title: Lexington Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Felon in Possession of Firearm Charges

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, KY - A Lexington, Ky., man, Erich Storck, 51, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves on Friday to 120 months in prison for two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. Storck was convicted of the charges on April 5, 2023. According to evidence at his trial, Storck had multiple misdemeanor convictions and a felony conviction for Assault Under Extreme Emotional Disturbance. In May 2020, Storck was arrested after being found outside Northpoint Training Center, a medium-security state prison, under the influence of alcohol with a loaded handgun stored in his motorcycle. Storck was released on state bond. While on bond, in November 2021, Storck barricaded himself in his residence in Nicholasville where he discharged over 30 rounds from a 9mm and an assault rifle. Some of the rounds struck a neighbor’s house. After Storck eventually surrendered to law enforcement, officers located two firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his home. Under federal law, Storck must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Storck was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and $1,000 in restitution. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Todd Justice, Chief of Police, Nicholasville Police Department; and Sheriff Taylor Bottom, Boyle County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF, Nicholasville Police Department, and Boyle County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West. — END —


title: Lexington CEO Sentenced to 10 Months for Distributing Misbranded 3M N95 masks

body_text: LEXINGTON, KY - Nathan Brown, 47, CEO of Old World Timber, a Lexington company specializing in antique wood reclamation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell on Thursday to 10 months in prison for selling misbranded N95 respirator masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fall of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown directed his company to begin importing and selling medical-grade 3M™ N95 respirators (masks). Old World Timber purchased more than 100,000 alleged 3M N95 masks from a company in China, and resold them to customers throughout the United States. In his plea agreement, Brown acknowledged that by March 2021, information from multiple sources, including 3M’s COVID-19 Fraud and Counterfeit Product Response Team, alerted him to the high probability that the masks he imported from China were counterfeit. Brown deliberately ignored these concerns and directed his company to continue selling the masks, misleading customers as to their authenticity. Between March 3, 2021 and April 9, 2021, Brown caused OWT to sell 57,460 misbranded masks for a total of $129,353. Under federal law, Brown must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year. Brown was also ordered to pay $129,353 in restitution. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office; and James C. Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Field Division, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan. 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. — END —


title: Clay County Man Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Identity Theft, Fraud, And Tax Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Leo Daragjati has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of theft of government property, over $1,000. Daragjati faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count, a mandatory minimum penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, up to 10 years in prison on the charge of theft of government property, over $1,000 and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. Daragjati appeared in federal court on March 28, 2023, and the court subsequently ordered him detained. He is set for sentencing on October 26, 2023. According to court documents, Daragjati obtained the personal identifiable information (PII) to include the Social Security number of multiple victims. In July 2022, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into an unknown individual, later identified as Daragjati, using stolen identities to commit fraud. Daragjati opened up commercial lines of credit with Sunbelt Rentals using the PII of victims. After renting thousands of dollars of equipment from Sunbelt Rentals, he pawned or stole the equipment. Daragjati’s actions caused a felony arrest warrant to be issued for an innocent victim. The Florida Highway Patrol – Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, with assistance from other members of law enforcement, determined that Daragjati fraudulently obtained 26 genuine Florida driver licenses and identification cards. Homeland Security Investigations also determined that Daragjati, using two fraudulently obtained Florida identification cards, applied for three Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the identity of two victims. Unsuspecting lenders approved the three loan applications and Daragjati received approximately $150,000 in PPP loan proceeds. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation determined that Daragjati submitted eight fraudulent federal tax returns using the stolen identities of six victims. The IRS approved one such tax refund and Daragjati received a refund of more than $3,000 in the identity of the victim. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office with valuable assistance provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol – Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. AUSA Mai Tran is handling the asset forfeiture.


title: Oglesby Construction, Inc. Agrees to Pay $942,146.40 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Highway Paint Striping

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today that Oglesby Construction, Inc., headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, has agreed to pay the United States $942,146.40 to resolve allegations that it falsified material usage records while performing on federally subsidized contracts to apply paint striping to Ohio roadways between 2012 and 2018. The allegations arise under the False Claims Act from a whistleblower complaint unsealed on July 19, 2023, and in which the United States intervened on July 14, 2023. The claims asserted against Oglesby are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. “The Justice Department is committed to eradicating fraud in all its forms to protect taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “We cannot tolerate conduct that bilks the government of funds to support vital government programs.” The Complaint alleges that Oglesby saved money on highway-striping contracts by failing to use sufficient marking material, including paint, to meet state or contractual minimum standards. Oglesby allegedly use different methods to hide its conduct. One alleged method involved the manipulation of daily reports, which are required by the State of Ohio to monitor compliance with material usage standards. Contractors like Oglesby must assemble their reports using a tracking software application that obtains usage data from electronic devices on highway marking trucks. Oglesby allegedly embedded a hidden formula in a spreadsheet used by the tracking software, thereby altering data to conceal underapplication of material. In another alleged scheme, Oglesby engineered a return pipe and pump system that redirected paint disbursed from a truck’s paint gun back to its load of unused paint. According to the Complaint, this would trick the truck’s monitoring device into recording application of paint when, in fact, the return pipe and pump system would intercept and recirculate it. “This settlement with Oglesby ends a successful, years-long criminal and civil investigation into the company’s practices and sends a powerful message to those who wish to do the same,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “We need to have trust that companies or individuals that receive compensation under federally subsidized contracts do the work required.” On October 7, 2022, Gerald E. Reichert and his brother, Adam Reichert, two former part-owners of Oglesby, pleaded guilty for their involvement in falsifying paint-striping reports. The court sentenced each to a term of imprisonment and ordered them to pay a combined $579,014.00 in restitution, along with fines. The amount obtained in the civil settlement is in addition to criminal restitution and fines.


title: Federal Prison Employee Charged with Accepting Payments from High-Net-Worth Inmate

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Correctional Counselor for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) assigned to Federal Medical Center Devens (FMC Devens) in Massachusetts has been charged with accepting payments from an inmate under his care, in violation of his duties as a public official. The defendant is also charged with lying to a bank about a loan he received from the inmate’s business associate and forging the associate’s signature to support this false claim. William S. Tidwell, 49, of Keene, N.H., was charged by Information in federal court in Boston with receipt of payments by a public official in violation of his official duties, making false statements to a bank and identity theft. Tidwell will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, Tidwell has been employed by the BOP since 2000 and has been working at FMC Devens since 2008. According to BOP’s rules and policies that govern the duties and conduct of its employees, employees may not receive any payments, gifts, or personal favors from inmates, give preferential treatment to any inmate in the performance of their duties, or engage in outside employment that conflicts with their duties. In approximately 2014, Tidwell began working as a Correctional Counselor at FMC Devens, a position that give him significant levels of contact with, and authority over, inmates. Among other things, Tidwell was responsible for monitoring inmate work assignments, assigning inmate housing assignments, arranging inmate legal calls and coordinating prison visits for inmates. One of the inmates for whom Tidwell served as a Correctional Counselor was Individual 1 – an ultra-high net worth individual who had been convicted on federal charges in another jurisdiction. It is alleged that, starting in approximately 2018, Individual 1 caused a stream of benefits to be paid to Tidwell. In November 2018, Tidwell supervised Individual 1, who allegedly directed a close friend and business associate (Individual 2) to wire $25,000 to Tidwell’s close family member. Thereafter, starting in 2019, Tidwell and Individual 1 allegedly entered into an agreement pursuant to which Individual 1 would direct thousands of dollars to Tidwell as part of a property management agreement, which used Individual 2 as the conduit through which payments were made to Tidwell. In total, between 2019 and 2020, Tidwell allegedly received over $65,000 in benefits as part of this property management agreement with Individuals 1 and 2. Tidwell’s alleged receipt of payments and his employment relationship with an inmate or a close associate of an inmate violated his official duties as a BOP employee. Separately, in 2020, it is alleged that Tidwell sought to purchase a home. In connection with seeking financing for the home purchase, Tidwell allegedly received a $50,000 loan from Individual 2. Tidwell also allegedly made multiple false statements to the bank in connection with his loan application, falsely telling the bank that the $50,000 was a gift from his employer. It is further alleged that when the bank asked for written proof of this purported gift, Tidwell forged documents to support his earlier claim, including by unlawfully using Individual 2’s name and address, and forging Individual 2’s signature. “Corrections officers are placed in a position of public trust. The vast majority of corrections officers carry out their duties with integrity and professionalism. They know that accepting payments from an inmate – as is alleged against Mr. Tidwell here – is a serious violation of that trust and a betrayal of the BOP’s mission to care FOR federal inmates in a safe and impartial manner. This office is committed to holding public officials accountable when they exploit their power or official position to enrich themselves and compromise the public interest,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “William Tidwell is alleged to have abused his authority and abandoned his duty after he befriended an inmate in his care and accepted tens of thousands of dollars from him,” said Christopher DiMenna. Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s arrest underscores the importance the criminal justice system places on policing its own. Make no mistake, the FBI will continue to work with our partners to root out public corruption wherever it may lie because it not only undermines the integrity of our government but is a violation of the public’s trust.” “The safety and security of federal prisons depends on the integrity of Correctional Officers. By allegedly accepting tens of thousands of dollars from an inmate, Tidwell compromised his integrity and jeopardized the safety and security of the institution,” said Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General New York Field Office. The charge of receiving payments in violation of official duties provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making false statements to a bank provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of identity theft 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. 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 U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI Acting SAC DiMenna and DOJ-OIG SAC Geach made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kunal Pasricha and Mark Grady of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Lawrence Men Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford

body_text: BOSTON – Two Lawrence men have pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiring to distribute fentanyl to individuals at the Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Deiby Bladimil Casado Ruiz, 30, and Pedro Antonio Sanchez Bernabel, 31, both of Lawrence, pleaded guilty on July 21, 2023 to one count each of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled Casado Ruiz’s sentencing for Nov. 1, 2023 and Bernabel’s sentencing for Nov. 6, 2023. The defendants were charged in November 2022 Between July 27, 2022 and November 2022, Casado Ruiz and Bernabel conspired to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. Specifically, the defendants sold fentanyl to individuals at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford, including one veteran who was seeking treatment at the Medical Center for a substance use disorder. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and the charge of distribution of fentanyl each provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $1 million. 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; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the VA Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Bedford VA Medical Center Police Service and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Callahan, Lauren Graber and Kelly Lawrence of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Significant sentence imposed in multiple-man robbery crew

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The final member of a 12-person robbery crew has been ordered to prison for his role in a string of armed jewelry store robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Kenneth Dewayne Cooper, 34, Houston, pleaded guilty Oct. 27, 2017. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen has now imposed a total of 194 months in federal prison – 110 months for the robberies and a consecutive 84 months for aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentence will be to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Others previously convicted and sentenced include Lontay Lavelle Young, 39, Deshaun Devon Waldrup, 27, Edward Ray Lavergne Jr., 39, Jesse Markise McQueen, 32, Kevin Craig Gray, 38, Louis Jerome Hines, 44, Terry Dwight Washington, 37, Tony Dontrel Young, 32, Barry Lloyd Jones, 30, Ross White-Leonard, 33, and Denzell Devoe Lucious, 31. All are from Houston. Lontay Young, Tony Young, Waldrup, Lavergne, McQueen, White-Leonard and Jones received respective sentences of 209, 132, 125, 114, 180, 102 and 156 months, respectively. Gray and Washington both received 147-month-terms of imprisonment, while Hines was ordered to serve 171 months. Lucious was sentenced to 168 months. “Trafficking in violence and fear, this armed robbery crew targeted a dollar store, a jewelry store in a mall, a furniture store and other similar places where regular families shop every day,” said Hamdani. “This U.S. Attorney’s Office will crack down on this type of violence and will continue to ensure the public safety by doing what we can by fighting for appropriate sentences in federal court to get violent actors off the streets.” This group conducted at least six robberies over the course of six months at various commercial establishments. On Oct. 22, 2015, Lontay Young and Hines robbed the Family Dollar store on Wayside in Houston while wearing masks and carrying handguns. Then, on Jan. 11, 2016, Jones, Cooper, Lucious and McQueen traveled outside of Houston to rob the Ben Bridge Jewelers at Barton Springs Mall in Austin. There, they stole a significant amount of Rolex watches and jewelry. Less than two weeks later, this group, along with Tony Young, also robbed the Kay Jewelers located at the Houston Premium Outlet Mall. While Jones, Cooper and Young accosted the employees at gunpoint, Lucious sat outside acting as a lookout. McQueen distracted the security guard while the robbery occurred. They again stole numerous watches and jewelry. On March 3, 2016, Lontay Young, Washington, Gray and Lavergne also held up the ANF Auto Finance on North Shepherd Drive. They entered the business acting as customers until Gray pulled out a gun. They then stole cash and property of the business, employees and customers. Lontay Young later proceeded to commit two more robberies. Those included the March 9, 2016, robbery of Cash America Pawn on Jensen Drive with Waldrup and the Affordable Furniture store on the North Freeway on March 17, 2016, along with Jones and White-Leonard. At the time of the furniture store robbery, authorities arrived on scene and shots were fired. All have been and will remain in custody. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted the investigation in conjunction with police departments in Houston and Austin and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Hanes and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative , which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. The goal is to reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the 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. Under the PSN umbrella, 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 partners focus enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and work with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Pickens Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Matthew Leon Arotin, 63, of Pickens, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $68,000 in restitution to the victims whose images he possessed. Evidence presented to the court showed that deputies with the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office received a cyber tip that child sexual abuse material was uploaded to a Google account. Investigation revealed that the account came back to an IP address associated with Arotin. Pickens County deputies obtained a search warrant for Arotin’s home and learned that he was a registered sex offender based on prior convictions. When confronted by deputies, Arotin admitted he had various electronic devices and deputies would find inappropriate pictures of children on them. The devices were seized and forensically analyzed. Law enforcement discovered 1,334 still images and 135 videos of child pornography. Fourteen of the images and six of the videos featured sexual abuse of an infant or toddler. This case was investigated by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . ###


title: Slidell Man Indicted for Federal Gun and Drug Offenses and Possession of Stolen Vehicle

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MERVYN LUCAS , age 28, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, was charged on May 19, 2023 in a four-count indictment for violating the Federal Gun Control Act, the Federal Controlled Substances Act, and possessing goods stolen from an interstate shipment, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. The indictment was unsealed on July 21, 2023. LUCAS is charged in Count 1 with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D). He is charged in Count 2 with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). He is charged in Count 3 with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). He is charged in Count 4 with possession of a vehicle stolen from an interstate shipment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659. If convicted of Count 1, LUCAS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least two years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 3, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 4, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Burmese National Convicted At Trial Of Conspiring To Assault Myanmar’s Ambassador To The United Nations

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the conviction of PHYO HEIN HTUT, a Burmese national, of one count of conspiracy to assault a foreign official in connection with his participation in a plot to assault Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (the “Ambassador”). HTUT was found guilty after an eight-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2024, before Judge Román. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “While volunteering on a security team at Myanmar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Phyo Hein Htut betrayed the person he was supposed to be protecting by secretly feeding information about the Ambassador, the Mission, and its personnel to an arms dealer in furtherance of a plot to hurt the Ambassador. The jury’s unanimous verdict holds him to account for his actions.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the evidence offered at trial, and matters included in public filings: Between in or about February 2021 through at least on or about August 5, 2021, HTUT, a citizen of Myanmar residing in New York, conspired to injure or kill Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. During the conspiracy, HTUT communicated with an arms dealer in Thailand (the “Arms Dealer”) who sells weapons to the Burmese military, which overthrew Myanmar’s civilian government in or about February 2021. In the course of those conversations, HTUT supplied information to the Arms Dealer about the Ambassador, the inner workings of Myanmar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, and other Mission personnel. HTUT also accepted money the Arms Dealer sent to him to hire attackers to hurt the Ambassador in an attempt to force the Ambassador to step down from his post. * * * HTUT, 29, a Burmese national residing in New York, was convicted of conspiracy to assault a foreign official, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, and the New York City Police Department. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Coffman and Benjamin Klein, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Teresa Leo, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal Grand Jury Charges Three in Molotov Cocktail Attack Last Year on Planned Parenthood Clinic

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Two California men now named in a four-count federal grand jury indictment were arraigned earlier today on charges alleging they conducted a firebombing attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Orange County in March 2022. The two defendants arraigned today are Chance Brannon, 23, of San Juan Capistrano, an active-duty Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, and Tibet Ergul, 21, of Irvine. A third defendant now charged in this case – Xavier Batten, 21, of Brooksville, Florida – was arrested Friday by special agents with the FBI. Batten made his initial appearance on Friday in the Middle District of Florida. He was ordered held without bond pending trial. The indictment, returned on July 14 and unsealed Friday, charges all three defendants with one count of conspiracy and one count of malicious destruction of property by fire and explosion. Additionally, Brannon and Ergul both are charged with one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one misdemeanor count of intentional damage to a reproductive health services facility, which is a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. According to the indictment, in February and March of 2022, the defendants plotted to throw a Molotov cocktail at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa. Brannon and Ergul allegedly chose the target property, obtained the materials necessary to construct a Molotov cocktail, assembled the destructive device, then, during the early morning hours of March 13, 2022, threw the ignited Molotov cocktail at the clinic. The device struck the clinic entrance. Batten allegedly advised and directed Brannon regarding how to build the Molotov cocktail. As a result of the fire, the Planned Parenthood Costa Mesa health care clinic was forced to close the following morning and cancel approximately 30 appointments. Security videos described in court documents show that two men wearing hooded sweatshirts and face masks approached the Planned Parenthood facility at approximately 1 a.m. the day of the attack, ignited a device, and threw the flaming device at the front door of the building. According to court documents, “The device landed against a southern wall next to the glass door and erupted into a fire, which spread up the wall and across the ceiling above the glass door.” The Costa Mesa Police Department and Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. An analysis of evidence collected at the scene showed that the glass container and other materials contained gasoline. The conspiracy and malicious destruction counts each carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The count of possession of an unregistered destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years. The intentional damage to a reproductive health facility charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of one year in federal prison. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI Counterterrorism Division and Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement. The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are conducting the ongoing investigation in this matter. The Costa Mesa Police Department provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathrynne N. Seiden for the Central District of California is prosecuting this case, with valuable assistance provided by the Justice Department’s National Security Division. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Files Complaint Against the State of Texas for Illegally Placing Floating Buoy Barrier in the Rio Grande

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department today filed a civil complaint against the State of Texas because the state has built a floating barrier, consisting of buoys strung together, in the Rio Grande River without the federal authorization that is legally required under the Rivers and Harbors Act. The complaint seeks to enjoin the building of the barrier and to require the state to remove it. “We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns. Additionally, the presence of the floating barrier has prompted diplomatic protests by Mexico and risks damaging U.S. foreign policy.” “The Rivers and Harbors Act is clear in prohibiting the placement of any unauthorized barriers or obstructions in the Rio Grande and other navigable waters of the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We intend to seek the appropriate legal remedies, including the removal of such obstructions in the Rio Grande.” “The Rio Grande is a significant stretch of the southern border of our country,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “We must all recognize that there are laws and policies in place – both domestic and international – to ensure the safety and security of everyone working, living and traveling along the river. These laws cannot be ignored, and my office will take and support the appropriate legal action to uphold them.” The complaint alleges that, beginning earlier this month, Texas directed the placement of a floating barrier – buoys four to six feet in diameter strung together – in the Rio Grande, approximately two miles south of the Camino Real International Bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas. Governor Abbott has said the state may build more barriers as part of a broader effort called “Operation Lone Star,” which also includes placing concertina wire near the U.S.-Mexico border. The complaint is lodged in U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas. The case is being litigated by the Environmental Defense Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.


title: New Orleans Men Plead Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOHN GUILLORY, III , age 52, JOHN PETRIE , age 39, DEVIN JOHNSON , age 37, and LARRY MOSES , age 22, all residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. GUILLORY , PETRIE and JOHNSON each pled guilty to superseding bills of information charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine hydrochloride, cocaine base (“crack”), marijuana, and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and 846. GUILLORY also pled guilty to one count of distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and three counts of distribution of crack, all in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Finally, GUILLORY , PETRIE , and MOSES pled guilty to being felons in possession of firearms in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, between December 2020 and August 2021, a confidential source made four controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from GUILLORY . Further investigation revealed that PETRIE was GUILLORY’S narcotics source of supply and JOHNSON was PETRIE’S narcotics source of supply. On June 29, 2022, DEA Special Agents obtained warrants and searched the residences of all four men, seizing quantities of cocaine hydrochloride, crack, marijuana, fentanyl and heroin . Agents also seized a total of six firearms, including a KAHR Model CW9, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, a Taurus Model PT 24/7 Pro C DS, .45 caliber pistol, a Taurus Model PT111 G2, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, a Smith and Wesson Model SW40VE, .40 caliber pistol, an HK Model P30SK, nine-millimeter caliber pistol, and a Sarsilmaz Model SAR9, nine-millimeter handgun from GUILLORY , PETRIE and MOSES’s residences. For the drug counts, GUILLORY , PETRIE , and JOHNSON each face a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count. For the firearm counts, GUILLORY , PETRIE , and MOSES each face a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Roscoe, Ill. Man Sentenced to Nearly 9 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Roscoe, Ill. man has been sentenced to nearly nine years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine and fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. XZAVIOR SMITH, 24, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly and intentionally possessing the cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and possessing a Glock 19 pistol in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston in Rockford sentenced Smith to eight years and ten months in federal prison. On June 14, 2021, Freeport Police Department officers attempted to execute a traffic stop on Smith’s vehicle. Smith refused to pull over, then accelerated and ignored traffic signs while fleeing towards Durand, Ill. Shortly thereafter, the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department attempted to stop Smith on Route 75. Smith did not stop and again accelerated, reaching speeds of up to 113 miles per hour. Eventually, Smith pulled into a private driveway and fled on foot, discarding bags containing cocaine and fentanyl and a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition. Smith was located by pursuing members of law enforcement. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Freeport Police Department, the Roscoe Police Department, and the Beloit, Wisc., Police Department’s Crime Interdiction Team. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.


title: Member of Violent Chicago Street Gang Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison

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

body_text: CHICAGO — A member of a violent Chicago street gang has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for participating in a criminal organization that murdered rivals and violently protected a drug-dealing operation on the West Side of Chicago. As a member of the Wicked Town faction of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang, DAVID ARRINGTON murdered two people, shot and wounded two others, and served as the driver when fellow gang members murdered a man and attempted to murder another. Arrington, 33, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin sentenced Arrington after a hearing Wednesday in federal court in Chicago. Arrington was among 13 defendants convicted as part of a multi-year investigation into the gang’s criminal activities. The investigation resulted in the seizures of more than 45 firearms, approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, approximately 17 kilograms of cocaine, approximately seven kilograms of heroin, and approximately 100 grams of crack cocaine. The federal probe revealed that Wicked Town gang members engaged in numerous acts of violence, including Arrington’s two murders and at least 17 others, as well as numerous attempted murders, armed robberies, and assaults. Wicked Town members regularly promoted their violent enterprise on social media, where they taunted rivals and boasted about murders and other acts of violence. The gang operated primarily in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, where members maintained “trap houses” to store firearms and illegal narcotics, including cocaine and heroin. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Illinois State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program ( HIDTA ). The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Mitchell, Jimmy L. Arce, Meghan C. Morrissey, and Beth E. Palmer. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against alleged criminal networks.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: LEXINGTON, KY - A man residing in Passaic, NJ, Alfredo Bermejo-Martinez, 24, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves on Monday to 20 years in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography. According to his plea agreement, in late 2018 or early 2019, Bermejo-Martinez met a victim, residing in the Eastern District of Kentucky, online while playing a video game, and continued contact over a couple of years. In approximately September 2020, he began asking the victim to take and send him sexually explicit pictures via Snapchat. The plea agreement further explains that Bermejo-Martinez traveled from New Jersey to Kentucky to see her on four separate occasions from February 2021 through May 2022. In April 2022, the victim ended the relationship with him and Bermejo-Martinez threatened to release nude images of the victim. A search of his phone revealed sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim, who Bermejo-Martinez admitted he knew was a minor. Bermejo-Martinez pleaded guilty in March 2023. Under federal law, Bermejo-Martinez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations - Nashville; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the 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. — END —


title: Settlement With Rakesh Kansal, M.D. for Violations of the Stark Law Regarding Physician Self-Referrals

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND - United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson announced today a settlement of the United States’ claims against Rakesh Kansal, M.D., age 70, for submitting claims to Medicare for patients he referred for cardiovascular stress testing at a testing facility in which he had an ownership interest. Dr. Kansal has agreed to pay $310,000 to the United States to settle the United States’ claim that he violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting claims to Medicare in violation of the Stark Law. The Stark Law provides that the government will not pay for designated health services if such services were furnished by an entity that had a financial relationship with the referring physician because such financial relationships can cause overutilization of those services and compromise the physician’s professional judgment. The cardiovascular stress tests for which Dr. Kansal billed Medicare are designated health services. The False Claims Act prohibits a physician from knowingly submitting claims for payment to Medicare for such services. The United States alleges that from January 1, 2010, to May 31, 2020, Dr. Kansal submitted claims to Medicare for patients he referred for cardiovascular stress tests to a testing facility where he had an ownership interest, in violation of the False Claims Act and the Stark Law. “All medical decisions should be based on the best interests of patients and not on the personal financial interests of referring physicians,” said United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. “My Office will continue to make it a high priority to avoid overutilization of health care services by enforcing the Stark Law prohibiting physician self-referrals.” The settlement was reached as a result of an investigation of Dr. Kansal conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Dirk D. De Lor.


title: Real Estate Investor Sentenced in $3 million Wire and Bankruptcy Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - Former real estate investor Sean Tissue, also known as “Sean Ryan,” was sentenced to 78 months’ in prison today arising from his role in perpetrating a $3 million investment and bankruptcy fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining in the announcement was Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In February 2023, Tissue pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud and one count of Withholding Information in a Bankruptcy Proceeding. During the plea hearing, Tissue acknowledged that his scheme cost investors and creditors approximately $3 million. According to court documents, Tissue orchestrated a substantial real estate investment fraud scheme from approximately 2015 through 2021. Tissue and those working with him made numerous fraudulent representations to potential investors from Israel, India, South Africa, and other countries, trying to convince them to invest in supposed real estate in Michigan, Texas, and other locations. Many victims did invest funds with Tissue and lost those funds in the process. To further the scheme and keep investor money flowing into it, Tissue caused false documents to be provided to investors, including fake deeds, fake wiring instructions, fake bank statements, fake leases, and fake inspection reports. Tissue even provided a fake name to investors (“Sean Ryan”). Tissue converted the $3 million in fraudulently obtained funds to his own personal use. Tissue also engaged in bankruptcy fraud by knowingly and fraudulently withholding recorded information pertaining to his assets and financial affairs from the Bankruptcy Trustee after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2017. “Sean Tissue lied repeatedly to investors over the course of many years, and his lies continued when he tried to escape his debts by filing for bankruptcy, stated U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison. “Today’s sentence provides substantial punishment for Tissue’s long history of fraud and reflects the serious consequences that await those who abuse our financial and bankruptcy systems.” “The defendant defrauded his real estate clients and then attempted to escape the consequences by declaring bankruptcy. These actions not only harmed individual clients, but also impacted potential investments in the City of Detroit,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “We would like to thank our partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Bankruptcy Trustee, for assisting the FBI as we investigate those who knowingly defraud organizations and bring them to justice.” In addition to his term of incarceration, U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith also sentenced Tissue to a three-year term of supervised release. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Richard Roble and former Assistant United States Attorney Craig A. Weier. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Bothe the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the United States Trustee’s Office for its assistance with this case.


title: Mayfield Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Paducah, KY – A Mayfield, Kentucky man was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Sheriff Ryan Norman of the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Jon Hayden of the Graves County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. According to court documents, on February 22, 2022, in Graves County, Kentucky, Deanthony L. Noonan, 37, possessed with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a methamphetamine mixture. Noonan was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a methamphetamine mixture. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the DEA Paducah post of duty, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, and the Graves County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Hancock, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case. ###


title: Drug Courier Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ARMANDO VARELA-PLAZA, 41, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Queens, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 37 months of imprisonment for his role in a drug trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Jose Duprey, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items. Varela-Plaza was a courier for Duprey’s drug supplier. On February 23, 2022, Varela-Plaza called Duprey and arranged to pick up and transport a large quantity of cash proceeds from Duprey. Later that day, after investigators observed Varela-Plaza meeting with Duprey, they stopped Varela-Plaza’s car and seized $88,000 in cash. Varela-Plaza, Duprey, and 12 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash. Varela-Plaza has been detained since his arrest. On April 25, 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Varela-Plaza faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term. Duprey has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Felon Accused of Robbing Pizza Delivery Driver in St. Louis

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon has been arrested on an indictment alleging he robbed a pizza delivery driver in St. Louis at gunpoint, U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming announced Monday. Antione L. Shockley, 25, was indicted in U.S. District Court July 19 on three charges: brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Shockley, a convicted felon, committed the robbery April 13 in St. Louis. A motion seeking to have Shockley held in jail until trial says a Domino’s driver was sent to a vacant home in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis and was robbed at gunpoint of two pizzas, hot wings and the insulated bag containing them. Investigators traced the order to Shockley’s email address and traced the phone used to make the order to Shockley and his then-girlfriend. The detention motion says St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested Shockley June 24 after he fired a handgun into the air in a school zone. After officers arrived and told Shockley to put up his hands, he passed the handgun he was holding to a woman and first pulled a stolen Ruger from his waistband before pulling a long gun from inside his pants. He was arrested after dropping both of the firearms, the motion says. The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Readout of the Justice Department’s Sexual Abuse Facility Enhancement and Review

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: Last week, the Justice Department completed its initial deployment of Sexual Abuse Facility Enhancement and Review (SAFER) teams to visit women’s facilities across the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Following these visits, the Deputy Attorney General has asked the SAFER teams to identify corrective actions and prepare recommendations as part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to root out sexual misconduct within the BOP. The Deputy Attorney General launched the SAFER team project to visit women’s facilities in each of BOP’s six regions and engage with leadership, staff, and women in custody at those facilities. During each visit, the team reviewed the facility’s progress implementing the recommendations of the Department’s Sexual Misconduct Working Group, including its initiatives to promote timely and effective reporting consistent with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The team also reviewed the facility’s conditions, medical and mental health services, reentry programming, and Special Housing Unit, and spoke directly with women in custody. In addition, the teams met with local non-profit organizations that contract with the BOP to provide support services and resources to survivors of sexual abuse. Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General (PADAG) Marshall Miller led the first SAFER visit on June 9, and over the past six weeks, personnel from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) have led teams to visit the following women’s facilities: Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Tallahassee , a low-security facility in Tallahassee, Florida; FCI Waseca , a low-security facility in Waseca, Minnesota; FCI Danbury , a low-security facility with an adjacent low-security satellite prison and minimum-security satellite camp in Danbury, Connecticut; Federal Detention Center (FDC) SeaTac , an administrative security federal detention center in Seattle; Federal Medical Center (FMC) Carswell , an administrative security federal medical center with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp in Fort Worth, Texas; and Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Alderson , a minimum-security federal prison camp in Alderson, West Virginia. In addition to representatives from ODAG and BOP, SAFER teams included officials from across the Department, including the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Office of the Associate Attorney General (OASG), the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ), the Civil Rights Division (CRT), the Criminal Division (CRM), Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA), the FBI, the Office of Legal Policy (OLP), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Representatives from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices also joined the SAFER team visits in their respective districts.


title: Fresno Man with Four Prior Convictions for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and Ammunition Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of Ammunition

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Earnest Donte Ruff, 25, of Fresno, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on April 21, 2021, Ruff was arrested and found to be in possession of a loaded .40‑caliber gun with no serial number. At the time, Ruff was out on bond pending sentencing in a case in which he had pleaded guilty to participating in a shooting on “the Strip” in Las Vegas. When Ruff possessed the firearm in this case, he was also on community supervision for illegally possessing another firearm in Fresno in 2019. This conviction is Ruff’s fifth conviction for illegally possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice 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: Second Man Admits Armed Robbery of St. Louis 7-Eleven

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon pleaded guilty Monday to three federal felonies and admitted robbing a St. Louis, Missouri 7-Eleven at gunpoint in 2020. Harvey Cameron, 32, of Ferguson, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig to robbery, possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Cameron admitted that on June 21, 2020, he and Monte Kent drove to the 7-Eleven at 5350 Chippewa Street to rob it. One of the men entered the store and pointed a Zastava AK-47-style rifle at an employee, demanding cash from the register. The pair were caught shortly after the robbery, with the cash and the gun. Cameron is scheduled to be sentenced October 30. Judge Fleissig sentenced Kent, now 35, of Jennings, to 10 ½ years in prison in March of 2022 after he pleaded guilty to robbery and the firearm brandishing charge. The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.


title: Los Lunas Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Federal Gun Charge

body_text: ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Diego Fernandez was sentenced to 28 months in prison. Fernandez, 24, of Los Lunas, pled guilty in federal court on March 7, 2022, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Fernandez was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2021. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 7, 2021, when the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) attempted to execute a traffic stop, Fernandez fled, driving recklessly and towards oncoming traffic. NMSP canceled the pursuit for safety reasons when Fernandez entered a residential neighborhood but continued to monitor his location from a helicopter. When Fernandez parked, officers from NMSP approached him again and were able to apprehend him after a short foot chase. At the time of his arrest, Fernandez possessed a loaded firearm. As a convicted felon, Fernandez could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition. Upon his release from prison, Fernandez will be subject to 3 years of supervised release. The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime and Gang Task Force (VCGTF) investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case. ### 23-158


title: East Moline, Illinois, Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – An East Moline, Illinois, man, Marcus Dixon, 29, was sentenced on July 18, 2023, to 260 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dixon was convicted following a jury trial in March 2023 in front of Chief United States District Judge Sara Darrow. During that trial, the government presented evidence establishing that on October 20, 2019, Dixon fled from a car crash at the intersection of Seventeenth Street and First Avenue in Rock Island, Illinois. Officers searched the car and found a photograph of Dixon, three loaded firearms, and several bags of crack cocaine and marijuana. Additionally, Dixon’s DNA was later found on a deployed airbag. At the time of the crash, Dixon was on supervised release in connection with a prior federal offense. On December 18, 2019, Dixon’s federal probation officer filed a petition for revocation and obtained a search warrant for Dixon’s home in relation to the October 20th incident. Probation officers searched Dixon’s residence in East Moline, Illinois and located a gun storage box for a firearm that had the same serial number as a firearm located in the crashed car. Additional evidence obtained during the search, including Dixon’s cell phone and a set of car keys, was indicative of drug dealing and led probation officers to a second address in Silvis, Illinois, and a white Audi that was apparently used by Dixon. Inside the Audi, probation officers found two vacuum sealed bags of marijuana and two firearms. Dixon’s fingerprints were later found on one of the bags of marijuana. The statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and marijuana under is up to 20 years imprisonment; for possession of a firearm as a felon it is up to ten years’ imprisonment (based on the penalties in place at the time of the offense conduct); for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime it is five years to life imprisonment; and for possession with intent to distribute marijuana it is up to five years’ imprisonment. The case investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police; the Rock Island Police Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Weir and Timothy Sullivan represented the government in the prosecution.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United States

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on July 24, 2023, Jose Ramon Gonzalez-Resendiz age 41, from New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens into the United States. According to court documents, Gonzalez-Resendiz and others partially carried out the smuggling of a group of nationals of Mexico across the United States-Canada border into North Dakota in late March 2023, planning to move them further into the United States in exchange for payment of thousands of dollars per person. The plan fell apart when a pickup truck they were using got stuck in the snow. The pickup had to be towed from the drifted snow and was discovered by Border Patrol agents later at a Langdon, North Dakota, hotel where the smugglers and some of the people they smuggled were staying. Gonzalez-Resendiz’s two co-defendants, Armando De Dios-Carrillo and Victor Manuel Perez-Aguilera, were sentenced by Judge Welte to 24 months and 18 months, respectively, on July 13, 2023. This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection -- Office of Field Operations and Pembina County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob T. Rodenbiker. # # #


title: California Man Sentenced to Prison for Mailing Methamphetamine to the Metro East

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A U.S. District judge sentenced a California man to spend 100 months in federal prison after he admitted to distributing methamphetamine to southern Illinois. Jewelion Yarbrough, 34, of, Long Beach, California, pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of methamphetamine. In addition to the prison sentence, Yarbrough will serve three years of supervised release. “The defendant tried to elude detection by mailing methamphetamine inside of children’s toys and a small appliance box, which could have easily landed in the wrong hands if mistakenly delivered to an incorrect address,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I’m grateful to the agents who worked this case and apprehended this criminal.” “Drug trafficking continues to fuel much of the violent crime that ATF investigates. There is no question that the cooperative efforts of the DEA, Postal Inspection Service and ATF to disrupt this distribution of methamphetamine and bring Mr. Yarbrough to justice, saved lives and likely prevented future drug related violence,” said Bernard Hanse, Special Agent in Charge, Kansas City Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to court documents, confidential sources working with ATF identified Yarbrough as a methamphetamine distributor in July 2019. Agents conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from the defendant after communicating with him on social media, in which he mailed three separate packages containing narcotics from California to the Metro East. In total, the packages exceeded 100 grams of methamphetamine. In the first two packages, Yarbrough disguised the methamphetamine in toys intended for children. In the third package, he disguised the narcotics in a kitchen appliance box. Law enforcement located Yarbrough’s fingerprints on both the drugs and the packaging. The investigation was conducted by ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Trippi prosecuted the case.


title: Former Political Staffer Sentenced to Eight Months’ Home Confinement, Three Years’ Probation, for Role in Scheme to Defraud Campaigns and Political Action Committees

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County man who previously served as a staff member in the New Jersey Senate was sentenced today to eight months of home confinement and three years of probation for his role in a conspiracy to falsely inflate the invoices that a political consultant submitted to various campaigns, political action committees, and IRS 501(c)(4) organizations, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Antonio Teixeira, 44, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2014 to 2018, Teixeira conspired with Sean Caddle, and Caddle’s political consulting firms, to defraud various campaigns, political action committees, and 501(c)(4) organizations. Teixeira then failed to report this illicit income on tax forms that he filed with the IRS during those same years. Caddle was hired by a former New Jersey state senator to create the PACs and 501(c)(4)s so that they could raise and spend money to advocate on a variety of issues, including supporting particular candidates in local races around New Jersey. Teixeira served as the senator’s chief of staff and wielded influence over the consultants that the campaigns and organizations hired and the budgets that each of these organizations would receive. Teixeira and Caddle conspired to falsely inflate the invoices that Caddle’s consulting firms submitted to the campaigns, PACs and 501(c)(4)s with phony campaign-related expenditures. Caddle and Teixeira were fraudulently padding the invoices because they agreed to split the difference between Caddle’s actual campaign expenditures and the overage charged to the organizations. Caddle paid a portion of Teixeira’s share to him in cash and funneled the remainder to Teixeira via checks made to out to Teixeira’s relatives in order to conceal that campaign money was being kicked back to Teixeira. In total, Teixeira received more than $100,000. Although Teixeira pocketed these fraudulent proceeds and used the money for personal expenses, he never reported the money on the tax forms that he filed with the IRS during the course of the scheme. In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez ordered Teixeira to pay restitution. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Sean Farrell, Chief, New York Office, Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.


title: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Gun While on Supervised Release

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GIOVANNI CANDELARIO, 30, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 65 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm while on federal supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2015, Candelario was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In July 2018, Candelario was arrested for criminal firearm possession and other offenses and, in addition to a state sentence, he received 12 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release. On January 9, 2021, while he was still on supervised release, Candelario was arrested by the Connecticut State Police after a car he was driving on Route 8 in the Bridgeport area exceeded 115 miles per hour. Candelario eventually stopped his car near Exit 26 on Interstate 95, and a search of his person revealed a .357 revolver with an obliterated serial number. Candelario has been detained since his arrest. On March 2, 2023, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. This matter was investigated by the Connecticut State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.


title: Defendant in a Conspiracy to Rob a U.S. Post Office Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Juan Ramon Ramirez Delgado, age 40, a Honduran national residing in Leesburg, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to federal charges for a commercial robbery conspiracy and for committing an armed robbery of a U.S. Post Office. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division. According to his plea agreement, on October 19, 2017, Ramirez Delgado and his co-conspirators, wearing masks and armed with firearms, entered a U.S. Post Office in Brandywine, Maryland, pointed firearms at the employees and demanded money. Ramirez Delgado and his co-conspirators stole cash and a computer tower as well as other miscellaneous items, then ran to a getaway vehicle parked nearby, where another conspirator drove them away. Ramirez Delgado and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Ramirez Delgado will be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in the investigation and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Police Departments and the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Grossi and William D. Moomau, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Owner of insurance company in Rosebud County charged in scheme to defraud customers

body_text: BILLINGS — A Forsyth woman accused of defrauding customers through her insurance company, Rosebud County Insurance Inc., by spending client payments on personal expenses appeared today on charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Kileen Moria Hagadone, 57, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging her with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The penalty for aggravated identity theft is a mandatory minimum two years in prison, consecutive to any other punishment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Hagadone was released pending further proceedings. The indictment alleges that Hagadone owned and operated Rosebud County Insurance Inc., an insurance brokerage business, and acted as an intermediary between her customers and national insurance companies. Hagadone was required to help negotiate insurance contracts for her customers and then receive and transmit payments as a fiduciary from the customers to the companies for the negotiated policies. Hagadone and her company had a trust account with First State Bank of Forsyth designed to receive these payments. As alleged in the indictment, from about 2020 until April 2023, Hagadone devised a scheme to receive payments from customers but failed to transmit the funds to the insurance companies. Instead, Hagadone misappropriated the funds and spent the money on personal expenses. In some instances, Hagadone fraudulently withdrew the money for her own use from the company trust account. At other times, Hagadone improperly deposited customer payments into the company’s business account so she could use the money. To help conceal the thefts, Hagadone allegedly stole the identities of several customers by forging their signatures on third-party financing contracts. As a result of the alleged scheme, many customers had their insurance policies canceled without their knowledge and had to repay the insurance companies for policies they had already paid for. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich is prosecuting the case. The Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, FBI and Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-85. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl XXX


title: Texas Man and Nebraska Woman Sentenced for Second Degree Murder, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Plano, Texas, man convicted of Second Degree Murder and a Niobrara, Nebraska, woman convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. Alexis Delarosa, age 33, was sentenced to 30 years and five months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Delarosa’s sentencing took place on July 20, 2023. Justina Tuttle, age 39, was sentenced to six years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Tuttle’s sentencing took place on December 27, 2022. Delarosa and Tuttle were indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2021. Tuttle pleaded guilty on May 23, 2022. Delarosa pleaded guilty on March 22, 2023. The convictions stemmed from an incident on December 21, 2020, at Wagner, South Dakota, when both Delarosa and Tuttle went to the residence of George Cournoyer, Jr. Once there, Delarosa and Cournoyer got into a physical fight which resulted in Delarosa hitting Cournoyer multiple times with a hammer. Tuttle joined in at some point and hit Cournoyer with a bat. Delarosa and Tuttle left the home without calling the police. Cournoyer died a short time later. This case was investigated by the FBI and Yankton Sioux Law Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. Delarosa and Tuttle were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following their respective sentencings.


title: Rapid City Man Found Guilty of Sexual Abuse

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Anthony Red Elk, age 34, of Rapid City, South Dakota, of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and two counts of Sexual Abuse following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 21, 2023. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years up to a maximum of life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine on each count, a minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Red Elk was indicted by a federal grand jury in November of 2021. The conviction stems from Red Elk engaging in a sexual act between 2008 and 2010, with a female minor who had not attained the age of 12 years, in Wanblee, on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Red Elk then sexually abused the same female in 2018 and 2019 in Wanblee. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for September 25, 2023. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


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

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor. The sentencing took place on July 24, 2023. Sky Thomas Roubideaux, age 23, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Roubideaux was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2022. He was found guilty following a jury trial on April 20, 2023. The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 7, 2022, when Roubideaux used his cell phone to attempt to coerce an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old male to engage in sexual activity. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Sioux Falls Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the SD Internet Crimes Against Children task force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. Roubideaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Federal Jury Convicts El Salvador Man for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal jury has convicted Edwin Giovanni Salinas, age 44, of El Salvador, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 19, 2023. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody and/or a $10 million fine, five years to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Salinas was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. On November 26, 2022, Salinas, along with his co-defendant, Berta Rosmelvi Gonzales, were pulled over during a traffic stop in northeast South Dakota. During a search of the vehicle, nearly 16 pounds of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, was located. The search revealed 12 packages – two containing powder weighing over 3.5 pounds and 10 containing pills, totaling approximately 50,000. Gonzales entered a guilty plea to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on July 20, 2023. This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe Law Enforcement, the Roberts County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Dangerous Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for October 23, 2023. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Lower Brule Man Convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Joseph Thompson, Sr., age 32, of Lower Brule, South Dakota, of Voluntary Manslaughter following a three day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on July 20, 2023. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023. The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on March 25, 2023, in Lower Brule. Thompson was at the home of an acquaintance when he heard a disturbance outside the residence. Thompson left the residence, walked around the corner of the home and saw a man standing near the home. Thompson produced a knife and stabbed the man five times, piercing his heart. There was no indication that the other man was displaying a weapon when Thompson fatally stabbed him. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureeau of Indian Affairs - Office of Justice Service - Crow Creek Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: NASA-JPL Employee Agrees to Plead Guilty to Defrauding COVID-19 Economic Relief Program, Using Some Proceeds to Grow Marijuana

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) employee has agreed to plead guilty to defrauding a government-sponsored loan program designed to help people and businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact and has admitted that he used part of the proceeds to fund illegal marijuana cultivation, the Justice Department announced today. Armen Hovanesian, 32, of Glendale, a cost-control and budget-planning resource analyst for the JPL, a federally funded research and development center operated by the California Institute of Technology for NASA, agreed to plead guilty to a single-count information charging him with wire fraud. Both the information and a plea agreement were filed Thursday in United States District Court. Hovanesian is expected to make his initial court appearance on August 11. According to the plea agreement, from June 2020 to October 2020, Hovanesian submitted three loan applications in the names of business entities under his control to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL), a program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters, including businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hovanesian admitted to making false and fraudulent statements in the loan applications concerning the gross revenues each of the businesses had generated in the preceding year as well as false and fraudulent statements concerning his intended use of loan proceeds. Hovanesian certified to the SBA under penalty of perjury that he would “use all the proceeds” of the loans for which he applied and caused others to apply for “solely as working capital to alleviate economic injury caused by disaster” consistent with the terms and limitations of the EIDL program. But Hovanesian instead applied those proceeds toward his own prohibited personal benefit to repay a personal real-estate debt and fund his illegal marijuana cultivation. Hovanesian fraudulently caused the SBA to transfer via interstate wire EIDL proceeds totaling $151,900. After Hovanesian pleads guilty, he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The SBA Office of Inspector General and NASA Office of Inspector General are investigating this matter. The United States Secret Service also provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Adam P. Schleifer of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . 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 .


title: Hannibal Man Admits Making Pipe Bombs

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Hannibal, Missouri on Monday admitted making a series of illegal pipe bombs in 2022. Joshua Eugene Rickey, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of manufacture of one or more unregistered destructive devices and one count of possession of one or more unregistered destructive devices. He admitted making a series of pipe bombs out of sparklers and plastic or metal pipes between July 4, 2022 and Aug. 13, 2022. Rickey admitted detonating one in a burned-out house across from his own home in late July 2022. He also lit one at his grandmother’s house, damaging a fence. Rickey is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on October 30. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hannibal Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj is prosecuting the case.