title: Injured Workers Pharmacy to Pay $10 Million to Resolve Allegations of Improper Dispensing and Submitting False Claims

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) – which has been one of the largest purchasers of opioids in the United States, among pharmacies – has agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by improperly filling prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids, and submitting false claims for payment to the Department of Labor. In addition, IWP will also enter into a five-year corrective action plan with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As part of the settlement agreement, IWP admitted that between 2014 and 2019 it failed to adequately address prescriptions with “red flags,” including high doses of opioids, early refills and dangerous drug combinations, before dispensing them to injured workers. “Red flags” indicate prescriptions that may not have been issued for a legitimate medical purpose, such as abuse or diversion. IWP previously settled a parallel investigation by the Massachusetts Attorney General into its dispensing practices. The settlement also concerns IWP’s claims for payment submitted to the Department of Labor, which administers the federal workers’ compensation program. In 2017, in an effort to curb opioid abuse among injured federal workers, the Department of Labor began reviewing claims and flagged concerning prescriptions – a process called a Drug Utilization Review (DUR). Before paying claims flagged for a DUR, the Department of Labor requires pharmacies to represent that a pharmacist or the prescribing medical professional addressed the concerns raised by the DUR. As part of the settlement, IWP admitted that, between 2017 and 2019, IWP’s claims employees routinely represented to the Department of Labor that IWP consulted with prescribers about DURs when, in fact, IWP did not consult with those prescribers. Instead, claims employees, who lacked clinical pharmacy experience and training, submitted codes representing “prescriber consulted” without consulting IWP pharmacists or prescribers. Under the terms of the settlement, over the next five years, DEA is allowed to conduct unannounced inspections of IWP without Administrative Inspection Warrants. The DEA monitors pharmacy prescribing practices to ensure compliance with federal law. Pharmacies found in violation face escalating penalties including revocation of their DEA Registration number – the authorization that allows them to write prescriptions for controlled substances. To address issues uncovered in the investigation, IWP made improvements in its pharmacy practices. For example, the company developed additional procedures to review high-risk prescribing; increased training for all employees; eliminated production quotas for pharmacists and staff; implemented a drug diversion team to implement, establish and maintain diversion controls throughout the pharmacy; and established protocols to reduce losses of prescriptions shipped through the mail. The company also retained additional personnel to address high-risk prescribing, including a new chief compliance officer and a pain management specialty pharmacist. Prior to the settlement, IWP stopped dispensing prescriptions through the Department of Labor’s workers compensation program. “Last week brought disturbing reports that opioid overdose deaths only increased last year in Massachusetts. Pharmacies are on the front lines of the prescription pill and opioid epidemic devastating our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Pharmacies that distribute dangerous prescription pills have a solemn responsibility to comply with measures enacted to curb abuse and addiction. Prosecutors in our office in the Civil and Criminal Divisions are working every day to fight the scourge of opioids, whether it is prosecuting traffickers, holding pharmacies and manufacturers accountable, or ensuring access to treatment for substance use disorder. We will not relent in our effort to protect the people of Massachusetts from these dangerous drugs.” “The DEA is committed to ensuring that all registrants are in compliance with the required regulations, which are enforceable through the Controlled Substances Act,” said Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. DEA pledges to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure these rules and regulations are followed.” “Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) enriched themselves by submitting false claims to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) between December 12, 2017, and September 26, 2019. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs to protect the integrity of the DOL’s benefit programs,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. “This settlement allows the OWCP to recover medical bill payments under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act and return these funds to the Employees’ Compensation Fund,” said Office of Workers’ Compensation Director Christopher J. Godfrey. “It also shows the commitment of the Department of Labor to ensuring that program funds are used as the law requires, and the benefits of having the department’s Office of the Inspector General devote significant investigative resources to detecting cases of possible abuse within the FECA program.” Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, DEA SAC Boyle, DOL-OIG SAC Mellone and OWCP Director Godfrey made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. LaMacchia and Jessica J. Weber of Levy’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter. US v. Injured Workers Pharmacy - Settlement Agreement


title: Columbia Man Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Kendell Deion Pollock, 28, of Columbia, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Evidence presented to the Court showed that on November 12, 2020, Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers were dispatched to investigate a robbery call in the Marlboro St. area of Columbia. Officers saw Pollock and another man riding in a car thought to be involved in the robbery, and they stopped the car. They searched the car due to a strong odor of marijuana coming from the car. Officers found a 9mm pistol with a fully loaded 30-round ammunition magazine attached, nearly a quarter of a pound of marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia in the car. Pollock admitted to possessing the marijuana and pistol. Pollock had previous convictions for burglary and drug possession. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Pollock to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Columbia Man Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Leon Johnny King, 38, of Columbia, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and crack cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. Evidence presented to the Court showed that in June 2019, Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) narcotics investigators began investigating King for drug trafficking activity in the Columbia area. Investigators made a series of controlled buys of heroin from King, which led to investigators executing a search warrant at King’s apartment in July 2019. Investigators found a loaded .380 pistol and a quantity of heroin in a bag in King’s bedroom. After his arrest, investigators found a quantity of crack cocaine and more heroin on his person. Federal law prohibits King from possessing firearms or ammunition based on convictions for trafficking cocaine and autobreaking. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced King to 90 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Grass Valley Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for a Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy and other Narcotics Offenses

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nathaniel Opondo Hubbert, 42, of Grass Valley, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to possess and distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in June 2020, Hubbert conspired with Steven Lawrence Robinson, 36, of Granite Bay, and others, to possess and distribute fentanyl in Placer County. A search of Robinson’s residence on June 2, 2020, resulted in the discovery of over 40 grams of fentanyl involved in this conspiracy. On June 24, 2020, a probation search of two hotel rooms Hubbert had rented, and a subsequent booking search of his person, resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine, heroin, and additional fentanyl. Robinson and Hubbert were connected to at least one overdose of a victim who had to be given medical treatment after using drugs purchased from Hubbert. On March 26, 2021, Robinson was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lincoln Police Department, the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Roseville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.


title: Former Hamilton man sentenced on felony for lying to receive more than $70,000 in Social Security Administration benefits

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A former Hamilton man who admitted to making false statements to receive more than $70,000 in disability payments from the Social Security Administration was sentenced today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Aaron Lee Grossman, 51, of Washington, Utah, and formerly of Hamilton, pleaded guilty in February to false statements to a government agency. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court sentenced Grossman to three years of probation, with three months to be spent on electronic location monitoring, imposed a $20,000 fine, ordered $71,456 restitution to the Social Security Administration and required Grossman to perform 150 hours of community service. In court documents, the government alleged that in 2011, Grossman applied for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments from the Social Security Administration. The agency approved Grossman’s application and advised him of his legal obligation to notify it if he experienced a change in his ability to work, returned to work or if his medical condition improved. In February 2020, the Social Security Administration learned Grossman had started a new business and not reported it as required. Additionally, the agency learned that Grossman received $36,210 from Lynch Insulation in 2019 for work he performed through Grossman Consulting, LLC. The agency then directed Grossman to update a Work Activity Report. Grossman did so but did not report making any money from Lynch Insulation. Had he reported the income, Grossman would have been ineligible for SSDI benefits. When confronted, Grossman lied to agents and claimed his wife earned those wages. However, records from Lynch Insulation indicted that Grossman, in fact, completed the work. In an interview in 2021, Grossman admitted he concealed his income from Lynch Insulation so he could maintain his government benefits. Grossman also underreported the value of his work for another company, owned by his father, from 2019 to 2021. Grossman’s father disclosed that Grossman’s hourly wage was set so low so he could maintain his disability payments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Think Tank Agrees to Pay More Than $500,000 to Resolve Allegations That It Falsely Certified Its Eligibility to Receive PPP Loan

body_text: BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a $501,161 settlement with the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), a nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., to resolve allegations that IPS falsely certified that it was eligible to receive a Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA). As part of the settlement, IPS admits that it certified to the SBA that it was not a think tank primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, when it had publicly stated otherwise. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. Entities that applied for Second Draw PPP loans were required to certify their eligibility for the loan, including that they were not “primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities.” IPS conducts research and publishes reports to influence public policy. As detailed in the settlement agreement, on Feb. 11, 2021, IPS submitted an application for a Second Draw PPP loan from SBA. In its application, IPS certified that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” But, as IPS admits, IPS has described itself as a “think tank” in various sections of its website, on LinkedIn, and in various public documents, including reports and press releases. Per its corporate bylaws, “The purpose of IPS is to conduct research to produce publications, and to educate the public on important matters of public policy.” Among many other objectives, IPS’ Strategic Plan for 2021-2022 included lobbying activities such as “leveraging public scholarship for social movements with progressives in Congress.” The United States contends that IPS was ineligible for a Second Draw PPP loan, which it received only after falsely certifying to SBA that it was not primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities. The settlement stems from allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties, known as relators, to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. In connection with today’s announced settlement, the relator will receive 10 percent of the recovery. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julien M. Mundele and Jessica J. Weber of Levy’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . US v. Institute for Policy Studies - Settlement Agreement


title: Four More Arrested as Tractor-Trailer Smuggling Investigation Progresses

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

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Four Mexican nationals were arrested Monday in San Antonio, Houston and Marshall, Texas, for their alleged connection to the 2022 tractor-trailer smuggling incident, which resulted in the death of 53 and injury of 11 undocumented noncitizens. A superseding indictment returned by a San Antonio Grand Jury on June 7, alleges that Riley Covarrubias-Ponce aka Rrili aka Rilay, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres aka Cholo aka Chuequito/Chuekito aka Negro, 28; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal aka Cowboy, 37; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega aka El Don aka Don Gon, 53, participated in a human smuggling organization (HSO) which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico into the United States between December 2021 and June 2022. The superseding indictment alleges that the smugglers worked in concert to transport and facilitate the transportation of the migrants, sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters in order to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The HSO maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio. The indictment alleges that in the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, and others exchanged the names of undocumented noncitizens who would be smuggled in an upcoming tractor-trailer load. The four new defendants charged in the superseding indictment allegedly orchestrated the retrieval of an empty tractor-trailer and its corresponding hand-off to the driver on June 27. The driver, Homero Zamorano, Jr. of Elkhart, Texas, was previously charged in a July 2022 indictment along with Christian Martinez, of Palestine, Texas. Orduna-Torres allegedly provided the Laredo address at which Zamorano loaded the migrants into the tractor trailer. The indictment also alleges that Gonzalez-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 66 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded for smuggling. According to the superseding indictment, Martinez, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, Rivera-Leal, and Gonzales-Ortega then coordinated, facilitated, passed messages, and made each other aware of the tractor-trailer’s progress. The superseding indictment alleges that some of the defendants were aware that the trailer’s air-conditioning unit was malfunctioning and would not blow any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its approximately three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants were either already dead or had died on site, including the pregnant woman. 16 of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals—five of whom died. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death; one count of conspiracy to transport of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy; one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death; and one count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “Human smugglers prey on migrants’ hope for a better life – but their only priority is profit,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Tragically, 53 people who had been loaded into a tractor-trailer in Texas and endured hours of unimaginable cruelty lost their lives because of this heartless scheme. Human smugglers who put peoples’ lives at risk for profit and break our laws cannot hide for long: We will find you and bring you to justice.” “One year ago today, an unthinkable crime perpetrated by human smugglers at our southern border caused the death of 53 human beings,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “But today’s arrests demonstrate that those who seek to profit from desperation will be brought to justice. Working with international partners, the Department of Justice is striking back at international organized crime and sending a clear message that there is no safe haven for trafficking in firearms, deadly narcotics, or human beings.” “The allegations in the indictment are horrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Dozens of desperate, vulnerable men, women and children put their trust in smugglers who abandoned them in a locked trailer to perish in the merciless south Texas summer. Thanks to our law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal levels—with Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division leading the investigation—we are one step closer to delivering justice for those migrants and their families.” “This horrific tragedy underscores the callous disregard criminal smuggling organizations have for human life, including the lives of children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments and arrests are another step forward in obtaining justice and accountability for these senseless deaths. Joint Task Force Alpha will remain steadfast in its efforts to thwart these deadly schemes driven by greed at the expense of safety and security.” “These additional arrests are a result of the hard work and determination displayed by our agents and prosecutors in their efforts to identify those who were responsible for deadliest human smuggling event in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “HSI will continue investigating all leads to ensure that justice will be served for the deceased, the injured, and their families. We will remain committed to leveraging our broad range of authorities to dismantle all transnational criminal organizations engaged in human smuggling around the globe.” HSI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and has received tremendous support from Customs and Border Protection; Border Patrol; Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; the San Antonio Police Department; the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office; the San Antonio Fire Department; the Marshall Police Department; and the Palestine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears and Amanda Brown are 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. These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas is part of the JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. ###


title: Indictment Charges Puerto Rico Woman with Trafficking Cocaine into Connecticut

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that KARINA CINTRON SANTIAGO, 24, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, had been charged with trafficking 12 kilograms of cocaine into Connecticut. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on June 4, 2023, a search of a luggage bag that Cintron Santiago checked prior to boarding a JetBlue flight from San Juan Airport to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, revealed approximately 12 kilograms of cocaine. When Cintron Santiago arrived in Connecticut and discovered that her bag was not at baggage claim, she reported it lost. JetBlue personnel informed Cintron Santiago that when her bag was located they would deliver it to her, but she indicated that she would rather pick it up at the airport. On June 7, undercover investigators posing as JetBlue personnel contacted Cintron Santiago to inform her that her bag had been located and would be arriving on a flight to Bradley International Airport the next day. On June 8, 2023, investigators placed Cintron Santiago’s bag, which contained its original contents, on a luggage carousel at Bradley International Airport. Cintron Santiago was arrested after she arrived at the airport and removed her bag from the luggage carousel. On June 20, 2023, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Cintron Santiago with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Cintron Santiago, who had been detained since her arrest, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford, entered a plea of not guilty to the charge, and was released on a $75,000 bond. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.


title: Wisconsin Man Sentenced for Sex Trafficking a Child

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Milwaukee, Wisconsin man was sentenced in federal court today for the sex trafficking of a child. Gerald H. Paul-Gibson, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Paul-Gibson to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. On March 9, 2022, Paul-Gibson pleaded guilty to the sex trafficking of a child. Paul-Gibson admitted that he recruited, transported, and advertised a 15-year-old victim for prostitution, and either knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that the child victim was under the age of 18. Kansas City, Mo., police officers initially arrested the child victim for soliciting prostitution during a human trafficking sting at a local hotel on April 24, 2019. Once arrested, officers recognized she was a minor. She identified herself via her high school email address and confirmed she was 15 years old. The child victim told investigators she met Paul-Gibson in Milwaukee and he brought her to Kansas City. Paul-Gibson placed advertisements online and transported her to the hotel for the appointment with an undercover police officer. Paul-Gibson, who was parked outside the hotel, was arrested. When investigators searched his cell phone, they found a large number of text messages that confirmed Paul-Gibson recruited women for prostitution. In some conversations, Paul-Gibson refers to himself as a pimp. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine A. Connelly. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Four Arrested for Tractor-Trailer Smuggling Incident that Resulted in 53 Deaths

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Four Mexican nationals were arrested yesterday in San Antonio, Houston, and Marshall, Texas, for their alleged roles in a tractor-trailer smuggling incident that resulted in 53 deceased and 11 injured undocumented individuals one year ago today. “Human smugglers prey on migrants’ hope for a better life – but their only priority is profit,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Tragically, 53 people who had been loaded into a tractor-trailer in Texas and endured hours of unimaginable cruelty lost their lives because of this heartless scheme. Human smugglers who put people’s lives at risk for profit and break our laws cannot hide for long: We will find you and bring you to justice.” “Today’s announcement is another important step in our unprecedented effort against smugglers,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “These indictments are the direct result of a whole of government effort to prevent these horrific crimes and is the largest campaign of its kind in U.S. history. Human smugglers will do anything to turn a profit, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will continue to do everything possible to stop them. I am grateful for the leadership of our Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) team and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for seeking justice for the 53 lives lost last year.” These charges resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which Attorney General Garland established in June 2021 in partnership with Secretary Mayorkas, to strengthen the departments’ overall efforts to combat these crimes based on the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA enhances U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. According to court documents, between December 2021 and June 2022, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, aka Rrili, aka Rilay, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres, aka Cholo, aka Chuequito/Chuekito, aka Negro, 28; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, aka Cowboy, 37; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega, aka El Don, aka Don Gon, 53, are alleged to have participated in a human smuggling organization which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States. The alleged smugglers worked in concert to transport the migrants by sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit. The organization maintained a variety of tractors and trailers for their smuggling operations, some of which were stored at a private parking lot in San Antonio. “One year ago today, an unthinkable crime perpetrated by human smugglers at our southern border caused the death of 53 human beings,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “But today’s arrests demonstrate that those who seek to profit from desperation will be brought to justice. Working with international partners, the Department of Justice is striking back at international organized crime and sending a clear message that there is no safe haven for trafficking in firearms, deadly narcotics, or human beings.” “This horrific tragedy underscores the callous disregard criminal smuggling organizations have for human life, including the lives of children,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These indictments and arrests are another step forward in obtaining justice and accountability for these senseless deaths. Joint Task Force Alpha will remain steadfast in its efforts to thwart these deadly schemes driven by greed at the expense of safety and security.” The indictment alleges that in the days leading up to June 27, 2022, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, and others exchanged the names of undocumented individuals who would be smuggled in a tractor-trailer. The four new defendants charged in the superseding indictment allegedly orchestrated the retrieval of an empty tractor-trailer and its corresponding hand-off to the driver on June 27. The driver, Homero Zamorano Jr. of Elkhart, Texas, was previously charged in a July 2022 indictment along with Christian Martinez, of Palestine, Texas. Orduna-Torres allegedly provided the Laredo, Texas, address at which Zamorano loaded the migrants onto the tractor trailer. The indictment also alleges that Gonzalez-Ortega traveled to Laredo to meet the tractor-trailer, where at least 66 undocumented individuals, including eight children and one pregnant woman, were loaded into the back to be smuggled. Martinez, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduna-Torres, Rivera-Leal, and Gonzales-Ortega then allegedly coordinated, facilitated, passed messages, and kept each other updated on the tractor-trailer’s progress. “The allegations in the indictment are horrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Dozens of desperate, vulnerable men, women, and children put their trust in smugglers who abandoned them in a locked trailer to perish in the merciless south Texas summer. Thanks to our law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal levels – with the Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division leading the investigation – we are one step closer to delivering justice for those migrants and their families.” Some of the defendants charged were allegedly aware that the trailer’s air-conditioning unit was malfunctioning and would not blow any cool air to the migrants inside. When members of the organization met the tractor-trailer at the end of its nearly three-hour journey to San Antonio, they opened the doors to find 48 of the migrants, including the pregnant woman, were already dead. Sixteen of the undocumented individuals were transported to hospitals, and five of them died there. “One year ago today, HSI responded to a mass casualty human smuggling event that occurred in San Antonio, which resulted in the death of 53 undocumented noncitizens from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Director PJ Lechleitner of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “The indictments announced today emphasize that we will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who are responsible for this horrible tragedy. HSI continues investigative efforts with Joint Task Force Alpha and international partners to dismantle smuggling networks that demonstrate no regard for human life.” Each defendant is charged with one count each of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. If convicted on the top counts, they each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. HSI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI, ATF, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, San Antonio Fire Department, Marshall Police Department, and Palestine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations that have the most significant impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of prosecutors from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the task force is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from the DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Cuatro detenidos por el incidente de tráfico de personas en un tráiler que resultó en 53 muertes

body_text: Cuatro ciudadanos mexicanos fueron detenidos ayer en San Antonio, Houston y Marshall, Texas, por su presunta participación en un incidente de tráfico de personas en un tráiler que resultó en 53 personas indocumentadas fallecidas y 11 lesionadas hoy hace un año. “Los traficantes de personas se aprovechan de la esperanza de los migrantes de una vida mejor, pero su única prioridad es obtener ganancias”, señaló el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Trágicamente, 53 personas que habían sido hacinadas en un tráiler en Texas y soportaron horas de inimaginable crueldad, perdieron la vida debido a este plan despiadado. Los traficantes de personas que ponen en riesgo la vida de las personas para obtener ganancias e infringen nuestras leyes no podrán esconderse por mucho tiempo: Los encontraremos y los llevaremos ante la justicia”. “El anuncio de hoy es otro paso importante en nuestro esfuerzo sin precedentes contra los traficantes”, expresó el secretario de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Estas acusaciones formales son el resultado directo de todo un esfuerzo del gobierno para prevenir estos horribles crímenes y es la campaña más grande de este tipo en la historia de los Estados Unidos. Los traficantes de personas harán cualquier cosa para obtener ganancias, y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) continuará haciendo todo lo posible para detenerlos. Estoy agradecido por el liderazgo de nuestro equipo de Investigación de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) y la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los EE. UU., por buscar justicia para las 53 vidas perdidas el año pasado”. Estos cargos fueron el resultado de los esfuerzos coordinados de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa (JTFA), que el fiscal general Garland estableció en junio de 2021 en colaboración con el secretario Mayorkas, para fortalecer los esfuerzos generales de los departamentos para combatir estos delitos en función del aumento del tráfico prolífico y peligroso que proviene de Centroamérica y afecta a nuestras comunidades fronterizas. JTFA mejora los esfuerzos de las autoridades del orden público de los EE. UU., contra los grupos de tráfico y trata de personas más prolíficos y peligrosos que operan en México, Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras. Según documentos judiciales, entre diciembre de 2021 y junio de 2022, Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, también conocido como Rrili, también conocido como Rilay, 30 años; Felipe Orduña-Torres, también conocido como Cholo, también conocido como Chuequito/Chuekito, también conocido como Negro, 28 años; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, también conocido como Cowboy, 37 años; y Armando Gonzáles-Ortega, también conocido como El Don, también conocido como Don Gon, 53 años, están acusados de participar en una organización de tráfico de personas que traía ilegalmente adultos y niños de Guatemala, Honduras y México a los Estados Unidos. Los presuntos traficantes trabajaron en conjunto para transportar a los migrantes compartiendo rutas, guías, escondites, camiones, remolques y transportadores para consolidar costos, minimizar riesgos y maximizar ganancias. La organización mantuvo una variedad de tractores y remolques para sus operaciones de contrabando, algunos de los cuales estaban guardados en un estacionamiento privado en San Antonio. “Hoy hace un año, un delito impensable perpetrado por traficantes de personas en nuestra frontera sur causó la muerte de 53 seres humanos”, señaló la fiscal general adjunta Lisa O. Mónaco. “Pero las detenciones de hoy demuestran que aquellos que buscan sacar provecho de la desesperación serán llevados ante la justicia. Al trabajar con colaboradores internacionales, el Departamento de Justicia responde a la delincuencia organizada internacional y envía un mensaje claro de que no existe un refugio seguro para el tráfico de armas de fuego, narcóticos letales o seres humanos”. “Esta horrible tragedia pone de relieve el cruel desprecio que las organizaciones criminales de traficantes tienen por la vida humana, incluidas las vidas de los niños”, expresó el fiscal general adjunto Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “Estas acusaciones formales y detenciones son otro paso adelante para obtener justicia y rendición de cuentas por estas muertes sin sentido. La Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa se mantendrá firme en sus esfuerzos para frustrar estos planes mortales impulsados por la codicia a expensas de la seguridad y la protección”. La acusación formal alega que en los días previos al 27 de junio de 2022, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduña-Torres y otros intercambiaron los nombres de personas indocumentadas que serían traficadas en un tráiler. Los cuatro nuevos acusados imputados en la acusación formal supuestamente orquestaron la obtención de un tráiler vacío y su correspondiente entrega al conductor el 27 de junio. El conductor, Homero Zamorano Jr. de Elkhart, Texas, fue imputado previamente en una acusación formal de julio de 2022 junto con Christian Martínez, de Palestina, Texas. Orduña-Torres supuestamente proporcionó la dirección de Laredo, Texas, en la que Zamorano cargó a los migrantes en el tráiler. La acusación formal también alega que González-Ortega viajó a Laredo para localizar el tráiler, donde al menos 66 personas indocumentadas, incluidos ocho niños y una mujer embarazada, fueron subidos en la parte trasera para traficarlas. Martínez, Covarrubias-Ponce, Orduña-Torres, Rivera-Leal y Gonzáles-Ortega supuestamente coordinaron, facilitaron, pasaron mensajes y se mantuvieron informados sobre el avance del tráiler. “Las alegaciones en la acusación formal son espantosas”, dijo el fiscal federal Jaime Esparza para el Distrito Oeste de Texas. “Docenas de hombres, mujeres y niños desesperados y vulnerables confiaron en los traficantes, quienes los abandonaron en un tráiler cerrado para luego perecer en el despiadado verano del sur de Texas. Gracias a nuestros colaboradores de las fuerzas del orden público a nivel local, estatal y federal, con la División de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional de San Antonio a la cabeza de la investigación, estamos un paso más cerca de hacer justicia para esos migrantes y sus familias”. Algunos de los acusados supuestamente sabían que la unidad de aire acondicionado del tráiler no funcionaba bien y que no salía aire fresco para los migrantes que estaban dentro. Cuando los miembros de la organización se encontraron con el tráiler al final de su viaje de casi tres horas a San Antonio, abrieron las puertas y encontraron que 48 de los migrantes, incluida la mujer embarazada, estaban muertos. Dieciséis de los indocumentados fueron transportados a hospitales y cinco de ellos murieron allí. “Hoy hace un año, HSI respondió a una situación de tráfico masivo de personas con víctimas que ocurrió en San Antonio, terminó en la muerte de 53 no ciudadanos indocumentados de México, Guatemala y Honduras”, comentó el alto funcionario que desempeñaba las funciones del subdirector PJ Lechleitner de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE). “Las acusaciones formales anunciadas hoy enfatizan que trabajaremos incansablemente para llevar ante la justicia a los responsables de esta horrible tragedia. HSI continúa los esfuerzos de investigación con la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa y los colaboradores internacionales para desmantelar las redes de traficantes que no demuestran aprecio por la vida humana”. Cada acusado está imputado de un cargo de asociación delictuosa para transportar extranjeros ilegales con resultado de muerte, asociación delictuosa para transportar extranjeros ilegales con resultado de lesiones corporales graves y poner vidas en peligro, transporte de extranjeros ilegales con resultado de muerte y transporte de extranjeros ilegales con resultado de lesiones graves corporales y poner vidas en peligro. Si son condenados por los cargos principales, cada uno enfrenta una pena máxima de cadena perpetua. HSI está investigando el caso con la valiosa asistencia de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza, Patrulla Fronteriza, Operaciones de Detención y Deportación de ICE, FBI, ATF, Departamento de Policía de San Antonio, Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Bexar, Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio, Departamento de Policía de Marshall y Departamento de Policía de Palestina. Los fiscales federales adjuntos Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears y Amanda Brown para el Distrito Oeste de Texas están procesando el caso. Desde su creación, JTFA ha aumentado con éxito la coordinación y la colaboración entre el Departamento de Justicia, el DHS y otros participantes interinstitucionales del orden público, y con colaboradores extranjeros del orden público, incluido en El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y México; se ha dirigido contra aquellas organizaciones que tienen el impacto más significativo en los Estados Unidos; y coordinando importantes acusaciones formales de tráfico y esfuerzos de extradición en las fiscalías federales de los Estados Unidos en todo el país. JTFA está compuesto por fiscales de las fiscalías federales de los EE. UU. en la frontera suroeste, incluido el Distrito Sur de Texas, el Distrito Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Nuevo México, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. Numerosos componentes de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia que forman parte de JTFA también brindan apoyo dedicado para el grupo de tarea, dirigido por la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales (HRSP) y apoyado por la Oficina de Desarrollo Procesal, Asistencia y Capacitación (OPDAT), la Sección de Estupefacientes y Drogas Peligrosas (NDDS), la Sección de Blanqueo de Capitales y Recuperación de Activos (MLARS), la Oficina de Operaciones del Orden Público (OEO), la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA) del Departamento de Justicia y la Sección de Delincuencia Organizada y Pandillas (OCGS). JTFA es posible gracias a una inversión sustancial en las fuerzas del orden público por parte del DHS, el FBI, la DEA y otros colaboradores. Una acusación formal es simplemente un alegato. Todos los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta que se pruebe su culpabilidad más allá de toda duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia.


title: Merrillville Man Sentenced to 102 in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Phillip Carter, Jr., 32 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the making of false statements to acquire firearms, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Carter was sentenced to 102 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in April 2021, Carter provided another individual money to purchase two pistols for him from a federally licensed firearms dealer. As a convicted felon, Carter was unable to purchase firearms himself and he knew that the other individual would have to lie in order to purchase the pistols for him. During the investigation, it was determined that Carter had another individual buy up to 24 firearms for him. Carter’s prior felony convictions, which include being a felon in possession of a firearm and discharging a firearm, prohibit him purchasing and possessing the firearms in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the LaPorte County Drug Task Force and the Michigan City Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly L. Schultz and Jerome W. McKeever. 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: Drug Dealer Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Fentanyl Death of Yamhill County Teen

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—An Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for distributing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl that caused the fatal overdose of a Yamhill County teen. Dylan Wilson, 26, of Lafayette, Oregon, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. According to court documents, on July 21, 2021, Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the fatal overdose of a 15-year-old in Dayton, Oregon. A search of the victim’s cell phone and an interview with one of the victim’s minor friends revealed that the victim had recently purchased what they thought were Oxycodone pills from Wilson. The victim was not aware that the counterfeit pills, labeled with “M30,” contained fentanyl. A toxicology report later confirmed the victim died of a fentanyl overdose. The next day, on July 22, 2021, Yamhill County deputies and FBI special agents surveilled Wilson’s residence in Lafayette and arrested him without incident. Wilson confessed to knowing the victim was a minor before selling the counterfeit pills. A search of Wilson’s cell phone revealed evidence of his fentanyl supplier. Investigators identified the supplier as Scott Keeling, 23, of McMinnville, Oregon, and arrested Keeling the same day. On December 7, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Wilson and Keeling with conspiring with one another and others to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. On February 21, 2023, Keeling pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. Two months later, on April 5, 2023, Wilson pleaded guilty to the same charge. On May 30, 2023, Keeling was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. This case was investigated by the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.


title: Camden County Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Hiring Hitman Via Internet

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for paying $20,000 in bitcoin to have a 14-year old child murdered, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. John Michael Musbach, 34, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to an indictment charging him with one count of knowingly and intentionally using and causing another to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce, that is the internet, with the intent that a murder be committed. Judge Rodriguez imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In the summer of 2015, Musbach exchanged via the internet sexually explicit photographs and videos with the victim, a 13-year-old living in New York. The victim’s parents found out about the inappropriate contact and contacted the local police. Upon identifying Musbach, then a resident of Atlantic County, New Jersey, New York law enforcement officers reached out to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office (ACPO). In March 2016, officers from the ACPO arrested Musbach on child pornography charges and executed a search warrant at his residence, then in Galloway, New Jersey. Musbach decided to have the victim killed so that the victim could not testify against him in the pending criminal case. During the period from May 7, 2016, through May 20, 2016, Musbach repeatedly communicated with the administrator of a murder-for-hire website, which operated on the dark net, and which purported to offer contract killings or other acts of violence in return for payment in cryptocurrency, and arranged for a murder-for-hire. Musbach asked if a 14-year-old was too young to target, and upon hearing that the age was not a problem, paid approximately 40 bitcoin (approximately $20,000 at the time) for the hit. Musbach repeatedly messaged the website’s administrator following up on the hit and asking when it would occur. When pressed for an additional $5,000 to secure the hit, Musbach eventually sought to cancel and asked for a refund of his $20,000. The website’s administrator then revealed that the website was a scam and threatened to reveal Musbach’s information to law enforcement. In addition to the prison term, Judge Rodriguez sentenced Musbach to three years of supervised release and fined him $30,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt in St. Paul, Minnesota, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Vondra Carrig in Camden.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Texas man, who is a citizen of Ghana and the United Kingdom, was sentenced today after being convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge of Headquarters Operations John T. Perez of the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard of the Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Field Office made the announcement. According to court documents, Joshua Roberts , 32, participated in a scheme to conceal the source of proceeds of criminal activity. As part of the scheme, Roberts established a sham company to launder illicit funds from a Business Email Compromise scheme. Business Email Compromise is a sophisticated scam that targets both businesses and individuals who perform legitimate transfer-of-funds requests. The scam is frequently carried out when a subject compromises legitimate business or personal email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds. Roberts was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Roberts was also ordered to pay $831,996.84 in restitution. Roberts ’ sentence of imprisonment will run concurrent to a sentence he is serving for related crimes in a case arising out of the Northern District of Georgia. There is no parole in the federal system. On September 26, 2022, Peggy McDowell Brown , 69, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was sentenced to 2 years of probation for her role in the conspiracy. Brown was also ordered to pay $831,996.84 in restitution. On October 21, 2022, Olajide Samuel Agbaniyaka , 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in federal prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for his role in the conspiracy. Agbaniyaka was also ordered to pay $1,117,000.54 in restitution. The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Keel prosecuted the case. ###


title: Gardena Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison  for Throwing Molotov Cocktail Inside Torrance Bank Branch

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A South Bay woman was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for throwing a Molotov cocktail inside a bank in Torrance after having a dispute with the branch manager. Teranee Millet, 35, of Gardena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. Millet pleaded guilty on March 21 to unlawful possession of a firearm and destructive device. On September 20, 2021, Millet entered a Bank of America branch in Torrance. She spoke to the bank manager and demanded to be helped by another teller because she believed she had been waiting in line for too long. When the bank manager informed her that no other tellers were available and she would have to continue waiting, Millet used profane language and then yelled, “I’m going to blow this bitch up!” In response, the bank manager called 911 and informed law enforcement of Millet’s comments. A few minutes later, Millet returned to the bank branch and threw a Molotov cocktail into the bank, causing a fire in the middle of the bank. A bank customer successfully extinguished the fire. On her way out of the bank’s parking lot and before law enforcement arrived, she threatened another customer and threw a glass bottle at the customer’s truck, causing minor damage to the vehicle. Police responded within a few minutes, secured the scene and recovered the item that Millet threw on the floor. Law enforcement used bank surveillance photos to help identify Millet. Millet was arrested in Georgia in December 2021, after she led law enforcement on a chase in a stolen U-Haul van that ended with the van crashing, according to court documents. Inside the van, law enforcement recovered a gym bag containing four packs of glass bottles with tissue paper inserted inside the bottles, a can of lighter fluid and a five-gallon can of gasoline, according to court documents. Millet sustained injuries in the crash and later received medical treatment. She has been in custody since that time. The FBI, the Torrance Police Department, and the Torrance Fire Department investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kellye Ng of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: Two Charged in Conspiracy to Access Protected Computer Network of Non-Profit Mental Health Treatment Provider

body_text: BOSTON – Two men have been charged in Worcester for allegedly conspiring to access a protected computer of their former employer, a non-profit substance use and mental health treatment provider that operates recovery centers throughout Massachusetts. Nathan Howe, 42, of Rutland, Mass., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information and cause damage and one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer and impairing medical treatment. Patrick Edmonds-Morin, 31, of Union, Conn., was charged by Information on May 18, 2023, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information. Howe was taken into custody on May 16, 2023 and was released on conditions of pre-trial supervision. Edmonds-Morin will appear in federal court in Worcester on June 28, 2023. According to the charging documents, Howe and Edmonds-Morin were employed by the non-profit until April 2021 and October 2020, respectively. It is alleged that, between September and December of 2021, Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to access records of the non-profit’s employees, listen to and view conversations between the employees, and create and deploy a computer program designed to impede a Vice President of the non-profit’s use of the network. In November 2021, Howe allegedly accessed the computer network and transmitted a command that shut down the network for the non-profit’s Westborough campus where individuals were receiving in-patient treatment. By allegedly shutting down the network, Howe made the non-profit’s electronic medical records system inaccessible at its sites across Massachusetts, impairing or potentially impairing the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients. It is further alleged that, between July 2018 and November 2020, Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to commit wire fraud by obtaining cell phones from a cell phone provider which were intended for the non-profit’s staff and, instead, selling the cell phones to third parties for personal profit, typically in the amounts of hundreds of dollars per phone. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information and cause damage, provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer and causing the potential impairment of medical treatment provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information, provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of Levy’s Worcester Branch Office 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: Cherokee County Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Teens in Tyler Area

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TYLER, Texas - A Jacksonville, Texas man has been convicted of federal sex trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Desnique Deshawn Herndon, 27, was convicted of six counts of sex trafficking of children and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Herndon was found guilty of all counts by a jury following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker. According to information presented in court, beginning in 2019, Herndon engaged in trafficking multiple teenage girls for commercial sex acts. Herndon recruited the girls by social media, deceived them by promising riches, and placed them in hotels in the Tyler area. He then posted advertisements on sex trafficking websites showing explicit photos of the girls and offering commercial sex acts. Some of Herndon’s victims were as young as 13 years old. During trial, jurors heard testimony that Herndon used co-conspirators to continue to run his operation while he was in jail so that the victims could earn money to pay his bond. Three of Herndon's co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the offenses. Malcolm Kadeem Roberts, 27, of Tyler, pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Roberts also faces pending aggravated sexual assault of a child charges in Smith County for his conduct in relation to one of the minor victims in this case. Patrick Lamont Cross, Jr, 27, of Palestine, Texas pleaded guilty on August 22, 2022, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Tavarus D. Watkins, 27, of Jacksonville, Texas, pleaded guilty on August 9, 2022, to interstate transport of a minor for illegal sexual activity. Under federal statutes, Herndon faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations’ Tyler Resident Agency, the FBI Tyler Resident Agency, Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division, the Texas Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit, Tyler Police Department, Henderson County Sherriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sherriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker and Alan Jackson, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Jiral. ###


title: Panama City Man On State Probation For Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes Pleads Guilty To Manufacturing Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Neal Evan Pollman (42, Panama City) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Pollman faces up to 20 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents and public records, in 2022, Pollman entered various businesses in Brevard, Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties and purchased gift cards, food, and merchandise using counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Law enforcement subsequently determined that Pollman and his co-defendant, Lyndsey Rhea Markland (41, Panama City), were staying at a hotel in the City of Palm Bay. In November 2022, the Palm Bay Police Department (PBPD) executed a search warrant at their hotel room and located Markland inside the room. Also located in the room was approximately $30,000 in counterfeit currency and a printer, along with other tools used to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Shortly after the execution of the search warrant, the PBPD located Pollman in the vicinity of the hotel and arrested him. When the officers searched Pollman they recovered various counterfeit Federal Reserve notes on him which were traced back to his manufacturing activities. During a subsequent forensic examination of Pollman’s cellphone, law enforcement located images of Federal Reserve notes that Pollman used to manufacture the counterfeit currency. Pollman and Markland appeared in federal court on April 27, 2023, pursuant to writs bringing them to Jacksonville from the Bay County Jail in Florida, where they are serving jail sentences for violating state probation on multiple charges related to passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The Court ordered Pollman and Markland detained pending trial. On June 8, 2023, Markland pleaded guilty to four counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and payment of restitution to the victims she defrauded. Her sentencing is set for September 25, 2023. This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Bay Police Department, the Orange Park Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.


title: Luzerne County Man Pleads Guilty To Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Read admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute between 40 grams and 160 grams of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area between 2019 and 2020. Read was indicted by a grand jury in August 2020 for fentanyl trafficking. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Under federal law, the offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum sentence of up to forty years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. ###


title: New Milford Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax Offenses

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MELISSA PEZZOLO, 66, of New Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 13 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for tax offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, for nearly 20 years, Pezzolo was employed as the office manager and bookkeeper for a nursery and landscaping services company in Bethel. Pezzolo was responsible for managing the company’s books and invoices, paying the company’s bills, and handling the company’s payroll and employment tax obligations. She also was responsible for coordinating with the company’s tax return preparer who prepared the yearly filed corporate tax returns. Beginning in or before 2014 and continuing through 2018, Pezzolo willfully failed to file any employment tax returns (Forms 941) and failed to make any related payments of withholding taxes on behalf of the company. Nevertheless, she continued to distribute paychecks to employees that withheld employees’ income and FICA taxes. She accounted for the withholdings on the employees’ annual W-2 forms, which she continued to issue, though she did not provide the W-2 forms or pay the related withholding taxes to the IRS or the Social Security Administration. She also failed to pay the company’s own share of FICA taxes. With respect to her own withholdings, Pezzolo neither withheld nor paid her withholding taxes to the IRS, nor issued herself any W-2 forms between approximately 2010 and 2018. Pezzolo also has admitted that she stole more than $400,000 from her employer by giving herself raises that were not authorized and by paying personal expenses using the company’s corporate bank account and company credit card. Judge Bolden ordered Pezzolo to pay to the IRS restitution of $1,329,314, which reflects $1,170,992 in unpaid company payroll taxes and $158,322 in unpaid personal income taxes for the 2014 through 2018 tax years. On January 17, 2023, Pezzolo pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to collect or pay over tax, and one count of tax evasion of assessment. Pezzolo, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on August 1. This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elena L. Coronado and Christopher W. Schmeisser.


title: Wolcott Man Who Attempted To Have Sex With A 12 Y/O Is Going To Prison For 35 Years

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jacob Ritchie, 37, of Wolcott, NY, who was convicted of distributing child pornography following a prior conviction for a child sex abuse offense, was sentenced to serve 35 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between November 2021, and February 2022, Ritchie engaged in sexually explicit online communications with an undercover New York State Police Investigator, who Ritchie believed was a 12-year-old female. During these conversations, Ritchie repeatedly asked the child to produce and send to him images of child pornography. He also attempted to persuade the child to meet him for sex. Ritchie also sent images of child pornography in an attempt to groom the child for sexual activity. The images depicted children as young as eight-years-old engaged in sexual activity with adults. Ritchie also made numerous references to possible sexual contact with a minor relative while communicating with the undercover investigator. In February 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at Ritchie’s residence, where they recovered a cell phone containing dozens of images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted the sexual abuse of children as young as toddlers, and children being subjected to violence. A subsequent search of Ritchie’s social media found that he engaged in multiple online conversations during which he openly discussed sexually abusing children and traded child pornography. Ritchie admitted to sexually abusing multiple children, to include a child as young as five-years-old. He is a level 3 sex offender following child sexual abuse convictions in 2012, 2016, and 2017. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian J. Ratajczak and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino. # # # #


title: Buffalo Man Arrested, Charged  With Production Of Child Pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mark Nash, 34, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that on April 4, 2023, the Buffalo Police Department received a report that Nash had nude images of a minor victim on his phone and that he had allegedly sexually abused the girl. A search warrant executed on Nash’s phone recovered over 200 sexually explicit images of the minor victim. Nash is currently on probation following a 2022 conviction in Erie County Court for Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. Nash made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being held pending a detention hearing on June 29, 2023. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Six Wolf Point residents sentenced to prison for roles in kidnapping, assault of girl on Fort Peck Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — Six Wolf Point residents convicted in the kidnapping and assault of a girl on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in 2021 were sentenced this month to prison terms for their roles in the attack, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. All six of the defendants pleaded guilty earlier to kidnapping an individual under 18. All defendants initially faced a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. At the time of their sentencing hearings, however, they were eligible for sentences below the mandatory minimum. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. “This case is every parent’s worst nightmare. A Native American girl was lured out of her home, beaten, kidnapped, and left for dead in an open field on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Our office stands with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s movement, seeking to ensure that Native women and girls are protected and that perpetrators of crimes like these are held accountable. I would like to personally thank law enforcement and the Fort Peck community for their help and quick actions. Without their efforts, this case easily could have resulted in the senseless death of a child on the reservation.” Today, the court sentenced Patti Jo Annunciata Mail, 23, the sixth and remaining defendant, to 42 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 168 months for Mail. The sentencing guideline range for Mail was 87 months to 108 months. Co-defendant Cheri Cruz Granbois, 21, was sentenced on June 15, and co-defendants Dylan Troy Jackson, 20; Elmarie Amelia Weeks, 22; Kaylee Jade Jackson 19; and Lavanchie Patricia Goodbird, 30, were sentenced on June 14. The five co-defendants were sentenced as follows: Cheri Cruz Granbois was sentenced to 58 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 185 months in prison, which was within Granbois’ guideline range of 168 months to 210 months. Dylan Jackson was sentenced to 55 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 180 months in prison for Dylan Jackson, whose sentencing guideline range was 108 months to 135 months. Elmarie Amelia Weeks was sentenced to 49 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 170 months for Weeks, whose sentencing guideline range was 108 months to 135 months. Kaylee Jade Jackson was sentenced to 45 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 160 months in prison for Kaylee Jackson, whose sentencing guideline range was 87 months to 108 months in prison. Lavanchie Patricia Goodbird, 30, was sentenced to 41 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government requested a sentence of 140 months in prison for Goodbird, whose sentencing guideline range was 108 months to 135 months. The government alleged in court documents that on Sept. 15, 2021, Granbois, seeking revenge on the victim, a 15-year-old identified as Jane Doe, recruited others to help him exact that end. Saying the victim had wronged him, Granbois paid Kaylee Jackson money to lure Jane Doe outside of her house in Wolf Point so she could be assaulted. That evening, after drinking, Goodbird drove the group to the victim’s house. When Jane Doe came out, the situation escalated. Some of the individuals in the group assaulted the victim in her front yard. When eyewitnesses yelled that they were going to call the police, some of individuals forced Jane Doe into the vehicle and drove her to a vacant field where the assault continued. The government alleged that during the assault, Granbois directed others as to when and who could assault the victim and directed others to take items from Jane Doe, including a cell phone that could have been used to report the kidnapping. An eyewitness to the assault in the field described the victim screaming and then going silent. The eyewitness thought Jane Doe had been murdered. The victim suffered serious injuries. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan G. Weldon and Wendy A. Johnson prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Law Enforcement, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Pittsburgh Woman and Detroit Man Indicted on Fraud Conspiracy and Bank Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh and a resident of Detroit, Michigan, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Fraud Conspiracy and Bank Fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The ten-count Indictment named Matthew Lloyd Parker, Jr., age 36, of Detroit, MI, and Virginia R. Humphries, age 35, of Pittsburgh, PA. According to Indictment, between March 2020 and August 2021, Parker and Humphries defrauded the Small Business Administration and lenders of over $14,000,000 million dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Parker, a licensed CPA from Detroit, Michigan, and Humphries, a credit repair specialist in Pittsburgh, recruited hundreds of small businesses in Pittsburgh and Detroit and falsified PPP loan applications of which the SBA approved 226 applications, resulting in loans totaling approximately $14.5 million to businesses, the largest known PPP fraud in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $1,250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Postal Inspection Services and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Alabama Woman Charged With Tax Evasion

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Lisa England, age 51, of Attalla, Alabama, was charged in an indictment with two counts of tax evasion. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that England failed to file tax returns and pay income tax for the years 2016 and 2017, while in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The indictment further alleges that England evaded paying taxes by obtaining payroll payments that were issued in the names of others and shredding paystubs that had been issued for those other individuals. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case. The matter has been specially assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania for prosecution. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Pennsylvania man who was stopped on Interstate 44 with 80 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle was indicted by a federal grand jury today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm. Devion K.J. Boykin, 26, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Boykin on May 30, 2023, and includes an additional firearms charge. The federal indictment alleges that Boykin was in possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute on May 28, 2023. Boykin is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Boykin was driving a silver 2022 Ford Explorer when he was stopped on Interstate 44 near the overpass of Missouri 37 by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper on May 28, 2023. Boykin, who was driving a vehicle that had been rented to another person, did not have a driver’s license. When the trooper opened the rear cargo door of the Explorer, he saw a black Versace shopping bag that contained 10 quart-sized bags, each of which contained approximately a pound of methamphetamine. The trooper unzipped a suitcase and saw 70 quart-sized bags, each of which contained approximately a pound of methamphetamine. In total, the suitcase and shopping bag contained approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Boykin also was in possession of a Glock 9mm pistol on the day of the traffic stop. Boykin told investigators he was traveling from Phoenix, Arizona, to Erie, Pennsylvania. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Bolivar Sex Offender Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Bolivar, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child victim. Merle G. Daniels, 44, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield. Daniels is a registered sex offender after having been previously convicted of statutory rape, two counts of statutory sodomy, and interference with custody in Greene County, Mo. Today’s indictment alleges that Daniels used a victim under the age of 16 to produce child pornography from Nov. 9 to Dec. 9, 2022. Daniels is also charged with one count of being a registered sex offender and committing a felony offense involving a minor, and one count of transferring obscene material to the child victim. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations. According to court documents, Latasha Wise, 36, conspired with two other individuals to obtain bank loans through fraudulent means. Wise used social security numbers that did not belong to her to obtain bank loans. Wise is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2023 and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Madison Police Department and the HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.


title: Harlem man admits assault crime for drive-by shooting of residence on Fort Belknap Indian reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Harlem man accused of shooting an occupied house in Fort Belknap Agency on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to an assault crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Tyree Daniel Doney, 21, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Doney faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 15. Doney was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on Jan. 19, a man, identified as John Doe, was inside his residence with his family, including two children. John Doe heard multiple gunshots, and one bullet lodged inside his residence. John Doe feared that he or his family would be harmed from the drive-by shooting. Law enforcement learned that Doney was in the area at the time of the shooting, and Doney ultimately admitted to firing the gunshots into John Doe’s home. Doney did so, in part, because Doney was upset about a physical fight he had with John Doe four months prior. Officers recovered 9mm casings outside John Doe’s residence, 9mm casings inside Doney’s vehicle and the 9mm firearm inside Doney’s residence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Pineville Woman Indicted for Killing Unborn Child of Kidnapping Victim

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Pineville, Mo., woman who was previously indicted for the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant Arkansas woman now faces an additional charge of killing her victim’s unborn child. Amber Waterman, 43, and her husband, Jamie Waterman, 43, were charged in a three-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Today’s superseding indictment replaces an indictment returned on Nov. 16, 2022, and includes an additional charge against Amber Waterman. The Watermans remain in federal custody. Amber Waterman is charged with one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The indictment alleges that, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 2022, Amber Waterman kidnapped Ashley Bush in order to claim her unborn child as her own. She allegedly transported Ashley Bush from Maysville, Arkansas, to Pineville. The indictment alleges the kidnapping resulted in Bush’s death. Today’s superseding indictment also alleges, in a new count, that Amber Waterman thereby caused the death of a child in utero. Jamie Waterman is charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping resulting in death. The indictment alleges that he assisted Amber Waterman, in order to hinder and prevent her apprehension, trial, and punishment, knowing she had committed the offense of kidnapping resulting in death. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the FBI, the Benton County, Ark., Sheriff’s Department, and the McDonald County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas and the Benton County, Ark., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.