrelated sweepstakes. In February 2018, Young pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his role in this large-scale international mail fraud scheme that stole approximately $50 million from victims. While on release and awaiting sentencing on the first mail fraud scheme, Young operated a second mail fraud scheme from March 2019 through May 2022. In the second scheme, Young mailed out letters falsely notifying recipients that they were entitled to receive unclaimed funds worth millions of dollars, a portion of a multimillion-dollar legal settlement, or a prize in exchange for payment of a small fee of $30 to $40. Young did not deliver funds to any of the victims who sent payments in response to these letters. Instead, Young sent booklets containing publicly available information or flyers about online restaurant coupons. According to court documents, Young’s second scheme resulted in $1.6 million in losses to victims. “The defendant in this case defrauded victims through multiple mail fraud schemes, depriving vulnerable Americans out of more than $50 million,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department and its federal law enforcement partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who target vulnerable American consumers for financial gain.” “The defendant’s conduct is especially egregious. After pleading guilty and acknowledging his responsibility, Mr. Young decided to revert back to what he knew best, which was ripping off Americans,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to others who think they will not be caught – postal inspectors will find you.” The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Ann Entwistle and Assistant Director John W. Burke of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne for the Eastern District of New York is handling asset forfeiture. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov .


title: Representative John Rogers Charged with Additional Offenses in Fraud Case Involving the Jefferson County Community Service Fund

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Representative John Rogers has been indicted again by a federal grand jury for additional offenses involving the fraud scheme against the Jefferson County Community Service Fund, including conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and making a false statement, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman. A second superseding indictment filed this week in United States District Court charges John Westley Rogers, Jr., 83, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of mail fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, 3 counts of obstruction of justice, and aiding and abetting the making of a false statement to federal investigators. These charges arise from an investigation of wrongdoing in connection with the Jefferson County Community Service Fund. In June 2023, former Representative Fred L. Plump, Jr., pleaded guilty to conspiracy in connection with the scheme and resigned from the Alabama House of Representatives. According to the second superseding indictment, in 2015 the Alabama Legislature passed Alabama Act No. 2015-226 (the “Act”) and authorized the Jefferson County Commission to levy and distribute a one-percent sales tax and a one-percent use tax to benefit the public welfare and enhance the education of the children of Jefferson County. Jefferson County began levying the new taxes in or about August 2017. The Act required the County to distribute the tax revenue according to certain specified priorities, including paying debt incurred during school construction, increasing the County’s general fund, giving funds to each board of education serving students in the County, and carrying out other purposes set forth in the Act. The Act created the Jefferson County Community Service Fund (the “Fund”), which was subsidized by approximately $3.6 million annually from the new taxes. The Act also created the Jefferson County Community Service Committee (the “Committee”), the four members of which were elected by members of the Jefferson County House and Senate delegations. The Committee was responsible for ensuring that the Fund was used only for the purposes set forth in the Act, which included supporting public entities and projects such as schools, libraries, museums, parks, zoos, neighborhood associations, athletic facilities, youth sports associations, road construction, the performing arts, police departments, the sheriff’s office, fire departments, and certain nonprofit entities. Each Representative and Senator representing Jefferson County could make recommendations to the Committee of expenditures from their allotted amount of the Fund. These recommendations were made on a form created by the Committee that required certain certifications by the legislator. The organization receiving the funds was required to submit information about the organization and confirm that it intended to use the money for a public purpose. During each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022, each Representative was allocated approximately $100,000, and each Senator was allocated approximately $240,000 from the Fund. The second superseding indictment identifies certain relevant parties. Defendant John Rogers was a long-serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. Fred L. Plump, Jr. served as the Executive Director of the Piper Davis Youth Baseball League (“Piper Davis”), a nonprofit organization that claimed to provide a positive sporting experience for inner-city youth in Jefferson County. Defendant Varrie Johnson Kindall was Rogers’s personal and professional assistant. Between fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2022, defendant Rogers was allocated approximately $500,000 by the Fund. Rogers directed approximately $400,000 of those discretionary funds to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump gave approximately $200,000 to Rogers and Kindall as a kickback. The second superseding indictment alleges that, from in or about March 2019 through April 2023, Rogers and Kindall conspired with Plump to defraud and obtain money from the Fund. It is alleged that it was part of the conspiracy that Rogers, with Kindall’s assistance, recommended during each fiscal year that most of his allotment of Fund money be paid to Piper Davis. In turn, Plump agreed to pay kickbacks to Rogers and Kindall. Rogers, Kindall, and Plump submitted false and fraudulent information to the Committee about Piper Davis’s intended use of Fund money; and Rogers’s certifications on the request forms were false. Upon receipt and deposit of Fund checks, Plump gave checks to Rogers and Kindall for approximately one-half of the amount of Fund money received by Piper Davis. Additionally, the second superseding indictment alleges that, after learning about the federal investigation into the fraud scheme, Rogers and Kindall attempted to obstruct justice by offering a witness grant money as a bribe and otherwise trying to corruptly persuade the witness to give false information to federal agents. It is also alleged that Rogers and Kindall agreed that she would accept full responsibility for the crimes and falsely tell federal investigators that Rogers did not participate in the scheme in exchange for Rogers’s promise to take care of personal issues for Kindall if she went to prison. As part of that agreement, Rogers had Kindall give false statements to investigators and prosecutors during a meeting at the United States Attorney’s Office on May 25, 2023. The maximum penalty for the fraud conspiracy and substantive fraud counts is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to obstruct justice is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice is twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for obstruction of justice by bribery is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for making a false statement is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from investigators from the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine Crosby and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Justice Department Announces Terrorism and Sanctions-Evasion Charges and Seizures Linked to Illicit, Billion-Dollar Global Oil Trafficking Network That Finances Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Its Malign Activities

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of three federal cases, across two U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, as the most recent in a series of efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil that funds Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), and its Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Iran’s primary mechanism for cultivating and providing lethal support to terrorist organizations abroad. In the Southern District of New York, seven defendants, including a leader within Iran’s IRGC and officers of a Turkish energy group, are charged with terrorism, sanctions-evasion, fraud, and money laundering offenses in connection with their trafficking and selling of Iranian oil to government-affiliated buyers in China, Russia, and Syria, in order to finance the IRGC-QF. Additionally, the United States seized $108 million used as part of these defendants’ scheme to fund the IRGC-QF. In a related action, in the District of Columbia, a Chinese woman and Omani man are charged with sanctions-evasion and money laundering offenses in connection with the trafficking and selling of Iranian oil to Chinese government-owned refineries. Additionally, in the District of Columbia, a forfeiture complaint for the seizure of illicit Iranian oil was unsealed, alleging that more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel is forfeitable under terrorism laws as property that provides a source of funding to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. “Iran utilizes the proceeds of its black-market oil sales to fund its criminal activities, including its support of the IRGC, Hamas, Hizballah, and other Iranian aligned terrorist groups,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is targeting this funding source by seizing over $108 million and 500,000 barrels of fuel that would otherwise have enabled Iran to further its destabilizing activities that threaten our national security. In addition to disrupting Iran’s unlawful funding streams, the Justice Department has also charged nine individuals for their roles in supporting Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The Justice Department will continue to use every authority we have to cut off the illegal financing and enabling of Iran’s malicious activities, which have become even more evident in recent months.” “While Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Qods Force are the regime’s terrorist strongarms, oil is its lifeblood,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s enforcement actions show that the Justice Department is committed to using every tool – from criminal prosecutions to the lawful seizures of Iranian oil and oil profits – to shut down Iran’s pipeline of petroleum and profits. The charges and seizures announced today strike at the core of the global oil smuggling network that Iran has built to fund its regime of terror and repression, and deny the regime millions of dollars in proceeds to further its nefarious agenda.” “Iran presents a constant threat to the United States – trying to murder Americans right here within our borders, conducting a cyber-attack on a children’s hospital, supporting terrorists around the world, and more,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “All of Iran’s crimes cost money. And the FBI will remain committed to enforcing U.S. sanctions that keep money out of its coffers.” “Today’s cases are part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to cut off the flow of black-market Iranian oil that funds the regime’s malign activity, threatening the United States and our interests around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We remain focused on holding accountable those involved in these smuggling schemes, from the officials who oversee the laundering operations, to the network of shadowy businesses that enable them, to the brokers who help facilitate these unlawful transactions.” United States v. Shahriyari et al. (SDNY) Note: view the indictment here Seven defendants – including a senior IRGC-QF official, the son of Rostam Ghasemi, a former IRGC Commander and Iranian Minister of Petroleum, an Iranian shipping official, an agent of the IRGC-QF – are charged in a five-count indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court. In connection with these charges, the United States has seized $108 million that China Oil & Petrolium Company Limited, an IRGC front company, attempted to launder through correspondent transaction accounts at U.S. financial institutions in furtherance of the scheme to fund the IRGC-QF’s malign activities through the illicit sale of Iranian oil. In addition, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) announced today that it has sanctioned China Oil & Petroleum Company Limited for its role in the oil trafficking network. “For years, the IRGC and its Qods Force have been instrumental in the Iranian regime’s violent suppression of political dissent, targeting of Iranian dissidents living abroad, and support of international terrorism — including groups like Hamas, Hizballah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Today’s charges show how, as alleged, the IRGC’s Qods force built a sprawling international network of front companies to launder sanctioned Iranian oil using lies, forgery, and threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “This alleged scheme to finance the Qods Force succeeds through the complicity of wealthy businessmen in countries like Turkey who are eager to turn a corrupt profit from supporting terror groups. The Qods Force oil-laundering network allegedly delivered millions of barrels of Iranian oil to government-affiliated buyers in Russia, China, and Syria, and transferred billions of dollars through the U.S. financial system. This office has long served at the forefront of law enforcement efforts to fight terrorism and terror finance and to protect the integrity of the U.S. banking system. I commend the tireless and outstanding efforts of our law enforcement partners in unraveling and disrupting the IRGC’s scheme.” The indictment charges: Behnam Shahriyari , 58, an Iranian national, is a publicly identified IRGC-QF senior official. In 2011, OFAC designated Shahriyari as a Specially Designated National (SDN). Morteza Rostam Ghasemi , 32, an Iranian national and SDN since 2019, is the son of IRGC-QF Commander Rostam Ghasemi. Mohammadreza Aliakbari , an Iranian national and SDN since 2019, is a senior officer with Safiran Payam Darya Shipping Company, which acts on behalf of the Government of Iran. Mohammad Sadegh Karimian l, 36, an Iranian national and SDN since 2022, acts as an IRGC-QF agent. Sitki Ayan , 61, a Turkish national and SDN since December 2022, is the chairman of the ASB Group of companies , which includes Som Petrol Ticaret A.S., Baslam Petrol Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S., and Baslam Nakliyat Ve Dis Ticaret Ltd. Sirketi, all of which have been designated by OFAC as SDNs since December 2022. Bahaddin Ayan , 35, a Turkish national, is the son of Sitki Ayan and a vice president of the ASB Group of companies and SDN since December 2022. Kasim Oztas , 41, a Turkish national and SDN since December 2022, has been managing director of the ASB Group of companies. According to the indictment, following the imposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran’s petroleum sector in 2018, the Government of Iran’s ability to finance itself through sales of crude oil and petroleum products – Iran’s most important economic sector – was severely diminished. In response, the IRGC-QF built a large-scale global oil laundering network to give Iran’s government-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) illicit access to global markets to sell crude oil and petroleum products and to use the proceeds to finance the IRGC-QF. To sell NIOC crude oil to the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the network used an intermediary company in Lebanon to conceal the Government of Iran’s involvement in the oil sales and a ship management company based in India to buy, lease, and manage oil tankers to use in the scheme. The oil tanker fleet was supervised by Aliakbari, and the key agreements between the Government of Iran and its foreign partners were authorized and approved by IRGC-QF Commander Rostam Ghasemi, who previously served as Iran’s Minister of Oil, Minister of Transportation and Urban Development, and the Iranian chair of the Iranian-Syrian Economic Relations Development Committee. To sell NIOC crude oil to government-affiliated buyers in China, the network used the ASB Group of companies in Turkey, owned by Sitki Ayan, as well as intermediary companies in Oman, Greece, and elsewhere. Commander Ghasemi again authorized and approved key agreements between the Government of Iran and its foreign partners and resolved financial disputes that arose among the participants in the scheme. Companies in the ASB Group acted as intermediaries in the oil sales to conceal the Government of Iran’s role and the Iranian origin of the oil and leased oil tankers that were operated by co-conspirators. Sitki Ayan’s son and senior ASB Group officer, Bahaddin Ayan, assisted Sitki Ayan in the scheme and caused millions of dollars of wire transfers through the U.S. banking system for the leasing and operation of oil tankers. Oztas, who was a manager of the ASB Group of companies, also assisted Sitki Ayan in carrying out the scheme and finalizing agreements with ASB Group’s partners. Shahriyari, Karimian, and Aliakbari participated in negotiations among the participants and monitored the progress of the oil sales, oil shipments, and the IRGC-QF’s receipt of the oil proceeds. To sell NIOC crude oil to government-affiliated buyers in Russia, the network again used the ASB Group of companies, along with other companies in the United Arab Emirites, Cyprus, Russia, and Turkey. Shahriyari and Karimian organized a complex web of companies, with Sitki Ayan’s ASB Group of companies at the center, to launder NIOC oil and the proceeds through layered transactions with a Cypriot company and to launder the oil sales through bulk cash smuggling and trade-based money laundering involving Russian agricultural products. Commander Ghasemi and his co-conspirators, including Karimian, controlled the proceeds of the oil sales, which were collected in Russia and transferred through cash couriers, Sitki Ayan’s companies, or the Iranian Embassy in Moscow. In furtherance of the oil-laundering scheme, the defendants used a myriad of deceptive techniques including: 1) the use of front companies and intermediaries in countries outside of Iran to disguise the IRGC’s role in the oil transactions and the Iranian source of the oil; 2) the use of falsified documentation to misrepresent the source of the oil and deceive unwitting companies and banks and cause them to provide services in furtherance of the scheme; and 3) the use of ship-to-ship transfers and the manipulation of location and shipping data for vessels used in furtherance of the scheme in order to obscure the loading and unloading of their Iranian oil cargoes and avoid the identification of the vessels used to facilitate the oil laundering. One of the key IRGC-QF front companies involved in the scheme was China Oil and Petroleum Company Limited (China Oil and Petroleum), which, despite its name, was controlled from Iran by Commander Ghasemi and his associates, including Karimian. China Oil and Petroleum acted as an intermediary in sales of NIOC oil, including deals involving Sitki Ayan’s ASB Group of companies, in order to facilitate the ultimate delivery to government-affiliated buyers in China. Between at least 2019 and the present, China Oil and Petroleum has been involved in the transfer of more than $2 billion through the U.S. financial system in furtherance of the scheme to finance the IRGC-QF. Each of the defendants is charged with: (i) conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (ii) conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Governments of Iran and Syria, global terrorists and proliferators of weapons of mass destruction, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; (iii) conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; (iv) conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and (v) conspiring to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, David W. Denton Jr., and Nicholas S. Bradley are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Lim, Beaudre Barnes, and Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. United States v. Wang et al. (DDC) Note: View the indictment here. Two defendants – Shaoyun Wang, 54, of China, and Mahmood Rashid Amur Al Habsi , 39, of Muscat, Oman – are charged in a 12-count indictment that was unsealed today in the District of Colombia. The indictment charges the defendants with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against Iran; conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering stemming from their scheme to sell Iranian petroleum to Chinese government-owned refineries and illegally use the U.S. financial system to facilitate the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of oil to benefit the IRGC. Also unsealed today was a warrant for a related seizure of $8.5 million connected to this network. “The only way that Iran can illegally sell oil is if people and business organizations outside Iran help it to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The indictment unsealed today demonstrates that the U.S. government will seek to hold accountable those who knowingly help Iran illegally sell oil – wherever in the world they are located.” According to the indictment, between December 2019 and July 2021, Wang, Al Habsi, and other co-conspirators negotiated the sale of and sold illicit Iranian oil to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). They allegedly obtained the oil from Iran using surreptitious means which included AIS spoofing and multiple transfers between ocean-going tankers. The scheme relied on the use of the U.S. financial system and was facilitated by Turkish, Omani, and U.S. persons and entities, all in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. The indictment further alleges that Wang and Al Habsi created fraudulent documents to mask that the oil originated from Iran, used electronic communications to arrange for Chinese buyers of the Iranian oil, used shell corporations to launder the proceeds through the U.S. financial system and provided false information to the U.S. companies about the source of the money generated by the transactions. In addition, the defendants used U.S. companies as a “trust” to hold the profits for the IRGC. Al Habsi, acting through one of his companies, procured a $16.5 million loan in June 2020 from U.S. financial companies to purchase an oil tanker, later named M/T Oman Pride. Beginning in July 2020, the Oman Pride transported Iranian oil, which was ultimately transferred to third-party vessels for sale to Chinese government-owned refineries and companies in China. As alleged, Wang used a U.S. front company, worked with a U.S. person, and relied on U.S. financial institutions to facilitate the sale of the Iranian oil to China. Wang – who served as a director of a Chinese oil refinery – was also the chair of a U.S. company in Las Vegas, Nevada, and general manager of the U.S. company’s Hong Kong-based parent company. The Hong Kong company acted as a front for transactions. Wang engaged with senior IRGC officials to effect the purchases. The scheme resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of transactions that were processed by U.S. banks and facilitated by U.S. persons. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. and the FBI Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Seifert, Maeghan Mikorski, Rajbir Datta, and Prava Palacharla for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys David Lim, Beaudre Barnes, and Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne and Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. U.S. v. Approximately 523,507 Barrels Aboard Crude Oil Tanker Abyss (DDC) A civil forfeiture complaint was unsealed today in the District of Columbia, alleging that more than 500,000 barrels of Iranian fuel oil valued at over $25 million previously onboard M/T Abyss is forfeitable under terrorism laws as property that provides a source of funds to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. “The complaint unsealed today is the latest in a series of actions our Office has taken to seize and to forfeit oil that Iran has attempted to illegally sell,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “Forfeiture actions like this one disrupt Iran’s efforts to illegally sell oil. The proceeds from these illegal sales are the lifeblood of the Iranian’s efforts to sew war and terror around the globe, disrupting these sales is critical to our national security.” The document alleges a scheme to facilitate the shipment and sale of Iranian fuel oil for the benefit of the IRGC and the IRGC-QF. The IRGC and its facilitators used deceptive practices to masquerade the oil as Iraqi, including manipulating the vessel’s automatic identification system reporting and presenting falsified documents. The civil forfeiture action further alleges that the fuel oil constitutes the property of the NIOC, which has provided material support to the IRGC and IRGC-QF. As alleged, profits from petroleum product sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses. Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. The FBI Minneapolis Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York are investigating the Abyss case related to Iranian fuel oil, and other cases were investigated by these offices as well as HSI’s Washington, D.C. and Colorado Springs offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert, Maeghan O. Mikorski, Brian Hudak, Rajbir S. Datta, and Erika Oblea for the District of Columbia are litigating the case related to Iranian fuel oil aboard the Abyss, with support from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. They received assistance from Paralegal Specialist Brian Rickers. The U.S. Marshals Service provided significant assistance in this matter. A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government. *** These enforcement actions are the latest in Justice Department efforts to combat the illicit trafficking of Iranian oil in violation of U.S. law. On Sept. 8, 2023, the Department announced a seizure of oil onboard the tanker Suez Rajan, a criminal plea by its ownership company, and a deferred prosecution agreement by its operating company, all arising out of the tanker’s transport of illicit Iranian oil. The oil was sold for $74 million, and the proceeds of the sale are now subject to the civil forfeiture process. These recent actions build on prior enforcement cases the Department of Justice has brought in the District of Columbia related to seizures of illicit Iranian oil since 2019. For example, on July 1, 2020, the Department filed a civil asset forfeiture complaint against all the petroleum seized onboard the four oil tankers, the Bella, Bering, Pandi, and Luna, which were carrying Iranian petroleum to Venezuela. The petroleum onboard these four tankers was sold for approximately $45 million. Similarly, on Feb. 2, 2021, the Department of Justice filed a civil asset forfeiture against all petroleum seized onboard the oil tanker Achilleas, which was transporting NIOC petroleum. The petroleum on the Achilleas was sold for approximately $111 million. *** In December 2023 , the Department of Justice joined with the Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, State, and Treasury to issue a joint “Know Your Cargo” compliance note highlighting common tactics deployed by malign actors in the maritime and other transportation industries as well as recent enforcement actions taken in response to alleged violations. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on January 30, 2024. Cole Bogen Bettin, age 28, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Bettin will also need to register as a sex offender upon his release. Bettin was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 27, 2023. The conviction stemmed from incidents between March 5, 2023, and March 6, 2023, when Bettin, using his cellular phone to access the application Grindr, attempted to persuade an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old male to distribute child pornography to him. This case was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the SD Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Bettin was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Failure to Register

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 22, 2024. Eugene Featherman, age 35, was sentenced to 22 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Featherman was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023. Featherman was previously convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota. As a result of this conviction, he is required to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, which includes registering within three business days of any change in residence, employment, or student status. In November of 2022, Featherman relocated from Rapid City to Sioux Falls and properly registered with the Sioux Falls Police Department. Investigation revealed that beginning January 25, 2023, Featherman was no longer staying at his registered address. His whereabouts were unknown until April 27, 2023, when he was arrested in Rapid City. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case. Featherman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Kyle Man Sentenced for Assault Charge

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on January 25, 2024. Marcus Pawnee Leggins, 35, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Pawnee Leggins was indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 13, 2023. The conviction stems from Pawnee Leggins beating a male in June of 2023 near Kyle. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case. Pawnee Leggins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Former Broward Sheriff’s Office lieutenant charged with COVID-19 relief fraud scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Jan. 5, a former Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Department of Detention lieutenant was charged with two counts of wire fraud for allegedly fraudulently obtaining a total of $167,750 in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. On April 1, 2021, Ernest Bernard Gonder Jr., 41, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, allegedly submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application misrepresenting EBG Properties LLC’s average monthly payroll and number of employees, according to the allegations in the information. In support of this application, Gonder also allegedly submitted multiple fraudulent IRS Forms 941. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, a New Jersey-based Small Business Administration (SBA)-approved PPP lender disbursed $106,540 to a bank account controlled by Gonder in the name of EBG Properties. The information also alleges that on April 6, 2021, Gonder submitted a second false and fraudulent PPP loan application misrepresenting The Impact Center of Broward County Inc’s average monthly payroll and number of employees. In support of this application, Gonder also allegedly submitted multiple fraudulent IRS Forms 941. As a result of this false and fraudulent application, the New Jersey-based SBA-approved PPP lender disbursed $61,210 to a bank account controlled by Gonder in the name of The Impact Center of Broward County. The information further alleges that Gonder used the proceeds of the scheme to enrich himself. Gonder also sought and received forgiveness of the two PPP loans he received, as alleged in the information. On Jan. 30, Gonder made his initial appearance in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. If convicted, Gonder faces up to 20 years in prison on each count. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker of the Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (FRB-CFPB), and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement. FBI Miami, FRB-CFPB Office of Inspector General and BSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco is handling asset forfeiture. These charges stem from the Department of Justice’s ongoing initiative to prosecute fraud in connection with COVID-19 pandemic relief programs that offered assistance under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, as well as other crimes relating to the pandemic. An information contains mere allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-60003. ###


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on January 29, 2024. Jonah Earl Severson, age 24, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Severson will be required to register as a sex offender once he is released from federal prison. Severson was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 19, 2023. The conviction stemmed from incidents between March 6, 2023, and March 15, 2023, when Severson, using his cellular phone to access the social media application MeetMe, attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female to engage in sexual activity. This case was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the SD Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Severson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Jury Finds Two District Men Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed  In Killing of Man in Southeast Washington

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Delonte Stevenson, 28, and Vorreze Thomas Jr., 26, both of Washington, D.C., have been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed, and related charges in the January 2021 shooting of Terrance Allen, 32, in Southeast Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Stevenson and Thomas were also found guilty yesterday of conspiracy, two counts of assault with intent to kill, and various firearms related charges. The jury returned a verdict after less than a day of deliberations following a 13-day trial before the Honorable Marisa J. Demeo in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for April 19, 2024. According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, on the morning of January 18, 2021, Stevenson and Thomas’ vehicle intercepted a vehicle driven by Allen as it was leaving the Stanton Glen Apartments. Stevenson fired thirty-four shots with a rifle, while sitting in the front passenger’s seat, into the back of Allen’s vehicle. As a result, Allen was killed and two other passengers in Allen’s car were wounded. Allen was not the intended target; rather, Stevenson and Thomas were attempting to kill one of the other men in the car with Allen with whom they had a dispute. Following the shooting Stevenson and Thomas attempted to flee the scene. A nearby MPD officer heard the shooting, observed Stevenson and Thomas fleeing the scene and was given authorization to pursue. Stevenson and Thomas eventually crashed their vehicle at the intersection of 29 th and Erie Street SE and successfully fled on foot. However, officers later located the murder weapon in the flight path. Police also recovered a cell phone belonging to Thomas from the crashed vehicle. Both men were arrested on February 17, 2021, and have been in custody since that time. The government’s evidence at trial included video surveillance, cell site records, ShotSpotter audio, body worn camera footage, ballistics evidence, and DNA evidence. This case is being investigated by Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack Korba, Miles Janssen and Zach Horton.


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to Nearly 24 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Children

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to nearly 24 years in federal prison for recruiting two children to travel to Chicago from Indiana to engage in sex acts for money. A jury in 2022 convicted KENNEDY SPENCER, 55, of Chicago, on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the sentence on Jan. 25, 2024, during a hearing in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Tinley Park, Ill. Police Department and the FBI Resident Agency in South Bend, Ind. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Erskine and Erika L. Csicsila. According to evidence presented at trial, the victims were under the age of 18 when Spencer induced them to travel to Chicago in the spring of 2018. Once in the city, Spencer on multiple occasions arranged for the victims to meet with individuals to engage in commercial sex acts. A co-conspirator – RONALD WILLIAMS, 65, of Lynwood, Ill. – drove the victims to some of the meetings. Afterward, Spencer and Williams kept the bulk of the proceeds. Both victims testified at trial about having been sex trafficked by Spencer and Williams. Williams was also convicted on trafficking and conspiracy charges. He was sentenced in 2023 to 15 years in federal prison. If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to www.cybertipline.com .


title: Oglala Man Sentenced on Firearm Charge

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced an Oglala, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 25, 2024. Bradley Two Eagle, 24, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, follow by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Two Eagle was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2023. The conviction stems from Two Eagle, while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, knowingly being in possession of a Taurus International 9 mm caliber semi-automatic handgun in Rapid City in June of 2023. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case. Two Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 30, 2024. Robert Walter White, age 36, was sentenced to 12 months and a day in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. White was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. He pleaded guilty on September 27, 2023. The conviction stems from White failing to register as a sex offender as required by federal law between February 14, 2023, and April 19, 2023. White had previously been convicted of a sex offense in federal court which requires him to register for the rest of his life. This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . White was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Scottsdale Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Investment Fraud

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – David Allen Harbour, 50, of Scottsdale, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes, to eight years in prison. After a five-week trial, a jury convicted Harbour of crimes involving wire fraud and transactional money laundering on March 2, 2023. On March 7, 2023, Harbour also pleaded guilty to tax evasion, agreeing that he evaded more than $4 million in taxes. According to the evidence introduced at trial, Harbour acted as a self-styled investment advisor and defrauded numerous investors between 2007 and 2021. Harbour misrepresented the nature of the various investments and omitted material facts. The total loss to investors exceeded $8 million. Harbour diverted money to pay for a lavish lifestyle including numerous private country club memberships, expensive jewelry, multimillion dollar vacation residences, private jet travel, speed boats, luxury vehicles, and extravagant parties that included a private concert at his 40 th birthday party by the 1970’s rock band the Eagles. Some of these items were seized by the government during the investigation, including a Patek Philippe watch, a Rolex watch, gold and diamond jewelry, and two country club memberships. The proceeds from these items will be used towards partial restitution for the victims. At sentencing, the judge specifically increased Harbour’s sentence for his efforts at tampering with witnesses prior to trial by paying or attempting to pay them off in exchange for not testifying against him. “The defendant will have eight years in federal prison to reflect on his long-term pattern of deception,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “Justice for the victims continues, as we work to determine the final amount of restitution, and to use the forfeited assets to restore some of the losses.” “This eight-year prison sentence stands as a reminder that IRS CI will diligently investigate and hold accountable those who seek to defraud the American public,” said IRS CI Phoenix Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick. “And, by teaming with our federal partners, we will continue to aggressively investigate corruption at every level.” “This sentence sends a clear message that those who commit financial fraud will be held accountable,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis. “Investors should expect nothing less than complete candor and truth from their investment advisors. The FBI and our agency partners will continue to identify, investigate and pursue those who perpetrate criminal schemes for their own profit.” This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Rapp and Coleen Schoch, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-19-00898-PHX-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-013_Harbour # # # 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: Nurse Sentenced To Federal Prison For Illegal Prescription Scheme

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Debora Ryder (56, New Port Richey) to three years in federal prison for drug conspiracy. Ryder entered a guilty plea on September 19, 2023. She has also agreed to forfeit her nursing licenses. According to court documents, Ryder was a Florida-licensed advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), registered nurse (RN), and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registrant who conspired with another individual to distribute controlled substances in the names of individuals without lawful authority. As an APRN and DEA registrant, Ryder had the authority to issue prescriptions for controlled substances, however, she knew her licensing became delinquent on July 31, 2022, making her ineligible to issue controlled substances. From August to September 2022, Ryder conspired with another individual, who provided Ryder with more than a dozen identifications and driver licenses for Ryder’s use, to issue prescriptions for promethazine with codeine and oxycodone without any medical evaluation. Ryder received cash and electronic payments in exchange for each controlled substance prescription she issued. Records revealed Ryder issued approximately 84 illegal prescriptions during the conspiracy. Additionally, between January 2021 and August 2022, Ryder illegally issued 34 oxycodone and hydromorphone prescriptions in the name of J.R., Ryder’s deceased husband who died in 2018. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (Tampa District Office) and the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit. The Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit was created by the Department of Justice to help combat the devastating opioid crisis. The Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit focuses specifically on opioid-related health care fraud, using data to identify and prosecute individuals contributing to the prescription opioid epidemic. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.


title: Madison Man Sentenced for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Madison, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on January 30, 2024. Treton Anderson, age 26, was sentenced to 15 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Anderson will also need to register as a sex offender upon his release. Anderson was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on October 2, 2023. The conviction stemmed from incidents between December 18, 2021, and June 29, 2022, when Anderson, using his cellular phone to access the internet, and using his Kik account, distributed digital files containing child pornography. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Anderson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Mexican National Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Trafficking Methamphetamine

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Benancio Pineda (50, Mexico) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Pineda entered a guilty plea on September 28, 2023. According to court documents, on December 20, 2022, Pineda met with an individual at a gas station in Wimauma and sold him approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. This methamphetamine was 96% pure. On June 16, 2023, Pineda drove to meet the same person in Wimauma to sell him 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, but Pineda was pulled over by law enforcement near Sun City Center. Law enforcement recovered approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine from inside of Pineda’s car. This methamphetamine was 97% pure. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Georgia Man Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For Tax Fraud And Operation Of Bogus Credit Repair Businesses

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kevin Edward Hargrave a/k/a “Kevin Edward Wade,” of Locust Grove, Georgia, to five years in federal prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud and to defraud the United States for the purpose of impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1.5 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud conspiracy. Hargrave was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims, including $418,115 to the IRS. Hargrave entered a guilty plea on October 4, 2022. According to court documents, Hargrave controlled a number of companies, including WSA Optimization Firm, Inc., that purported to offer “credit repair services” to the public. Hargrave promoted these services through multiple company-specific websites, radio advertising, emails, text messages, and posts on YouTube.com and other social media sites. These marketing campaigns promised to “erase bad credit” information from consumers’ credit reports within 90 days – “guaranteed.” Notwithstanding these promises, multiple customers reported to federal investigators that they paid for credit repair services, saw no such results, and were denied refunds. When an undercover federal agent called to inquire about these credit repair services, he was told that WSA Optimization used “federal laws to remove all negative derogatory items off your credit.” Further, the agent was told “we are able to remove those items off your credit without you paying [creditors] back.” A company representative also claimed that WSA Optimization employed a team of 5 attorneys and 23 paralegals who worked to remove negative credit information from credit reports. In reality, Hargrave did not employ a team of attorneys or paralegals. Instead, supposedly to improve its customers’ credit scores, company representatives would send form letters to each credit reporting agency and falsely claim that all negative credit information on the customers’ credit reports was the product of identity theft or fraud. These letters – which did not disclose that they were mass produced by WSA Optimization – were sent in envelopes listing a fictional return address. An analysis of bank records established that more than $8 million in deposits were made into the business bank accounts controlled by Hargrave and a family member, and that significant funds were diverted from those accounts to pay for luxury vehicles, mortgage payments on their residence, personal credit cards, jewelry, items at retail stores, utilities, restaurants, and other living expenses. For example, funds were used to make over $128,000 in mortgage payments on Hargrave’s residence in Fernandina Beach, which he sold in 2022 for $870,000. Similarly, approximately $300,000 was used to make down-payments and monthly financing payments on automobiles owned by Hargrave and a family member, including a Lamborghini Gallardo, a Rolls Royce Wraith, a Porsche Boxster, a Range Rover, a Ford F-150, and two Mercedes Benz vehicles. An analysis of Hargrave’s real and personal property, certain business records, credit card statements, and the bank records collectively demonstrate that his joint tax returns for tax years 2016 through 2019 underreported taxable income and improperly claimed certain business expenses. A financial investigator with the IRS estimated that since 2015, by underreporting his and a family member’s tax liability, Hargrave has caused the United States to lose approximately $418,115 in tax revenue. “It was clear that Mr. Hargrave believed the law did not apply to him,” stated IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Lani Rosado-Espinal. “Despite being in the midst of a global pandemic, he stole millions of dollars from vulnerable people, who were struggling financially and defrauded the IRS. IRS-CI and the FBI will continue to partner with the United States Attorney’s Office to identify, investigate and assist in the prosecution of criminals like Mr. Hargrave, whose greed leads them to prey on others, including U.S. taxpayers.” “Fraud and corruption pose a fundamental threat to our national security and our way of life,” said Michael C. Malsch, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “The FBI is committed to coordinating with our partners and aggressively pursuing those who take advantage of others for their personal gain. This sentencing should serve as a warning to others who might engage in these types of schemes.” This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.


title: Terrebonne Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHRISTOPHER CARTER, JR. , age 30, a resident of Gray, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on February 1, 2024 to two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Administration agents utilized a confidential source to conduct two audio-video recorded controlled purchases of methamphetamine from CARTER . The first controlled purchase was for 49 grams of methamphetamine on May 19, 2021. The second controlled purchase was for 126 grams of methamphetamine on June 17, 2021. For Count 1, CARTER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years, up to forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four (4) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For Count 2, CARTER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten (10) years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, and at least five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For both counts, CARTER faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Terrebonne Parish Sherriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Miami felon convicted at trial of armed Hobbs Act robbery

body_text: MIAMI – On Jan. 24, a federal jury found a Miami felon guilty of Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, Hobbs Act robbery, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. During a six-day trial, the government presented DNA, firearms and ballistics, cell-site data, surveillance footage, photographic, testimonial, forensic, and other evidence showing that on April 3, 2022, Frederick Lee Alvin, 39, of Miami, Florida, robbed a market in Little Havana. After Alvin entered the store wearing a mask and dressed in all black, he demanded money from the register, fired a gun at the cashier’s feet, and fled with $3,400 from the register and the cashier’s wallet. Alvin was later arrested at a local motel in possession of the same firearm that he used during the market robbery. Sentencing is scheduled for April 17 before U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz. Alvin faces up to life in prison. Alvin had been previously convicted of three prior felony offenses, which triggered the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) enhancement. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, announced the conviction. ATF Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Rosenzweig and Abbie Waxman are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling asset forfeiture. This prosecution is a part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through the PSN program a broad spectrum of law enforcement and community 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 to reduce violence crime and gun violence, and to make our local neighborhoods safer for everyone. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 22-cr-20244. ###


title: Colombian National Sentenced To Over 17 Years For Recruiting Mariners To Traffic More Than 12,000 Kilograms Of Cocaine To The Sinaloa Cartel

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Alonso Pineda-Torres (52, Colombia), a/k/a “Galladita,” to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine on board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Pineda-Torres entered a guilty plea on October 11, 2019, after his arrest and extradition from Colombia. According to court records, Pineda-Torres was a member of a transnational criminal organization that dispatched self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessels from Colombia into the Pacific Ocean, destined for Sinaloa Cartel members in Oaxaca, Mexico. Pineda-Torres recruited SPSS crew members for these trips, delivered money to them, and assisted in the departure of an SPSS. Two of these SPSS vessels were interdicted in international waters, resulting in the seizure of over 12,000 kilograms of cocaine and the prosecution of the crewmembers in the Middle District of Florida. This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Pineda-Torres. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.


title: Operators of High-End Brothel Network Indicted by Grand Jury

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Three individuals previously arrested and charged in November 2023 in connection with operating sophisticated high-end brothels in greater Boston and eastern Virginia have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston, Mass. The following individuals have each been indicted on one count of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution; and one count of money laundering conspiracy: Han Lee, a/k/a “Hana,” 41, of Cambridge, Mass.; James Lee, 68, of Torrance, Calif.; and Junmyung Lee, 30, of Dedham, Mass. According to the charging documents, from at least July 2020, the defendants operated an interstate prostitution network with multiple brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Mass., as well as in Fairfax and Tysons, Va. It is alleged that the defendants collectively established the infrastructure for brothels in multiple states which they used to persuade, induce and entice women – primarily Asian women – to travel to Massachusetts and Virginia to engage in prostitution. Specifically, the defendants allegedly rented high-end apartment complexes as brothel locations, which they furnished and regularly maintained. It is further alleged that the defendants coordinated the women’s airline travel and transportation and permitted women to stay overnight in the brothel locations so they did not have to find lodging elsewhere, therefore enticing women to participate in their prostitution network. According to court documents, the defendants established house rules for the women during their stays in a given city to protect and maintain the secrecy of the business and ensure that the women did not draw attention to the prostitution work inside apartment buildings. The defendants allegedly advertised their prostitution network primarily on two websites – bostontopten10.com and browneyesgirlsva.blog – which offered appointments with women in either greater Boston or eastern Virginia, respectively. It is alleged that the defendants purchased and registered the bostontop10.com domain in August 2016. Both websites purported to advertise nude models for professional photography at upscale studios as a front for prostitution offered through appointments. According to court documents, each website described a verification process that interested sex buyers undertook to be eligible for appointment bookings– including requiring clients complete a form providing their full names, email address, phone number, employer and reference if they had one. It is alleged that the defendants persuaded the women to work for this prostitution network because the business maintained a regular customer base of men that were adequately screened, ensuring that the customers were not members of law enforcement or men who posed a risk to the safety and security of the commercial sex workers. It is further alleged that the defendants maintained local brothel phone numbers which they used to communicate with verified customers and schedule appointments via text messages; send customers a “menu” of available options at the brothel, including the women and sexual services available and the hourly rate; and to text customers directions to the brothel’s location where they engaged in commercial sex with the women. According to the charging documents, the defendants charged sex buyers a premium price for appointments with the women advertised on their websites, which ranged from approximately $350 to upwards of $600 per hour depending on the services and were paid in cash. The defendants also allegedly concealed the proceeds of the prostitution network through depositing hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash proceeds into their personal bank accounts and peer-to-peer transfers. Additionally, it is alleged that the defendants regularly used hundreds of thousands of dollars of the cash proceeds from the prostitution business to purchase money orders (in values under an amount that would trigger reporting and identification requirements) to conceal the source of the funds. These money orders were then used to pay for rent and utilities at brothel locations in Massachusetts and Virginia. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . The charge of conspiracy to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce one or more individuals to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of funds laundered, whatever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Central District of California; Eastern District of Virginia; U.S. Postal Service; and Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquelle Kaye, of the Asset Recovery Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession Charge

body_text: WASHINGTON -- Kenneth Hart, 25, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on January 30, 2024, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Hart entered the guilty plea in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 17, 2024. The defendant has been detained since November 1, 2023. According to the government’s evidence, on November 1, 2023, at approximately 5:30 p.m. law enforcement were at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. and Mellon Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C. The defendant, Kenneth Hart was inside a restaurant, exited and started walking towards Malcolm X Ave., Southeast. Law enforcement followed behind and the defendant then turned a corner and entered into a liquor store. Law enforcement entered the store saw the defendant at the rear in front of a refrigerator with the door open. The defendant’s hand were inside the refrigerator as he was placing a firearm on the left side of the refrigerator. The defendant was placed under arrest and officers recovered a Springfield Armory XDS-9 firearm that was loaded with 9 millimeter ammunition. There was one round in the chamber and there were six bullets in the magazine. The case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhood. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.


title: Apopka Man Sentenced To More Than Three Years In Prison  In Connection With Gun Store Burglaries

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Jeremy Middleton (25, Apopka) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of stolen firearms. The court also ordered Middleton to forfeit the 13 stolen firearms he had in his possession. Middleton entered a guilty plea on September 13, 2023. According to court documents, on January 4, 2023, Middleton drove to a federally licensed gun store in Melbourne and breached the back door with what appeared to be a grinder and a hammer. Middleton entered the store and stole 13 firearms, carrying them out in a black trash bag. Surveillance image of Middleton from the Melbourne gun store. On January 6, 2023, Middleton attempted to breach the door of a gun store in Clearwater, but was disrupted by law enforcement and arrested. Two of the firearms stolen from the gun store in Melbourne were recovered in the vehicle Middleton was driving, and the 11 remaining stolen firearms were recovered from a trash bag in the yard at Middleton’s residence. The trash bag from Middleton’s yard containing the stolen firearms from Melbourne. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Melbourne Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu. 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: Orange County felon sentenced for federal firearms violation

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas– An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Lance Steven Allen Jefferson, 36, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on Feb. 1, 2024. According to information presented in court, on May 11, 2023, Jefferson was stopped by law enforcement officers for a traffic violation on IH-10 in Beaumont. Jefferson told officers he had marijuana in the center console of the vehicle as well as a firearm under the seat. During a search of Jefferson’s vehicle, officers discovered a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat that had been reported stolen in Orange. Further investigation revealed Jefferson was a previously convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn. # # #


title: Beckley Man Sentenced for Federal Fraud Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Timothy Gross, 39, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years of probation and ordered to pay $65,275.44 in restitution for wire fraud. Gross admitted to making a fraudulent payment with an employer-issued credit card as part of a scheme to divert $65,275.44 in credit card charges to his personal bank account. According to court documents and statements made in court, Gross was hired by Amerihost LLC in 2020 as a maintenance worker for Beckley Town Homes, a multi-unit apartment building in Beckley. Amerihost issued Gross a credit card for legitimate business purposes and not for personal use. On April 5, 2020, Gross used his Amerihost-issued credit card to submit a $1,712 payment to “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing.” Gross admitted that no work had been conducted to justify the payment, and that he created a fraudulent invoice that described the payment as being for eight circuit-breaker panel boxes. Gross further admitted that he opened an account for “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing” on the Square payments platform to divert payments from the Amerihost-issued credit card for his personal use, and linked that Square account to his personal bank account. On at least 38 separate occasions from at least January 1, 2020, until at least April 15, 2020, Gross used the Amerihost-issued credit card to send $65,275.44 in unauthorized, fraudulent payments to “J and Sons Electrical and Plumbing” for work that was not performed. Gross created false work invoices as part of his scheme. “This defendant’s wrongdoing required purposeful planning, and he persisted all the while knowing that his actions were criminal,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The defendant abused the trust and authority placed in him to enrich himself, and today’s sentence serves as a deterrent to such misconduct.” Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Beckley Police Department. “The Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General is committed to working with the Department of Justice and all of our law enforcement partners to ensure that federal funds intended to help low-income families are not wasted or misapplied,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice. “Mr. Gross’s sentencing today demonstrates the Government’s commitment to protecting the integrity of HUD programs against fraud, waste, or abuse.” United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Blackwell and Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted 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. 5:22-cr-191.