title: Two Men Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Sell Sanctioned Iranian Petroleum

body_text: Zhenyu “Bill” Wang, 42, of Dallas, and Daniel Ray Lane, 42, of McKinney, Texas, were convicted at trial on Nov. 15 on charges of attempting to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), conspiracy to violate IEEPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with their attempt to transact in sanctioned Iranian petroleum and launder the proceeds. According to evidence presented at trial, in 2019 and early 2020, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to purchase petroleum from Iran, in violation of economic sanctions imposed by the United States under IEEPA. They then planned to mask the origins of the petroleum and sell it to a refinery in China. The defendants also attempted to conceal their illegal transactions by obtaining foreign passports, engaging in sham contractual agreements, and conspiring to launder the proceeds of the sale through shell entities and offshore financial accounts. For example, Lane offered to use the mineral rights that his company sold to launder proceeds for the Iranian sellers. In addition, Wang arranged for bribe payments to be paid the Chinese officials and bankers. “These defendants schemed to buy Iranian oil, hide its origins, and sell it to a refinery in China in disregard of U.S. sanctions against Iran,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will not tolerate those who would violate U.S. sanctions and imperil our national security for personal profit.” “The defendants in this case flouted the national security interests of the United States by directly violating economic sanctions,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Conspiring to violate sanctions and commit money laundering in the process is a serious offense and will not be tolerated.” “For financial gain, these co-conspirators sought to evade sanctions put in place to protect the United States’ national security,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Langham of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “A criminally bad idea, as this verdict clearly shows. The FBI will bring all our investigative resources to the table to halt such harmful acts.” Wang and Lane, as well as three co-conspirators, were originally charged by complaint in February 2020, and the defendants and two co-conspirators were indicted on the above charges in August 2020. Wang and Lane face each a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison: five years for conspiracy to violate IEEPA and 20 years for each attempting to violate the IEEPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering counts. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 29, 2024. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Murray and Mary Crawley for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.


title: Former Vanderbilt Student Charged with Cyberstalking

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NASHVILLE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging Dominic Lambert, 24, of Plano, Texas, with Cyberstalking, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. According to documents filed in court, in February 2021, Lambert met a young woman, identified by her initials M.H.P., when the two were both undergraduate students at Vanderbilt University. The two became friends, but when M.H.P. declined Lambert’s romantic interest he became obsessed with her. From December 2021 to December 2022, Lambert repeatedly sent text messages, e-mail messages, social media messages, and made phone calls, to M.H.P. and her family and friends. Also according to court documents, in October 2022, an order of protection was issued in state court, which Lambert violated three separate times, once by sending M.H.P. over 70 consecutive emails and another for calling M.H.P 55 times from the Davidson County Jail. If convicted, Lambert faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke K. Schiferle is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. #####


title: Defendants arraigned in international firearms trafficking case

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Grevaughn Sanchez Goodman, Shavonte Justin Summers, Tranquilo G. Goodman, and Demetrius Lamont Randolph, Jr., have been arraigned on federal charges of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license. Additionally, Grevaughn Goodman was arraigned on a charge of firearms trafficking conspiracy in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 933(a)(3), a new statute passed by Congress in June 2022. A fifth defendant, Dexter Wellington Roberts, III, is not yet in federal custody. He is charged with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, firearms trafficking conspiracy, and smuggling. “Illegally purchasing firearms on behalf of others is a serious crime that frequently places guns in the hands of individuals prohibited from possessing a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Many of the firearms allegedly traced to the defendants in this case were recovered from criminals in Canada.” “Among ATF’s top priorities is ensuring that firearms traffickers are aggressively investigated and swiftly brought to justice. This is an excellent example of such an investigation that was worked cooperatively by multiple partner agencies with outstanding results,” said Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Raymond Connor. According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Beginning in mid-December 2022, Dexter Roberts allegedly began conspiring with a Canadian citizen and other individuals to obtain large numbers of firearms in the southeastern United States and to resell them to others, including in Canada and Mexico. From December 2022 through February 2023, Roberts personally made retail purchases of at least 49 firearms. In January 2023, Grevaughn Goodman allegedly began purchasing firearms for the conspiracy, buying more than 50 guns from January through April 2023. Tranquilo Goodman, Grevaughn’s brother, allegedly joined the conspiracy by March 2023 and bought at least 11 firearms that month. Shavonte Summers allegedly joined the conspiracy by May 2023, and bought over 50 firearms in May and June 2023. Demetrius Randolph allegedly joined the conspiracy in June 2023, and bought at least 10 guns over two days from five different licensed firearms dealers. During the investigation of the conspiracy, law enforcement officers completed four bulk seizures of firearms, totaling over 120 weapons in all, and including a load of 47 firearms seized from Roberts in Henry County, Georgia. Additionally, numerous other weapons allegedly purchased by defendants in this case have been seized by law enforcement throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Grevaughn Sanchez Goodman, a/k/a “The General,” 23, of Homestead, Florida, Shavonte Justin Summers, 22, of Homestead, Florida, Tranquilo G. Goodman, 24, of Miramar, Florida, and Demetrius Lamont Randolph, Jr., 23, of Homestead, Florida, were all arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker. Dexter Wellington Roberts, III, a/k/a “Science,” 43, of Austell, Georgia, is not yet in federal custody. Roberts was arrested in mid-October in the Bahamas on another weapons charge. He is charged with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, dealing in firearms without a license, firearms trafficking conspiracy and smuggling. Roberts, Goodman, Summers, Goodman and Randolph were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 24, 2023. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana R. Black is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Leader Of Fenta-Pill Pressing Operation Sentenced To More Than 21 Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Patrick Silfrain (41, Winter Garden) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The court also ordered Silfrain to forfeit firearms used in the conspiracy, as well as jewelry, and over $600,000 in currency, which was traceable to the drug offenses. Silfrain had pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022. Jean Kesnor Choisil (51, Ocoee) and Kevin Jean-Gilles (41, Groveland) pleaded guilty to their roles in this conspiracy on November 22, 2022, and November 29, 2022, respectively. On August 31, 2023, Choisil was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Jean-Gilles was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. According to court documents, Silfrain ran an operation that pressed pills to look like legitimately manufactured pharmaceuticals that actually contained fentanyl and fentanyl analogs – so-called “fentapills.” Silfrain operated numerous pill presses at the same time, each of which had the capacity to produce 5,000 pills per hour. During the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained evidence of numerous shipments of controlled substances and binding agents. Based on the total quantity of binding agents sent to the Silfrain operation, the DEA estimated it to be enough to press 3,760,000 pills. On April 20, 2022, the DEA arrested Silfrain, Choisil, and Jean-Gilles and executed search warrants on multiple locations. During these searches, they recovered over 23 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, over a kilogram of methamphetamine, 17 firearms, 11 pill presses, and over $600,000 in U.S. currency, traceable to the drug operation. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.


title: Former Massachusetts State Senator Arrested for COVID Fraud

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston with allegedly scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the IRS. Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was indicted on 25 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. Tran was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston at 1:30 p.m. today. According to the indictment, Tran served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate, representing Worcester and Middlesex from 2017 to January 2021. It is alleged that after his State Senate term ended in 2021, Tran fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment benefits after he had already accepted employment as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based automotive parts company. While working as the paid consultant, it is alleged that Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits. It is further alleged that Tran concealed over $50,000 in consulting income that he received from the automotive parts company on his 2021 federal income tax return. This was in addition to thousands of dollars in rental income that Tran allegedly concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants of a Fitchburg rental property from 2020 to 2022. “The indictment returned by the grand jury alleges that Former State Senator Tran exploited pandemic unemployment benefits – diverting critical resources intended for deserving individuals genuinely in need,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding the integrity of public assistance programs and holding accountable those who exploit them – no matter who they are – particularly during times of widespread hardship.” “Dean Tran was once elected to serve taxpayers, but today we arrested him for allegedly cheating them out of tens of thousands of dollars in fraudulent unemployment benefits that were meant to be a lifeline for those struggling for survival as a result of the pandemic,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This former state senator allegedly made the conscious decision to repeatedly lie about his employment status and underreport his rental property income so he could get a tax break. The FBI and our partners are working hard every day to shut down such fraud schemes and protect the public from being fleeced.” “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance programs. With the passage of the CARES Act and creation of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, we focused our efforts on these types of allegations. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud that has a negative effect on the American workforce,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan Mellone, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “Elected officials are rightly held to a higher standard when they take an oath to serve,” said Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston. “Instead of honoring his commitment to the public trust, Tran allegedly defrauded the citizens that elected him by failing to pay tax on his income and fleecing a public-assistance program at a time when his constituents needed this help the most, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rooting out public corruption remains one of IRS CI’s highest priorities.” The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone and IRS-CI SAC Chavis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . 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: Indianapolis Woman Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal Purchase of a Firearm she Knew her Son Intended to Use in a Violent Crime

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

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Tyesha Clark, 39, of Indianapolis has been sentenced to twenty-one months in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a false statement to a licensed firearms importer and engaging in the unlawful sale or transfer of a handgun to a juvenile who intended to use the gun in a crime of violence. According to court documents, on March 13, 2021, Tyesha Clark purchased a Glock 19X 9mm handgun from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Indianapolis. During the purchase, Clark completed federal firearms purchase paperwork and falsely certified that she was the actual buyer of the handgun. In fact, she purchased the firearm for her sixteen-year-old son. In her guilty plea, Clark admitted that she knew or had reason to believe that her son intended to use it in the commission of a violent crime when she bought him the gun. In text messages obtained by the ATF during the investigation, Clark communicated with her son about the model and cost of the Glock, as well as ammunition, as the March 13 th purchase was in progress. Additionally, Clark sent text messages showing that she knew her son had a history of trading illegal guns on the street. The text messages further showed that Clark had reason to believe her son was dangerous, shot people, robbed people, and was involved in gang activity. The messages showed that Clark disposed of firearms she believed were used by her son in illegal activity, purchased firearms to further his alleged illegal activities, and provided guidance on removing potential evidence of illegal activity from social media. Clark’s son is not charged in the federal case, and he remains innocent of any crimes until proven guilty. “Far too many of the shootings and killings in our communities are committed by people who have no lawful business having a gun in the first place. Many of these dangerous criminals are armed because someone else committed a crime to get them a gun,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Straw purchasers share a measure of culpability for the violence and death they facilitate. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that illegally arming violent criminals carries serious consequences.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson. Judge Stinson also ordered that Clark be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years following her release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Burke County man sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornography

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: A Burke County man has been sentenced to federal prison after investigators discovered a massive cache of images of sexually exploited children on devices in his possession. Jason Bonds Connelly , 61, of Waynesboro, Ga., was sentenced to 110 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Connelly to pay a fine and assessment of $2,000, and to register as a sex offender and serve 15 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. As described in court documents and testimony, investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office in early 2022 were conducting an online investigation into network sharing of images of child pornography. They discovered an account with nearly 60,000 files believed to contain images of child sexual abuse, and the investigation led them to Connelly’s residence. During a search of that home, investigators found images of child sexual exploitation, including images depicting sadistic and masochistic sexual contact between adults and children. As noted in court, the GBI identified Connelly’s internet address as one of the top offenders in the state of Georgia for sharing child sexual abuse material. The case was investigated by the GBI, with assistance from the Coweta County Sheriff’s office, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard. Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/ .


title: St. Paul Man Sentenced to 14.5 Years in Prison for Multiple Armed Robberies of University Avenue Grocery Stores

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 175 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for three armed robberies of grocery stores located in St. Paul along University Avenue, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on three separate occasions between May 27 and June 5, 2022, Nicholas Antwain Dancy, 39, robbed three grocery stores located on University Avenue in St. Paul: Towfiq Grocery, Midway Grocery and Deli, and Global Food and Mid Market. During the robberies, Dancy used a firearm to threaten the employees and demand cash. Dancy pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023, to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced yesterday by Judge John R. Tunheim. This case was the result of an investigation conducted by FBI and the St. Paul Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.


title: Ex-Spouses Plead Guilty to Receiving and Laundering  Money Stolen from Retirement and Investment Accounts

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Prince George’s County, Maryland, man and woman pleaded guilty to their involvement in laundering the proceeds of various fraud schemes targeting victims’ retirement and investment accounts. According to court documents, from approximately September 2017 to April 2020, Dasola Abdulraheem, 41, and Ismaila Abdulraheem, 44, both Nigerian nationals and formerly spouses, received the proceeds of various financial frauds into accounts that they controlled, and thereafter, conducted financial transactions with the proceeds to disguise the nature and source of the funds. Unknown co-conspirators targeted the victims of this scheme by gaining access to their financial accounts, typically retirement or investment accounts. In one case, co-conspirators gained access to a victim’s severance payout from his former employer. The conspirators compromised a victim’s account, they posed as the victim and instructed the victim’s financial institution to add a new outside bank account to the victim’s account. The outside account was controlled by either the Abdulraheems or one of the money mules that they used. Once the victim’s financial institution added a conspirator’s account to the victim’s account, the conspirators directed that money from the victim’s account be siphoned from the victim’s account and deposited into the Abdulraheems’ accounts or into a co-conspirator’s account. The proceeds were used in some cases to purchase salvage cars at auction or to wire money to business entities in Nigeria. The overall money laundering conspiracy intended to cause a loss of approximately $866,195 and caused an actual loss of approximately $641,260. The Abdulraheems attempted to conceal their involvement in laundering proceeds by using shell companies to receive and launder the proceeds of the fraud scheme. Ismaila Abdulraheem pleaded guilty on October 27, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Dasola Abdulraheem pleaded guilty today to one count of receipt of stolen monies in violation. Ismaila Abdulraheem is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Dasola Abdulraheem is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Kathleen E. Robeson are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-107.


title: Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Bloods Gang Member Guilty of Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Minneapolis felon and known Bloods gang member guilty of illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, in the early morning hours of October 16, 2022, Isaiah Lemuel Elisha Ferguson, 27, was involved in a fight at the Basement Bar in the North Loop Neighborhood of Minneapolis. The fight led to a confrontation outside the bar that quickly escalated into a shooting where Ferguson pulled and fired a gun. Officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) were nearby, heard the gunshots, and were able to quickly subdue and arrest Isaiah Ferguson. Officers found a FN Herstal 5.7 x 28 caliber semi-automatic pistol nearby. Prior to this incident, on November 7, 2019, a hotel staff member found a firearm in a room registered to Ferguson and called the police. MPD officers discovered a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the room. In July 2020, MPD officers executed a search warrant at Ferguson’s residence and found several firearms and ammunition in his cars and residence. Because Ferguson has prior felony convictions in Winona and Hennepin Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. On November 15, following a three-day trial before Judge Susan Richard Nelson in U.S. District Court, Ferguson was found guilty on one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. He will be sentenced at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Minnesota Department of Corrections, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Esther Soria Mignanelli and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez tried the case.


title: Doctor at L5 Pain Clinic Pleads Guilty to Illegal Drug Dispensing Conspiracy

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A doctor from North Carolina, who was assigned to several pain clinics in Virginia but was rarely physically on-site at any of them, pled guilty this week in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Virginia. Wendell Lewis Randall, 70, of Millers Creek, North Carolina, conspired with others to use, in the course of dispensing and distributing controlled substances, a DEA registration number issued to another person. DEA registration numbers are unique identifiers issued to medical providers in order to track who issues drug prescriptions and to ensure only qualified providers prescribe controlled substances. According to court documents, between 2017 and 2020, Randall—a medical doctor who operated his own practice in North Carolina—was affiliated with L5 Medical Holdings, doing business as Pain Care Centers, an LLC operating pain clinics in Woodlawn, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Blacksburg, and Christiansburg. Randall was nominally assigned to the Woodlawn clinic, but he was only occasionally ever on-site. He was also absent from the Christiansburg and Madison Heights clinics, where Randall allowed other, unqualified medical providers to use his DEA registration number to prescribe Suboxone (buprenorphine) in his name, even though he had not seen the patients who received the drugs. Court documents, including text messages, show L5 paid Randall in exchange for using his DEA registration number. Randall also acknowledged in these messages that he was not seeing patients at L5’s clinics and that he was aware his arrangement with L5 was illegal. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Washington Division, Jared Forget, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG’s Philadelphia Region, Maureen Dixon, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police Col. Gary Settle, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason M. Scheff, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.


title: Two Texans Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Sell Sanctioned Iranian Petroleum

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zhenyu (“Bill”) Wang, 42, of Dallas, Texas, and Daniel Ray Lane, 42, of McKinney, Texas, were convicted at trial on charges of attempting to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”), conspiracy to violate IEEPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering based on their attempt to transact in sanctioned Iranian petroleum and launder the proceeds. At trial, the evidence showed that in 2019 and early 2020, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to purchase petroleum from Iran, in violation of economic sanctions imposed by the United States under IEEPA. They then planned to mask the origins of the petroleum and sell it to a refinery in China. The defendants also attempted to conceal their illegal transactions by obtaining foreign passports, engaging in sham contractual agreements, and conspiring to launder the proceeds of the sale through shell entities and offshore financial accounts. For example, Lane offered to use the mineral rights that his company sold to launder proceeds for the Iranian sellers. In addition, Wang arranged for bribe payments to be paid the Chinese officials and bankers. “As shown at trial, the defendants schemed to buy Iranian oil, hide its origins, and sell it to a refinery in China in clear disregard for U.S. sanctions against the Teheran regime,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will not tolerate anyone who violates our sanctions laws and imperils national security for personal profit. Like the defendants today, those who try will be held to account.” “The defendants in this case flouted the national security interests of the United States by directly violating economic sanctions,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Conspiring to violate sanctions and commit money laundering in the process is a serious offense, and will not be tolerated.” “For financial gain, these co-conspirators sought to evade sanctions put in place to protect the United States’ national security,” said Richard Langham, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “A criminally bad idea, as this verdict clearly shows. The FBI will bring all our investigative resources to the table to halt such harmful acts.” Wang and Lane face each a maximum statutory penalty of 45 years in prison total, five years for conspiracy to violate IEEPA and twenty years for each for attempting to violate the IEEPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on February 29, 2024. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Murray and Mary Crawley with valuable assistance provided by Beau Barnes and David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.


title: Postal Employee Convicted at Trial for Conspiracy, Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Theft of a Postal Service Key

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A federal jury convicted a Mobile woman this week for conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of a United States Postal Service (“USPS”) key. According to court documents and evidence presented at a three-day trial, Kristen Arieale Williams, 31, was employed as a mail carrier at the post office in Prichard. The jury heard evidence that in late October 2022, Williams stole and sold a USPS “arrow” key to a coconspirator. Arrow keys are government property and will open, among other things, all blue USPS collection boxes in a particular geographic area. Stealing and possessing such a key with fraudulent intent is a federal crime. Williams’s coconspirator, who previously pleaded guilty to bank-fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft, paid Williams $2,500 in cash for the key. Law enforcement caught Williams’s coconspirator using the key to steal mail from collection boxes outside the Bel Air Mall in Mobile in November 2022. The coconspirator stole hundreds of pieces of mail using the key. The jury also heard evidence that Williams conspired to commit bank fraud involving counterfeit checks deposited into her bank account. The counterfeit checks were derived from checks stolen from the mail. The checks bore the true names, addresses, and bank account numbers of multiple victims who testified at trial. Among other evidence, the jury reviewed call logs, text messages, pictures, videos, and other data extracted from Williams’s cell phone and the cell phone of a coconspirator. That evidence included a string of text messages that Williams sent in March 2023 regarding the arrow key that she stole and sold in October 2022. In that exchange, which Williams later deleted, Williams stated that she “went through so much anxiety the last time” she stole a key and noted that the Prichard post office was “very strict about it now.” The jury also heard excerpts of a recorded confession that Williams gave to law enforcement in March 2023, during which she admitted that did “illegal stuff” and lied about it to federal agents. Williams will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose in February 2024. Williams is subject to a mandatory two-year prison sentence for her aggravated identity theft conviction, which must run consecutively to any other sentence she receives. She faces up to 30 years in prison for her conspiracy and bank-fraud convictions, and up to 10 years in prison for stealing and selling an arrow key. Williams will also be ordered to pay restitution to her victims. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the USPS–Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Mobile Police Department are investigating the case. The Brewton Police Department and the U.S. Small Business Administration–Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Justice Department's Procurement Collusion Strike Force Holds Its First Summit to Discuss Strategies to Combat Emerging Threats

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Yesterday, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) hosted its first summit to convene its law enforcement partners from across the country to discuss emerging threats and strategies to confront them. Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Jonathan Kanter, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) Manish Kumar, PCSF Director Daniel Glad and other department officials were joined by representatives from among the PSCF’s 11 national law enforcement partners and 22 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. During the summit, AAG Kanter, DAAG Kumar and Director Glad commemorated the PCSF’s fourth anniversary and reflected on its growth and success since its inception. They also detailed additional resources the division has dedicated to combat procurement collusion, emphasized the importance of law enforcement partnerships and a whole-of-government response to persistent threats in government spending and sharpened the PCSF’s focus on the challenges, risks and opportunities of increased federal spending. Summit participants discussed the heightened areas of procurement collusion risk resulting from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022 and supplemental funding in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Last week, Director Glad delivered a speech at the National Association of State Procurement Officials’ 10th Annual Law Institute. In his remarks, he outlined the ways that states can partner with the PCSF to address these emerging threats. The PCSF is the Justice Department’s coordinated, joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. Since its inception in November 2019, the PCSF has opened more than 100 criminal investigations and trained more than 31,000 people. In that time, the PCSF and the Antitrust Division have investigated and prosecuted over 65 companies and individuals involving over $500 million worth of government contracts. The summit marks the department’s continued support of the PCSF as it enters its fifth year. AAG Jonathan Kanter delivers opening remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Summit. DAAG Manish Kumar delivers closing remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Summit. PCSF Director Dan Glad delivers remarks at the Justice Department’s PCSF Summit. Representatives from the PCSF’s 11 National Law Enforcement Partners and 22 U.S. Attorneys’ offices participate in the Summit.


title: Coon Rapids Man Sentenced to Prison for $1.3M Romance Fraud Scheme that Targeted Elderly Victims

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Coon Rapids man has been sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and required to pay $1,356,995 in restitution for a romance fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, from at least in or about June 2020 through in or about March 2021, Solomon Eghosa Wilfred, 43, and other scheme participants knowingly and intentionally participated in and facilitated an online romance fraud scheme that targeted primarily elderly victims and lured them into sending money under false pretenses. The scheme relied on impersonating a real or plausible but fictitious person, such as a senior U.S. diplomat or military official, that contacted the victims through online social media applications. The scheme participants then sought to forge a romantic connection with the victims. If successful, the scheme participants would then ask the victims for money purportedly to assist the false persona with some problem or need. Occasionally, the scheme participants would even introduce the victims to a purported third-party intermediary who would corroborate the false persona’s story and assist in defrauding the victims. The victims eventually were directed to send large sums of money by mail or other commercial means to a specified name and address. Wilfred primarily assisted with the collection and transfer of the fraudulently obtained funds. Wilfred opened at least six Post Office boxes in Minnesota and received hundreds of victims’ packages. He then collected the fraud proceeds and dispersed the money throughout the fraud network. Wilfred also directly communicated with some victims. For example, he sent some victims romantic cards containing trinkets, like wedding rings, and made it appear those mailing came from the false persona. This deepened the fictitious romantic connection and lured the victims into sending more money. In total, Wilfred received over 400 victim packages containing over $1.3 million in fraud proceeds during the scheme. Wilfred kept some of the proceeds for his personal benefit and disbursed the remainder of the proceeds to other scheme participants. Wilfred pleaded guilty on June 15, 2023, to one count of mail fraud. He was sentenced yesterday by Judge Katherine M. Menendez. This case was the result of an investigation conducted by FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan L. Sing and Robert M. Lewis prosecuted the case.


title: Atlantic County Man Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Health Care Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for defrauding New Jersey state health benefits programs out of millions of dollars by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced today. Corey Sutor, 42, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, formerly a Ventnor City firefighter, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence on Nov. 13, 2023, in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Compounded medications are supposed to be specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient. Sutor was one of the owners of a company formed to market prescription compounded medications. From May 2015 through February 2016, Sutor and others associated with the company persuaded individuals in New Jersey to obtain very expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications. The conspirators learned that certain compound medication prescriptions – including pain, scar, and antifungal creams, as well as vitamin combinations – were reimbursed for thousands of dollars for a one-month supply. The conspirators also learned that the New Jersey State Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified state and local government employees, retirees, and eligible dependents, and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, which covers qualified local education employees, retirees, and eligible dependents, would cover compound medication prescriptions. Sutor and his conspirators entered into an agreement in which Sutor’s company would receive a percentage of the amounts paid to compounding pharmacies for prescriptions secured by Sutor and his conspirators. Sutor and his conspirators then recruited public employees, offered them hundreds of dollars per month, and persuaded them to agree to obtain prescription compounded medications they did not need without any physical examination by a medical professional. Sutor would obtain insurance and personal information from the public employees and give that information to conspirators. Sutor’s company then would receive a percentage of the amounts paid on these fraudulent prescriptions, which Sutor and others would divide. Sutor and his conspirators caused New Jersey to pay more than $2 million in fraudulent claims for compounded medications for public employees. Sutor received $150,398 in gross proceeds for his role in the scheme. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Sutor to two years of supervised release. As part of his plea agreement, Sutor must forfeit his criminal proceeds and pay restitution of at least $2.09 million. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.


title: Pharmacy Owners and Doctor Convicted for $145M Health Care Fraud, Money Laundering, and Tax Evasion Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted three Texas men yesterday for a $145 million scheme to defraud the Department of Labor through the submission of fraudulent claims for prescription compound creams. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dehshid “David” Nourian, 59, of Plano; and Christopher Rydberg, 47, of Fort Worth, and others conspired to pay Dr. Michael Taba, 59, of McKinney, and other doctors to prescribe medically unnecessary compound creams to injured federal workers. Nourian and Rydberg owned and/or operated three pharmacies located in Fort Worth and Arlington. They paid Taba for referring expensive compound medications to be filled by those pharmacies. In less than three years, between May 2014 and March 2017, the pharmacies billed the Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP) and Blue Cross Blue Shield more than $145 million and were paid more than $90 million for unnecessary prescriptions referred by Taba and other providers in exchange for bribes and kickbacks. Nourian, Rydberg, and others then attempted to conceal their ill-gotten gains by laundering the money through purported holding companies and attempted to evade paying federal income taxes on the illicit proceeds. Nourian, Rydberg, and Taba were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; and eight (Nourian) and three (Taba) counts of health care fraud, respectively, each count carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Nourian and Rydberg were also convicted of one count of conspiracy to launder money and five and six counts of money laundering, respectively, each count carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. All of the defendants are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Southern Area Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Casey Howard of the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Dallas Regional Office; Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG), South Central Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement. The USPS-OIG, DOL-OIG, VA-OIG, and IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Alexander Thor Pogozelski, Ethan Womble, and Edward Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: District Man Sentenced to 19 Year Prison Term for Sexually Abusing Multiple Child Victims

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – David Geddie, 35, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Thursday, November 16, 2023, to 19 years in prison, lifetime supervised release, and will be required to register as a sex offender for life for his repeated sexual abuse of multiple children in Washington DC. He was sentenced by the Honorable Anthony C. Epstein of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Geddie pled guilty to one count of First Degree Child Sexual Abuse, one count of Second Degree Child Sexual Abuse, and one count of Misdemeanor Sexual Abuse in March 2023 The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the government’s evidence, over the course of several months in 2021, the defendant acted as a babysitter for three child victims, ages 11, 6 and 6. During that time, the defendant forced the child victims to perform sexual acts on him and forced the child victims to perform sexual acts on each other. Following his arrest, the defendant admitted to sexually abusing the child victims, and admitted that he filmed the abuse. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. They also expressed appreciation for the work of those who handled the cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson and Tiffany Jones, and Victim Assistance Specialist Maria Sanchez Garcia. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marco Crocetti and Janani Iyengar, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: David DePape Convicted Of Assault And Attempted Kidnapping Charges

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury convicted David DePape of assault and attempted kidnapping charges today in connection with his Oct. 28 intrusion into the home of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The verdict follows a trial before the Hon. Jacqueline Scott Corley, U.S. District Judge. U.S. Attorney Ramsey stated, “We are grateful to the jury for their deliberations and the justice that this verdict signifies. Our public servants and their families deserve to work and live without threats and violence. Defendant’s violent plan to kidnap then-Speaker Pelosi was rooted in his virulent disagreement with her as a result of her official position. His violent plan ended with the assault on Mr. Pelosi. Today’s verdict brings justice to the Pelosi family and to the idea that violence has no place in politics.” “The brutal and premeditated assault on Mr. Pelosi in the sanctity of his own home was fueled by DePape’s misguided ideology. I am deeply gratified by the jury's verdict, which has ensured that DePape will face the full weight of justice," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Tripp. "The unwavering collaboration between the FBI, the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, and the United States Capitol Police played a pivotal role in securing this victory. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting our communities from those who seek to divide us through acts of violence and hatred.” The evidence at trial established that weeks before the attack, DePape, 43, of Richmond, California, targeted Nancy Pelosi, who was then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and collected personal information about her, including her home address. DePape kept the information in a computer file he labeled “favorite politicians.” DePape intended to kidnap the then-Speaker, hold her hostage, and break her kneecaps. The evidence at trial demonstrated that on the night of the assault, DePape used public transportation to travel from the East Bay to San Francisco while carrying two backpacks that contained a hammer, sledgehammer, duct tape, rope, zip ties, and electronic items, among other items. After arriving at the Pelosi residence, DePape used the hammer to break the window of a glass door and enter the home. Then-Speaker Pelosi was not home and her husband, Paul Pelosi, was sleeping on the third floor of the home. DePape roamed the home until he found Mr. Pelosi in the third-floor bedroom. The trial evidence demonstrated that DePape woke Mr. Pelosi and, while standing three to four feet from him holding the hammer and restraints, made various threats including, “I will take you out.” Mr. Pelosi managed to walk to his bathroom and call 9-1-1, during which he carefully used language to alert the emergency operator to the situation without agitating DePape. Mr. Pelosi convinced defendant to go downstairs to the first floor and continued talking to DePape. When the police arrived, Mr. Pelosi opened the door and the police ordered DePape to drop the hammer he was holding. Instead, DePape struck Mr. Pelosi three times with full force, fracturing his skull. The responding officers immediately tackled Depape and took him into custody. On November 9, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted DePape, charging him with one count of assault upon an immediate family member of a United States official with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the official while engaged in the performance of official duties or with intent retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, and one count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official on account of the performance of official duties. The jury convicted DePape of both charges. Judge Corley scheduled a status conference for December 13, 2022, at 10 a.m. The assault charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and the attempted kidnapping charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. However, any sentence will be imposed only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The National Security and Cyber Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case. FBI San Francisco, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the San Francisco Police Department are investigating the case.


title: Delta Man Sentenced to 14 Years Imprisonment for Receiving Child Pornography

body_text: TOLEDO – Kyle Brackman, 29, of Delta, Ohio was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick after earlier pleading guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography. Judge Helmick also ordered Brackman to serve a 15-year term of supervised release upon release from imprisonment. According to court documents, the case came to the attention of law enforcement after a high school principal in Iowa contacted local police in 2017 after learning a 15-year-old student was communicating with Brackman and the messages were sexual in nature. It was later determined that Brackman had received sexually explicit material from the Iowa minor. Brackman was arrested on July 28, 2019, after officers responded to reports of a male making sexually suggestive remarks and gestures to a 10-year-old and 13-year-old, according to court documents. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey Ballard Tangeman and Frank Spryszak.


title: Burlington County Man Admits Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud and Money Laundering

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man admitted participating in schemes to negotiate fraudulent checks with forged signatures and to launder money from another fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Eugene Koranteng, 30, of Medford, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 16, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Koranteng conspired with Misty Sarfo-Adu, Emmanuel Yirenkyi, and others to commit bank fraud by obtaining blank checks containing the names and account information of unsuspecting customers of a credit card company. They made the checks payable to members of the conspiracy, forged the customers’ signatures on the checks, and negotiated the checks at financial institutions. Koranteng admitted that the bank fraud conspiracy caused an actual loss of at least $95,000. Koranteng also conspired to launder the proceeds of a separate fraud scheme. Koranteng used his personal bank account to negotiate checks that constituted the proceeds of unlawful activity. Koranteng then converted the fraud proceeds to cash to conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. Koranteng admitted that he laundered at least $47,000. The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The count of conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 21, 2024. Sarfo-Adu and Yirenkyi previously pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler to their participation in the same bank fraud conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Moorestown Police Department for its assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. koranteng.information.pdf


title: Former West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Employee Sentenced to 10 Months in Federal Prison for Theft of Over $150,000 in Official Funds

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: BATON ROUGE, LA – United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Mandy Nicole Miller, age 44, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 10 months in federal prison following her conviction for federal program theft. The Court further sentenced Miller to serve 2 years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $ 158,852.00 in restitution and a $7500.00 fine. According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, while employed at the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Miller stole cash paid for traffic tickets and hid the thefts by recording fraudulent journal entries in the Sheriff’s Office accounting system. Miller’s scheme began on or about July 1, 2018, and continued through in or about September 2022. In deciding the sentence, Chief Judge Dick commented on the fact the Miller’s scheme was executed over two years and involved a sophisticated means. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, Investigative Audit Services, with assistance from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.


title: Osceola County Man Admits To Unlicensed Firearms Dealing And Falsifying Gun Purchase Records

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to 1 count of dealing in firearms without a license, 14 counts of making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer, and 14 counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license; 10 years for each count of making a materially false statement to an FFL; and 5 years for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 92 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. While purchasing these firearms, Wilson falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, Wilson was purchasing these firearms for other individuals in exchange for monetary payments. Wilson’s cellular telephone revealed numerous conversations between Wilson and other individuals about the illegal purchases and transfer of these firearms. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes (including homicides) in the Bahamas and Canada. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. 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: Summerville Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Counterfeit Goods

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Raynard Smith, 42, and Lanard Smith, 42, of Summerville, were each sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty to crimes involving the selling of counterfeit goods. Evidence presented to the Court showed that both men operated store fronts and sold merchandise, to include sports jerseys, that had been imported from countries such as China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Germany, Italy, and Taiwan. Both men knew that the goods they were purchasing and importing from these countries were counterfeit. Both men each had a prior felony conviction from 2008, which also stemmed from the trafficking of counterfeit goods. “I commend the hard work of the special agents and officers in pursuing this case and bringing these fraudsters to justice,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Charlotte, which covers North and South Carolina. “HSI Charlotte is committed to working with our law enforcement and private industry partners to aggressively investigate trademark counterfeiting to protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for legitimate businesses.” “Counterfeit goods pose a serious threat not only to businesses but also to consumer safety,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair F. Boroughs. “Our office along with our federal partners take these crimes seriously and will go after those who commit illicit activities that impact our marketplace. “ United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced both Raynard Smith and Lanard Smith to one year and one day imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Lanard Smith was ordered to pay $130,341.99 in restitution and Raynard Smith was ordered to pay $14,992.17 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Smuggling Controlled Substances Into The Prince George’s County Department of Corrections Detention Facility

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced former Prince George’s County Department of Corrections correctional officer Danielle Dominique Smith, age 34, of Waldorf, Maryland, to four months imprisonment, followed by four months of home detention as part of three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in connection with her smuggling drugs to a prisoner with whom she had an intimate relationship. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Director Corenne D. Labbe of the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department. According to her guilty plea, from November 23, 2009 through April 15, 2022, Smith was employed as a correctional officer at the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections (“PGDOC”) detention facility. During her employment, Smith developed a romantic and sexual relationship with Avante Daquan Lee, an inmate at PGDOC, discussing their relationship on recorded jail calls beginning on at least June 3, 2021 and continuing until March 2, 2022. As detailed in the plea agreement, from August 29, 2021 and March 2, 2022, Smith conspired with Lee and other co-conspirators to distribute Suboxone, and the synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as K2. Specifically, Smith obtained the controlled substances from co-conspirators outside PGDOC, then smuggled the drugs into PGDOC where she concealed them on special diet food trays designated for Lee. Once Lee received the food tray, he distributed the controlled substances to other inmates within PGDOC. Other inmates, or relatives and friends of inmates then sent Smith money for the controlled substances. Smith and Lee discussed the distribution of the controlled substances on recorded jail calls, referring to the controlled substances as food products in an effort to conceal the nature of the conversation. On September 24, 2021, PGDOC Special Investigations and Intelligence Section conducted a targeted cell search of Lee’s cell for contraband and recovered white paper that was found to contain K2. On February 16, 2022, PGDOC Special Investigations and Intelligence Section conducted a targeted cell search of another PGDOC inmate for suspected contraband and found a bottle containing 395 strips that were found to contain Suboxone. The K2 and Suboxone were smuggled into PGDOC by Smith. According to court documents, at the end of February 2022, Smith took pre-approved leave from work. Smith continued to speak to Lee on jail calls during that time. On a March 2, 2022 jail call, the day Smith was scheduled to return to work, Lee asked Smith if she was bringing the “meals,” and Smith said she was. Concerned that Smith was going to smuggle additional controlled substances, PGDOC administratively suspended Smith when she arrived at work that same day. On October 13, 2023, Judge Chuang sentenced Avante Daquan Lee, age 30, to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Lee had previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the PGDOC, and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney Leah B. Grossi, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Multiple Sex Offenses Near  School and Threatening Neighbors

body_text: WASHINGTON – Derrick Jones, 54, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 24 months imprisonment for his criminal conduct in two separate cases for masturbating in public, near Bancroft Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant, and then threatening neighbors who asked him to stop. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Jones pleaded guilty on August 7, 2023, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to eight separate counts in two cases: two counts of attempted threats, one count of threats, two counts of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child with aggravating circumstances, and three counts of lewd, indecent, or obscene acts before U.S. Superior Court Judge Sean Staples. According to court documents, in the afternoon of April 3, 2023, Jones was observed by a neighbor masturbating outside of the neighbor’s apartment building, which is located less than a block away from Bancroft Elementary School. The neighbor, who was with her 11-year-old son, was trying to record Jones’s behavior since, according to the neighbor, this was a routine occurrence during the hours when children were walking to and from school. When Jones observed his neighbor trying to record him on that day, Jones crossed the street in an aggressive manner and made threats to kill the neighbor’s family and their dog. On April 6, 2023, a woman was returning home after dropping her nephew off at Bancroft Elementary when she observed Jones outside an apartment masturbating. Jones made eye contact with the woman and continued his behavior. Additional incidents took place on the morning of April 12, 2023, when Jones again masturbated outside of the apartment building as children were being dropped off at the Bancroft Elementary School, and on April 13, 2023, when Jones exposed himself and masturbated outside of his building as children were walking to school. During that incident, a Bancroft Elementary school crossing guard observed Jones’s behavior, and while another colleague ushered kids to the opposite side of the street out of view, the crossing guard approached Jones and asked him to stop. Jones responded by loudly threatening to “blow y’all up” before going inside an apartment building and returning with a black duffel bag. Not knowing what was in the bag, the crossing guard became even more alarmed and flagged down law enforcement. In addition to these incidents, after the defendant’s arrest on April 13, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Department further investigated and located additional victims. In pleading guilty, Jones also admitted that between April 1 and April 13, 2023, he exposed himself and masturbated in front of an 11-year-old girl who lived in a neighboring apartment. He has been detained since his arrest on April 13, 2023. Jones will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, who assisted in the defendant’s apprehension. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jae Friedman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wash.


title: New York Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Assault on Airplane

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for assaulting a female passenger on a flight to Newark Liberty International Airport, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Ryan Manuella, 30, of Cheektowaga, New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to assault with intent to commit another felony, namely, stalking, while on an airplane. Manuella was ordered detained without bond. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence on Nov. 16, 2023, in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On a flight from Denver, Colorado, to Newark, on April 16, 2021, Manuella moved to a vacant seat next to a female passenger and touched the passenger without her consent. Manuella admitted the victim then yelled at him and left the row of seats. He admitted that touching the victim caused her substantial emotional distress. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Manuella to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and officers of the Port Authority Police Department with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae M. Thomas and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.


title: Sinaloa Cartel Associate Sentenced to More Than Eleven Years in Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Cocaine in Chicago Area

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: CHICAGO — An associate of the Sinaloa drug cartel has been sentenced to more than eleven years in federal prison for conspiring to traffic at least 40 kilograms of cocaine in the Chicago area. ROBERTO VELAZQUEZ MARTINEZ, 39, of Santiago Papasquiaro, Mexico, conspired with several individuals to import and distribute the cocaine into the United States on behalf of drug traffickers in Mexico. Velazquez traveled to Chicago in the fall of 2018 to arrange a multi-kilogram cocaine shipment with co-conspirators and two other individuals posing as Columbian drug traffickers who were actually working confidentially with U.S. law enforcement. Velazquez fled the U.S. after a failed cocaine deal in Stickney, Ill., on Dec. 4, 2018. He was arrested in 2019 in Peru and extradited to the U.S. in 2020. Velazquez pleaded guilty earlier this year to a drug conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow imposed the 136-month prison sentence Tuesday after 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 Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, and INTERPOL. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron R. Bond. The investigation was conducted with the support of the Chicago HIDTA and OCDETF Task Forces, which are comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations. Velazquez was originally charged with four alleged co-conspirators. Three of the alleged co-conspirators are considered fugitives and warrants have been issued for their arrests, while the fourth, LOUIS REYES VELEZ, of Stickney, Ill., has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting trial.


title: New Kensington Resident Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison for Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 300 months’ imprisonment followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for conspiracy to receive and distribute, as well as distribution and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Court Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Robert Pacek, age 52. According to information presented to the court, Pacek, while on probation for a prior state conviction for possession of child sexual abuse material, was an active participant in a chat room on the Tor network dedicated to the discussion and exchange of child sexual abuse material. On February 28, 2021, Pacek distributed five images depicting the sexual exploitation of young girls, who appeared to be between the ages of 4 and 6 years old, in that chat room. Pacek later admitted to accessing the Tor network using his neighbor’s router and sharing links to this material. A subsequent search of Pacek’s cell phone revealed approximately 100 videos and 3,000 images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, including more than 100 images depicting the abuse of toddlers or infants. Prior to imposing the sentence, Judge Stickman explained that there is no more important government interest than “the protection of the innocence, safety and integrity of our children.” Judge Stickman noted that Pacek played more than a “passive role” in distributing images, noting that Pacek made “callous” comments when posting these images, and regularly greeted new members to the chat room. Judge Stickman emphasized that the use of computers contributes to the widespread distribution of this material and that these offenses involve real minors. Referring to the content of the images Pacek possessed, Judge Stickman noted that there is “no crime more serious in our district than the violation of the innocence of toddlers.” Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pacek. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Federal grand jury indicts Kenai man for threatening U.S. Senator

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment this week officially charging a Kenai man with making interstate threats to kidnap and injure a U.S. Senator. "Actions that threaten the safety and well-being of public officials are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will prioritize the vigorous investigation and prosecution of any individual who chooses to threaten and instill fear in elected officials.” According to court proceedings, Arther Charles Graham, 46, was ordered to be temporarily detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on Nov. 3, 2023. His formal detention hearing will be held on Nov. 21, 2023, in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble. According to court documents, Graham sent a web form submission to a U.S. Senator on Sept. 28, 2023, threatening to injure the Senator. Congressional staff members reported the threat to the U.S. Capitol Police and an investigation was launched. The defendant identified himself in the threat. Law enforcement later confirmed the sender was Graham and lived in Kenai. He was taken into custody by special agents from the U.S. Capitol Police and FBI on Oct. 30, 2023. He made his initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge on Nov. 3, 2023. Graham is charged with using interstate communications with a threat to kidnap and injure in violation of 18 U.S.C. §875(c). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Capitol Police, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, the Kenai Police Department and the Alaska State Trooper, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Oregon man sentenced to eight years in prison for trafficking meth in Missoula area

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — An Oregon man who brought methamphetamine to Missoula for distribution was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Tracy Jean Bell, 60, of Beaverton, Oregon, pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement in Missoula made a controlled purchase of meth in April 2021 from co-defendant Devin Neil Farley. To identify the supplier, law enforcement located Bell, who admitted to possessing approximately 14 ounces of meth in his vehicle and to supplying Farley. Bell also admitted to traveling to Montana from Oregon on numerous occasions to distribute meth. Farley previously was sentenced to eight years in prison for his conviction in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Settlement With Purdue University For False Claims in Research Grant Applications to Federal Agencies

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND - United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson and Purdue University announced a pre-suit settlement resolving allegations that an associate professor of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology in Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine falsified documentation provided to the National Institutes of Health and Department of the Army. The university will pay the government $737,391, to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act, which includes restitution and punitive damages. Between February 2014 and June 2020, Dr. Alice C. Chang (formerly named Chun-Ju Chang) of West Lafayette, Indiana, formerly an Associate Professor of Basic Medical Sciences at Purdue University, falsified and fabricated data in two (2) published papers and in multiple (17) grant applications submitted to the National Institutes of Health and Department of the Army. When the university received evidence from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services calling into question the authenticity of research that Dr. Chang had included in submissions to federal agencies, Purdue University cooperated and thoroughly investigated the alleged misconduct. Purdue, based on its findings, agreed with the federal government that the funding was not deserved and should be returned. “Academic integrity is the cornerstone of scientific research, and we take our commitment to protect U.S.-funded research grants seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. “Failure to be truthful on an application for U.S.-funded grants is a violation of the law and my office will continue to make it a priority to pursue cases to recover grant funds awarded through fraud.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity has also entered into a Voluntary Exclusion Agreement with Dr. Chang banning her from any contracting or subcontracting with any agency of the United States for ten years. As part of this agreement, she will also request that her published papers be corrected. The settlement was reached as a result of an investigation by United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana with assistance from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Dirk D. De Lor.


title: Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Fort Thompson, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child. The sentencing took place on November 6, 2023. Jeffery Pickner, age 47, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kennedy was also ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Pickner was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022 and pleaded guilty in August of 2023. The convictions stem from incidents that occurred between 1994 and 1996 in Crow Creek housing, in Buffalo County, South Dakota. Pickner repeatedly and continuously sexually abused a young boy in the community. The victim did not immediately disclose the abuse. 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 FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. The defendant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.


title: Lower Brule Man Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 20, 2023, and the sentencing took place on November 6, 2023. Joseph Thompson, Sr., age 32, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Thompson was also ordered to pay $3,550 in restitution to the victim’s family. Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023 and was convicted in July of 2023. The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on March 25, 2023, in Lower Brule. Thompson was at the home of an acquaintance when he heard a disturbance outside the residence. Thompson left the residence, walked around the corner of the home, and saw a man standing near the home. Thompson produced a knife and stabbed the man five times, piercing his heart. There was no indication that the other man was displaying a weapon when Thompson fatally stabbed him. 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 FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Services - Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. The defendant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.


title: Manchester Man and Woman Indicted for Manufacturing Methamphetamine in Their Residence

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Two Manchester residents have been indicted for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine in their home and possessing the necessary chemicals and equipment to do so, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Charles Winchell and Catherine Quinn, both 42 years old, were charged with conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in a place where a person under the age of 18 was residing or was present, and possession of equipment, chemicals, products, and materials to manufacture methamphetamine. Winchell and Quinn were previously charged by complaint and arrested on September 18, 2023. They were released on conditions. According to the charging documents, in 2023 Quinn and Winchell frequently purchased pseudoephedrine, an over-the-counter medication and the primary ingredient used for the manufacturing of methamphetamine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at their residence and found pseudoephedrine and other ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamine, such as lighter fluid, drain cleaner, and batteries, which contain lithium strips used to create a chemical reaction. The charge of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department are leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Cherniske is 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: Citrus County Convicted Felon Sentenced To Federal Prison For Possessing Multiple Firearms

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Timothy Roberts (28, Hernando) to six years and five months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon (a short-barreled shotgun) and two counts of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Roberts pleaded guilty to the offenses on July 28, 2023. According to court documents, on August 7, 2022, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office stopped Roberts while he was driving a stolen vehicle. When deputies discovered a sawed-off shotgun on the back seat, Roberts admitted that he had tried to cover it with a backpack as he was being pulled over. This illegally modified shotgun was not registered to Roberts in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. Approximately three weeks later, Roberts was again stopped by Citrus County deputies for multiple traffic infractions. A subsequent search of his backpack revealed methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and two handguns. When questioned, Roberts claimed he had planned to sell the firearms. Roberts, who has four prior felony grand theft convictions in state court, is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. 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: Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Larceny

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, woman convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on November 15, 2023. Jacie Toki, age 30, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, followed by eighteen months of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Toki was indicted for Larceny by a federal grand jury in April of 2023. She pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023. The conviction stemmed from Toki stealing a police vehicle belonging to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services after a roadside encounter with law enforcement near Lantry, South Dakota, on February 28, 2023. Toki drove the vehicle away from the scene and left it in a ditch outside of Lantry. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case. Toki was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Parmelee Man Convicted of Three Crimes in Two Separate Trials

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Jeremy Duane Young, age 28, of Parmelee, South Dakota, has been convicted following two separate jury trials. Young was convicted of Possession of Unregistered Firearm and Possession of Firearm by a Prohibited Person following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 31, 2023. Young was then convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. That verdict was returned on November 3, 2023. The Firearm charges each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The Assaulting a Federal Officer charge carries a maximum penalty of eight years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Young was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023 on the firearm offenses and in April of 2023 on the assault offense. In May of 2022, in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation, Young, a previously convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, was found in possession of a short-barrel 12-gauge shotgun, which was found after Young came into contact with law enforcement following a traffic stop. The short shotgun was not registered to Young in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by law. As part of the investigation Young admitted to law enforcement that he and another individual were on their way to Sioux Falls on a drug run to pick up methamphetamine. In March of 2023, in the Soldier Creek community within the Rosebud Reservation, Young assaulted a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Officer. The officer had been called to the community over a concern of a running vehicle blocking the roadway, and determined Young was passed out in the driver’s seat. When the officer contacted Young to get out of the vehicle, Young refused to exit, became argumentative, combative, and engaged in a physical struggle with the officer. Young then punched the officer in the face and fled on foot. Young was located and arrested an hour later. The investigation into Young 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. These cases were investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Brian Murphy prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for January 29, 2024. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.