title: New York Man Admits Conspiring to Engage in Multimillion-Dollar Wire Fraud Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted conspiring to commit wire fraud that caused losses of more than $2 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Terrell Fuller, 34, of Baldwin, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud conspiracy. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Fuller and his conspirators submitted a fraudulent application to the Small Business Administration (SBA), which caused the SBA to provide them with approximately $1.2 million. They also opened bank accounts in the names of various entities and individuals, deposited illegally obtained or fraudulent checks into those accounts, and then withdrew and attempted to withdraw money from the accounts. Fuller, using stolen personal identifying information, fraudulently rented locations to live in New York and failed to pay more than $400,000 in rent and fees for those locations. Fuller and his conspirators obtained more than $2 million in money and property through their fraudulent actions. The wire fraud conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the funds involved in the transfer, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Franklin Township Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark. fuller.information.pdf


title: Former Comptroller General of Ecuador Sentenced in International Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The former comptroller general of Ecuador was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $16.5 million for his role in a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme in which he received over $10 million in bribes and laundered those bribes payments in South Florida. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 to 2015, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, 73, solicited and received over $10 million in bribe payments from Odebrecht S.A., the Brazil-based construction conglomerate. Polit, in his position as Comptroller General of Ecuador, was responsible for protecting public funds against fraud and rooting out corruption. Instead, Polit took bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for removing fines and not imposing fines on Odebrecht’s projects in Ecuador. Additionally, in or around 2015, Polit received a bribe from an Ecuadorian businessman in exchange for assisting the businessman with obtaining certain contracts with the state-owned insurance company of Ecuador. From in or around 2010 and continuing until at least 2017, at the direction of Polit, another member of the conspiracy caused proceeds of Polit’s bribery scheme to “disappear” by using Florida companies registered in the names of friends and associates, often without the associates’ knowledge. The conspirators also used funds from Polit’s bribery scheme to purchase and renovate real estate in Florida. On April 23, Polit was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. Odebrecht S.A. pleaded guilty in December 2016 to conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a broader scheme to pay nearly $800 million in bribes to public officials in 12 countries, including Ecuador. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement. The HSI Miami Field Office investigated this case. IRS Criminal Investigation provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department also thanks the assistance with the investigation of law enforcement authorities in Ecuador, Brazil, Panama, and Curacao. Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael N. Berger for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Grosnoff and Sandra Demirci for the Southern District of Florida are handling asset forfeiture. The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa .


title: Pennsylvania Man Admits Trafficking Heroin and Cocaine into Connecticut

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ISRAEL MENDOZA, also known as “D-Nice” and “Israel Mandosa,” 44, formerly of Reading, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, heroin and cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force began investigating a Hartford area narcotics trafficking operation that involved the use of the U.S. Mail to ship parcels of drugs and drug proceeds. Investigators determined that Mendoza supplied Michael Copeland, of Bloomfield, with large quantities of cocaine, and that Copeland, at Mendoza’s direction, mailed parcels containing cash to individuals in California. In September and October, U.S. Postal Inspectors in California intercepted and seized two parcels, each containing approximately $13,000 in cash, that Copeland mailed in Connecticut to addresses in the Fresno area. Investigators analyzed postal records and identified dozens of additional parcels connected to this drug trafficking network that are suspected to have contained narcotics or drug proceeds. In February 2019, investigators seized a parcel containing nearly 500 grams of cocaine that had been mailed from California to a Bloomfield residence that was connected to Copeland. Mendoza worked with others, including Neliobet DeJesus and Danny Rhodes, in the Hartford area to distribute heroin and cocaine. During the investigation, after DeJesus had moved to Orlando, Florida, investigators identified a mail parcel that was destined for a residence in Orlando that was linked to DeJesus. A court authorized search of the parcel revealed approximately 500 grams of cocaine and approximately five grams of fentanyl. On October 31, 2019, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Mendoza, Copeland, DeJesus, and Rhodes with narcotics trafficking offenses. Mendoza remained a fugitive until his arrest on August 14, 2023, in California. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2025, at which time Mendoza faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Mendoza has been detained since his arrest. Copeland, DeJesus and Rhodes previously pleaded guilty. On December 8, 2021, Rhodes was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment; on December 16, 2021, Copeland was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment; and on March 7, 2022, DeJesus was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment. This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, and Hartford Police Department assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.


title: Four-Time Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm and Distribution Quantity of PCP

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Timothy Eugene Taylor, 36, a four-time convicted felon from Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm and a distributable quantity of liquid phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, in August 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Samuel Ward of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Division (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Taylor pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of phencyclidine. The Honorable Randolph D. Moss scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 2, 2025. According to court papers, on August 11, 2023, officers with MPD’s Seventh District Crime Suppression Team were patrolling the 300 block of Livingston Terrace Southeast in a marked police cruiser. Officers observed that Taylor was wearing a crossbody satchel with a distinct “L-shaped” bulge protruding from the bag. Based on this observation, officers believed Taylor was carrying a firearm and attempted to speak with him from their vehicle. Taylor moved the bag to the opposite side of his body—out of view—and was turning his body away from the police. As officers exited the vehicle to get a better look at the bag, Taylor fled on foot into a nearby apartment building in which he did not reside. Officers pursued Taylor into the building, where they stopped him. An officer frisked Taylor’s satchel and immediately felt a hard object that he recognized to be a firearm. Officers opened the satchel and recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P 9 2.0 9-millimeter, semiautomatic handgun. The firearm was loaded with one chambered round of 9mm ammunition and an additional 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition in its extended magazine. Officers also recovered three vials of liquid phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, from the bag. The quantity of PCP recovered was indicative of distribution rather than personal use. Following his arrest, Taylor agreed to participate in an interview with an MPD detective. In the interview, Taylor admitted that the firearm belonged to him and that he was engaged in the distribution of PCP. Federal law prohibits Taylor from possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Taylor has been convicted of four such offenses in the District of Columbia since 2007, including a 2020 conviction for the same federal firearms charge to which he pleaded guilty today. Taylor was arrested on October 27, 2023, and has remained held without bond since his arrest. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison and up to a $1,250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. At the time of the offense Taylor was serving a term of supervised release for his 2020 federal firearms conviction. Upon his conviction in this case, Taylor faces revocation of supervised release and up to 24 additional months in prison. The case was investigated by ATF and MPD as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine A. Pattison and Katherine M. Toth, who indicted the case and litigated pretrial motions. 23cr406


title: Colombian National Admits Conspiracy to Import 15 Kilograms of Cocaine

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Colombian citizen admitted conspiring to import 15 kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Columbia, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Savier Cervantes, 37, of Cartagena, Colombia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court on Sept. 30, 2024, to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to import cocaine. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In December 2021, Cervantes facilitated the transfer of five kilograms cocaine from a source of supply in Colombia to a U.S. citizen, Antonio Diaz, and helped to arrange for the transportation of that cocaine from Cartagena to New Jersey. Diaz previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. In June and July 2022, Cervantes introduced a U.S. citizen, Bashimi Briscoe, to two individuals in Columbia who, between them, sold Briscoe 10 kilograms of cocaine, and arranged a meeting with a third individual who offered to transport that cocaine to the United States. Briscoe previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. The count to which Cervantes pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million dollars. Sentencing is scheduled for March 12, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, in New York, and special agents of the DEA operating in Colombia, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. cervantes.information.pdf


title: Ohio Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Interstate Transportation of Stolen Andy Warhol Art Print

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Ohio man has agreed to plead guilty to a federal criminal charge for trafficking a stolen Andy Warhol print worth at least $175,000. Image Source: Federal Plea Agreement Brian Alec Light, 58, of Hudson, Ohio (formerly a resident of downtown Los Angeles), is expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. His initial appearance in federal court is scheduled for October 28. According to his plea agreement, a thief stole the Warhol print – a trial proof depicting former Soviet Union leader Vladimir Lenin and was print number 44 of 46 total Warhol made – from the victim’s home in Los Angeles County in early 2021. The victim informed law enforcement of its theft soon after, as well as the original gallery in West Hollywood that sold him the artwork. Days after the theft, the thief brought the artwork to a pawnshop, which purchased it. The pawnshop’s owner contacted Light for help selling the artwork, which Light knew was stolen. Light contacted an auction house to sell the print within weeks of its theft. Light told the pawnshop owner to drop off the Warhol at the auction house in Beverly Hills so that it could be transported to Dallas for inspection and sale, which the pawnshop owner did. The auction house shipped the Warhol artwork to Dallas where it was to be inspected and included in an upcoming auction in the spring of 2021. An employee of the auction house in Dallas reached out to the gallery in West Hollywood for its opinion of the piece. The gallery immediately recognized the piece as the stolen piece of art. As a result, the gallery notified the auction house of its stolen nature and notified the FBI. When the FBI questioned Light about it, he lied and created a fake receipt purporting to show that he bought the print before it was stolen. Upon pleading guilty, Light will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. As part of his plea agreement, Light will forfeit the stolen artwork retrieved by law enforcement. The FBI’s Art Crime Team is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Erik Silber, Senior Counsel in the Criminal Division and Assistant United States Attorneys Dominique Caamano and Matthew O’Brien, of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, are prosecuting this case.


title: Department Of Justice Awards Nearly $32 Million In Grants To Support Public Safety Efforts In Nevada

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson today announced awards totaling $31,746,860 in Department of Justice grants to support public safety efforts in the District of Nevada. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs. “These grants are a nearly $32 million dollar investment in our state that will be used to assist local governments and Tribal communities; fund law enforcement services, resources, and trainings; and support survivors,” said U.S. Attorney Frierson for the District of Nevada. “I thank the Office of Justice Programs for awarding this critical funding that will help us build trust with and keep communities safer in Nevada.” The following organizations received funding: Bureau of Justice Assistance National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – $1,500,000 BJA FY24 Extreme Risk Protective Order and Firearm Crisis Intervention Training and Technical Assistance Initiative- Invited to Apply City of Henderson – $782,000 BJA FY24 Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program Reno-Sparks Indian Colony – $1,865,000 BJA FY24 Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program – $265,000 FY24 U.S. Department of Justice Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation – $1,600,000 County of Lander– $563,000 BJA FY24 Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program City of Reno – $1,500,000 BJA FY24 Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program Diphrent Inc. – $963,000 BJA FY24 Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program County of Washoe – $996,000 BJA FY24 Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program City of North Las Vegas – $1,620,000 BJA FY24 Invited to Apply- Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program Nevada Department of Public Safety – $2,103,677 BJA FY24 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program Formula Grant Solicitation – $348,149 BJA FY24 Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Formula Solicitation – $1,755,528 County of Elko – $512,976 BJA FY24 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Clark County Parent – $1,000,000 BJA FY24 Second Chance Act Pay for Success Program Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone – $150,000 FY24 U.S. Department of Justice Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation Nevada State – $65,292 BJA FY24 John R. Justice (JRJ) Formula Grant Program National Institute of Justice National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – $2,000,000 NIJ FY24 National Juvenile Court Data Archive Office for Victims of Crime Noah’s Animal House Foundation – $81,710 OVC FY24 Technical Assistance for Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grants - Invited to Apply Eighth Judicial District Court – $800,000 OVC FY24 Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants/Byrne Discretionary Grants Program - Invited to Apply Division of Child and Family Services – $9,959,406 OVC FY24 VOCA Victim Assistance Formula Grant – $7,597,406 OVC FY24 VOCA Victim Compensation Formula Grant – $2,362,000 Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada – $396,816 OVC FY24 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program - Invited to Apply Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe – $229,973 OVC FY24 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program - Invited to Apply Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe – $229,973 OVC FY24 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program - Invited to Apply Reno-Sparks Indian Colony – $229,973 OVC FY24 Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Program - Invited to Apply Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – $600,000 OJJDP FY24 National Youth Justice Training and Technical Assistance - Invited to Apply SMART Office Shoshone-Paiute Tribes – $343,966 SMART FY 2024 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program Nevada Department of Public Safety –$175,000 SMART FY 2024 Support for Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program Bureau of Justice Statistics Nevada Department of Public Safety – $3,079,098 BJS FY24 NICS Act Record Improvement Program NARIP – $2,413,463 BJS FY24 National Criminal History Improvement Program – $665,635 The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page . About the Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov . ###


title: Two Fugitive Tenderloin Drug Traffickers Sentenced To Prison After Being Extradited From Honduras

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Two drug dealers who fled to Honduras from the Bay Area while on bond pending federal drug trafficking charges have been extradited to San Francisco and were sentenced to prison terms of 82 months and 34 months, announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. Victor Viera-Chirinos, 42, was one of 14 defendants indicted in August 2019 for trafficking large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Viera-Chirinos was a high-level manager responsible for overseeing portions of the network’s drug trafficking activities. On Apr. 28, 2020, he was ordered released on bond. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B). One week prior to his sentencing scheduled for June 2, 2021, Viera-Chirinos fled. The court issued an arrest warrant and federal authorities ultimately found Viera-Chirinos in Honduras. Viera-Chirinos was extradited to the United States and on Sept. 4, 2024, the Hon. Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge, sentenced him, ordering him to serve 82 months in prison. Mayer Benegas-Medina, 30, was indicted on Dec. 16, 2020, in a separate conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl in the Tenderloin. Benegas-Medina was also ordered released on bond. The terms of his release included electronic monitoring and a curfew. In March 2021, he fled. Federal authorities ultimately found him in Honduras and extradited him to the United States. Benegas-Medina pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and on Sept. 24, 2024, the Hon. William H. Alsup, U.S. District Judge, sentenced him to 34 months in prison. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational 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 criminal networks. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Honduran authorities to secure the extradition of Viera-Chirinos and Benegas-Medina to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sailaja M. Paidipaty and Dan M. Karmel are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Madeline Wachs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA.


title: Tehama County Man Sentenced to Over 19 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eduardo Castillo, 39, of Corning, was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison for online enticement of a minor for sexual purposes, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Castillo had previously fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution; however, he was returned to the United States in August 2023 thanks to the collaboration of the FBI, Mexican law enforcement officials, and Mexican immigration officials. According to court documents, between July 13, 2020, and Aug. 27, 2020, Castillo used a cellphone and the internet to entice at least five minor victims into sending him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct. During that timeframe, Castillo posed as one or more teenage girls on social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. Using images of teenage girls that he had downloaded from the internet, Castillo initiated chats and then exchanges of images with his male victims. Castillo then asked for child sexual abuse material in return, assuring his victims that the images and videos would be deleted. In reality, Castillo screen-recorded the videos and images and saved them on his devices. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Previously Extradited Nigerian National Sentenced For Role In Multimillion-Dollar Business Email Compromise Schemes Targeting Educational Institutions And Businesses in North Carolina and Texas

component: Civil Division

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, and Alamdar S. Hamdani, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. According to court documents, Oludayo Kolawole John Adeagbo, 45, conspired with others to participate in multiple cyber-enabled BEC schemes that defrauded a North Carolina university of more than $1.9 million, and attempted to steal more than $3 million from victim entities in Texas, including local government entities, construction companies, and a Houston-area college. Adeagbo, also known as John Edwards and John Dayo, arrived in the United States in August 2022 after he was extradited from the United Kingdom to face criminal charges filed in Charlotte and in Houston. On April 8, 2024, Adeagbo pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his criminal conduct in both cases, following the transfer of the case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. “BEC schemes, like the one perpetrated by Adeagbo and his co-conspirators, are sophisticated and devastating crimes that target the trust businesses and institutions place in their daily operations,” said U.S. Attorney King. “By exploiting this trust, fraudsters steal millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims. This case demonstrates the commitment of my office and our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for those impacted by these schemes and to hold cybercriminals accountable, regardless of where they are operating from.” “Adeagbo ran a sophisticated 21st century cyber-criminal operation hiding behind fake email accounts and anonymous internet addresses to steal from the innocent, a crime as old as time itself,” said U.S. Attorney Hamdani. “BEC scams have become an epidemic with individuals and businesses suffering debilitating financial losses, while eroding society’s trust in digital communications and undermining overall economic stability. That’s why prosecutors and agents in two jurisdictions worked tirelessly to identify Adeagbo and reach across the Atlantic to bring him to justice.” “Oludayo Adeagbo thought he was pretty slick stealing other people’s money via this scam. His victims, however, strongly disagreed,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI. “Instead of enjoying the fruits of his illegal labors, Adeagbo will now be spending time in a federal prison. The BEC is one of the fastest growing and most costly scams and the only way to fight it is through cooperation, often international cooperation, and this case is a prime example of partnerships working.” “As a North Carolina University planned for growth with a new construction project, Adeagbo worked on a scheme to defraud the school by stealing nearly two million dollars of its funding,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “When he and his conspirators first committed this business email compromise more than seven years ago, they likely never expected to get caught. This federal prison sentence shows the FBI will do everything possible to find and hold international financial fraudsters accountable.” “Mr. Adeagbo's multimillion-dollar BEC scheme inflicted substantial financial damage on trusted educational institutions, government municipalities, and innocent businesses within our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “In a world increasingly reliant on the digital landscape, this sentencing serves as a powerful reminder that cybercrime has real consequences. FBI Houston will continue to investigate, attribute, and impose severe consequences on cyber criminals seeking to harm others through deceit and fraud.” A BEC scheme, also referred to as “cyber-enabled financial fraud,” is a sophisticated scam that often targets individuals, employees, or businesses involved in financial transactions or that regularly perform wire transfer payments. Fraudsters are usually part of larger criminal networks operating in the United States and abroad. There are many variations of BEC scams. Generally, the schemes involve perpetrators gaining unauthorized access to legitimate email accounts or creating email accounts that closely resemble those of individuals or employees associated with the targeted businesses or involved in business transactions with the victim businesses. The scammers then use the compromised or fake email accounts to send false wiring instructions to the targeted businesses or individuals, to dupe the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme. Generally, the money is quickly transferred to other accounts in the United States or overseas. The North Carolina BEC Scheme According to court documents and court proceedings, from August 30, 2016, to January 12, 2017, Adeagbo, his codefendant, Donald Ikenna Echeazu, 42, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom extradited to the United States, and others defrauded a North Carolina university (the University) of more than $1.9 million via a BEC scheme. Court records show that Adeagbo and his co-conspirators obtained information about significant construction projects occurring throughout the United States, including an ongoing multi-million-dollar project at the University. To execute the scheme, Adeagbo, Echeazu, and others registered a domain name similar to that of the legitimate construction company in charge of the University’s project and created an email address that closely resembled that of an employee of the construction company. Using the fake email address, the fraudsters deceived and directed the University to wire a payment of more than $1.9 million to a bank account controlled by an individual working under the direction of Adeagbo and his co-conspirators. Upon receiving the payment, Adeagbo and his co-conspirators laundered the stolen proceeds through a series of financial transactions designed to conceal the fraud. The Texas BEC Scheme According to information contained in court documents, from November 2016 until July 2018, Adeagbo conspired with others to participate in multiple cyber-enabled business email compromises in an attempt to steal more than $3 million from victim entities in Texas, including local government entities, construction companies and a Houston-area college. As with the scheme in North Carolina, Adeagbo and his co-conspirators registered domain names that looked similar to legitimate companies. They then sent emails from those domains pretending to be employees at those companies to clients or customers of the companies they impersonated and deceived those customers into sending wire payments to bank accounts the co-conspirators controlled. Adeagbo remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. On May 16, 2023, Echeazu was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $655,408.87 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy. As part of his sentence, Adeagbo was sentenced to one year of supervised release following his sentence of incarceration and ordered to pay $942,655.03 in restitution for his role in the scheme. The FBI’s Houston Cyber Task Force and Charlotte Field Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI’s Cyber and Criminal Investigative Divisions. The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police and Crown Prosecution Service also provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs helped secure the arrest and extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings for the Western District of North Carolina, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez for the Southern District of Texas, and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case. If you suspect you are a victim of a BEC scheme, you can file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Complaint Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at bec.ic3.gov . The IC3 staff reviews complaints to detect patterns or other indicators of significant criminal activity for potential criminal prosecution. The FBI provides a variety of resources relating to BEC scams through the IC3, which can be located at www.ic3.gov . For more information on BEC scams, visit: www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise


title: Saratoga County Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Anthony Luizzi, age 24, of Halfmoon, New York, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison, and to pay a $10,000 fine, for drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement. Luizzi previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Luizzi admitted that he conspired to distribute, and possessed with intent and distribute, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, from his residence in Halfmoon, and at an apartment on Western Avenue in Albany. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched his apartment in Halfmoon and found more than 11 kilograms of fentanyl pills, along with five firearms, including a shotgun with a defaced serial number. Law enforcement also seized $2,616 as drug proceeds. On that same day, law enforcement also searched the apartment on Western Avenue and found 34 more firearms, as well as more than 400 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 grams of pills containing methamphetamine, and more than 700 grams of cocaine. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered that Luizzi serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison and ordered the forfeiture of the $2,616 in cash found at his Halfmoon residence. The following defendants have also been charged in connection with this investigation: Brandon Bartley was sentenced on September 24, 2024, to 180 months in prison and to pay a $5,000 fine , for drug and gun crimes. Devon Newsome pled guilty on September 3, 2024 , to unlawfully transferring firearms as part of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. Newsome is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2025. Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his supervised release on May 23, 2023, based on violations of federal gun and drug trafficking laws, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition. A final revocation hearing is currently scheduled for December 17, 2024. The charges against Jones are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), and Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.


title: Schenectady Woman Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to Theft of Social Security Benefits

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Annmarie Ditoro, age 42, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty yesterday to multiple counts of social security fraud, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office. Ditoro admitted that she stole Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) benefits and Social Security Survivor’s benefits intended for her four disabled children. Ditoro was previously the representative payee for all four of her children. A representative payee is a person or organization receiving Social Security benefits on another person’s behalf and tasked with ensuring the benefits are used only to support the beneficiary. Ditoro admitted that Schenectady Department of Social Services removed all four of her children from her custody in July 2022. Ditoro failed to inform the Social Security Administration of the change in custody, and she continued to receive Social Security benefits on her children’s behalf. Ditoro admitted that she spent the benefits for her personal use despite knowing that she was not entitled to that money. In total, Ditoro stole over $25,000 in benefit payments intended for her children. Ditoro faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised of up to 3 years. She will also be required to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Sentencing is scheduled for January 31, 2025, in Albany. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Tuck.


title: Ohio Woman Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Killing Husband with Controlled Substance

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – Amanda Hovanec, 37, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, II, after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including distributing a controlled substance that resulted in the death of her husband. Amanda Hovanec was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,108,559.36. According to court documents, Hovanec and her husband, Timothy, were married and had three children. They moved several times for his job with the U.S. Department of State, which included an assignment in South Africa around 2018. While there, Hovanec developed a relationship with a South African citizen named Anthony Theodorou. Hovanec initiated divorce proceedings against her husband in 2020 after returning to the United States. In December 2021, she began to deny her husband visitation with their children despite a court order to permit it. After her husband filed several contempt motions against Hovanec for denying visitation, a judge ordered that the children be given visitation with their father in April 2022, and further ordered that the husband become the residential parent and legal custodian of their children for two months that summer, beginning in May. The children went with their father for an April weekend visitation, as ordered, after which their father returned them to Hovanec’s Wapakoneta residence. Later, a missing persons investigation was opened when the husband failed to check out of an area hotel where he had been staying. During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered the husband’s abandoned car in Dayton, Ohio. It had been equipped with a dash camera. Review of the camera’s video showed that the husband had returned the children to Hovanec’s residence around 7 p.m. on April 24, 2022. Video footage showed Hovanec and her mother, Anita Green, waiting outside the residence next to the garage. Hovanec was then seen walking toward the driver’s side of the vehicle and heard telling the children, “I have a surprise for you inside.” The children entered the residence, followed by Green. Seconds later, the victim was heard saying, “What the heck are you doing? Did you just assault me?” and then, “Get away from me . . . Get off of me.” The victim and Hovanec came into the camera’s view, at which time video footage captured her pulling on her husband’s shirt as he tried to use his cellphone. She wrestled with him and eventually knocked the phone out of his hand. She then pulled on his back to bring him to the ground, holding him around the neck until his body went limp and he became unresponsive, lying on the driveway. Hovanec stood up, picked up her husband’s cellphone, removed his smart watch, and turned off his vehicle’s engine, at which point the dash camera stopped recording. After first attempting to cover up her crimes, Hovanec later confessed to investigators that she injected her husband in the shoulder with “poison” that she understood would kill him within minutes. She also admitted to disposing of his car in Dayton, and burying his body in a wooded area not far from her home. Theodorou was in Ohio at the time of the incident. He not only obtained the substance used to kill the victim, but also helped Hovanec bury her husband’s body. Green, who both Hovanec and Theodorou confirmed knew about the plan to murder the victim in advance, was charged as an accessory after the fact. She agreed to drive them and the victim’s body to the grave site, which was dug in advance of the murder. The investigation determined that the victim was injected with M-99, also known as Etorphine, a Schedule I controlled substance approximately 1000 times more potent than morphine. It is used in veterinary medicine for zoo and wildlife anesthesia. According to court records, Hovanec considered killing her husband for at least a year before the murder and had considered alternate means to do so, including hiring a hitman, before settling on injecting him with M-99. “Hovanec’s violent and intentional actions were cold-blooded, calculated, and cruel. Her extreme malevolence toward her husband and complete disregard for how his murder would affect their innocent children is incomprehensible and unforgiveable,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We know that no amount of time served can bring back a family’s loved one. But our hope is that the victim’s family may find some sense of closure as they painstakingly work to heal from this unimaginable and horrific tragedy.” Theodorou was sentenced to 18 years in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to import, importation and distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in death. He was also ordered to pay $2,108,559.36 in restitution, of which a part will be paid jointly and severally with Hovanec and Green. Anita Green was sentenced to 10 years in prison and two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to being an accessory to the crimes committed by Amanda Hovanec and Anthony Theodorou. This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Lima Resident Agency, the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the Lucas County Coroner’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alissa Sterling and Michelle Baeppler for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: BVI MAN DETAINED PENDING TRIAL IN HUMAN SMUGGLING CASE

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Danny Dennevil, 34, of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, will remain in federal custody pending trial on charges related to a human smuggling operation. On September 26, 2024, Dennevil was charged with illegally bringing aliens to the United States and failure to heave to law enforcement. According to court documents, on September 25, 2024, at approximately 7 p.m., Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and United States Coast Guard officers intercepted a vessel crossing the international border from the BVI into United States Territory. The unlit vessel, operated by Dennevil, traveled from Tortola, BVI to Leinster Bay, St. John where it offloaded two individuals on the beach. Dennevil immediately departed Leinster Bay and headed back towards Tortola. Officers were forced to disable Dennevil’s vessel after he refused to comply with orders to stop the vessel. Thereafter, officers detained Dennevil and two Dominican Republic nationals who were found on the Leinster Bay trail. Dennevil later admitted to the officers that he smuggled the two Dominican nationals from Tortola to St. John knowing that it was illegal for him to do so. United States Magistrate Allan Teague detained Dennevil and the two Dominican nationals following today’s detention hearing. This case is being investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne. United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that a complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: NEW JERSEY WOMAN CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING NARCOTICS THROUGH ROHLSEN AIRPORT

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ceestra Burgess, 23, of Irvington, New Jersey was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. According to court documents, on September 27, 2024, Burgess arrived in St. Croix on a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale. During an inspection of Spirit Airlines luggage, a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in Burgess’ checked bag. The luggage was then placed on the baggage claim carousel and later removed by Burgess. A search of Burgess’ luggage revealed several vacuum sealed packages wrapped in Christmas paper which contained approximately 12 kilograms of marijuana. If convicted, Burgess faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by Custom and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The former Comptroller General of Ecuador was sentenced today to 10 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $16.5 million for his role in a multimillion-dollar international bribery and money laundering scheme in which he received over $10 million in bribes and laundered those bribes payments in South Florida. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2010 to 2015, Carlos Ramon Polit Faggioni, 73, solicited and received over $10 million in bribe payments from Odebrecht S.A., the Brazil-based construction conglomerate. Polit, in his position as Comptroller General of Ecuador, was responsible for protecting public funds against fraud and rooting out corruption. Instead, Polit took bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for removing fines and not imposing fines on Odebrecht’s projects in Ecuador. Additionally, in or around 2015, Polit received a bribe from an Ecuadorian businessman in exchange for assisting the businessman with obtaining certain contracts with the state-owned insurance company of Ecuador. From in or around 2010 and continuing until at least 2017, at the direction of Polit, another member of the conspiracy caused proceeds of Polit’s bribery scheme to “disappear” by using Florida companies registered in the names of friends and associates, often without the associates’ knowledge. The conspirators also used funds from Polit’s bribery scheme to purchase and renovate real estate in Florida. On April 23, Polit was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, three counts of concealment money laundering, and two counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. Odebrecht S.A. pleaded guilty in December 2016 to conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in connection with a broader scheme to pay nearly $800 million in bribes to public officials in 12 countries, including Ecuador. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement. The HSI Miami Field Office investigated this case. IRS Criminal Investigation provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department also thanks the assistance with the investigation of law enforcement authorities in Ecuador, Brazil, Panama, and Curacao. Senior Litigation Counsel Michael N. Berger for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jil Simon and Assistant Chief Alexander Kramer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff and Sandra Demirci for the Southern District of Florida are handling asset forfeiture. The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 22-cr-20114. ###


title: Hawaii Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Atomic Energy Act

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Mark Kazee, 60, of Hawaii, pleaded guilty today to violating the Atomic Energy Act by transferring equipment containing Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-regulated radioactive material from a company he was employed by, which held an NRC required license for the material, to another company without making a record of such transfer as required. Kazee was part owner of the second company, which did not have a license from the NRC. According to court documents, Kazee worked in the materials and equipment testing industry for over 30 years, serving both as an inspector and as a supervisor of inspectors who used industrial radiography. Industrial radiography is the process of using a radiation source and a specialized camera to examine materials below the surface to check for flaws. Industrial radiography can emit X-rays, gamma rays and neutrons. Kazee worked for the first company starting in 2016 as its regional manager in Hawaii. Kazee’s employer had contracts to conduct testing with various companies in Hawaii, including petroleum refineries. In September 2018, Kazee and another person created their own company to conduct the same type of testing as Kazee’s employer. Kazee’s company did not have the required license from the NRC to conduct industrial radiography. Soon after Kazee’s employer’s contract with a major refinery on Oahu expired in January 2019, Kazee’s new company began conducting inspections at the refinery, including industrial radiography, using his old employer’s equipment. The equipment contained Iridium-192 and depleted uranium radioactive material. Although Kazee knew he was required to create and maintain a record for his employer for any transfer of the radiography equipment to any other company or individual who was not his employer, he did not. “Radiography is an impressive technology, and when it is used with proper safeguards, it increases safety and improves lives,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously prosecute those like Kazee who would circumvent legal requirements for transfer of radioactive materials and treat radiation safety and security as an afterthought.” “Kazee knew what had to be done to comply with the regulations that protect the public from potential harms arising from the use of radioactive materials, but consciously chose not to follow them,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii. “His failures appropriately have criminal consequences and we will continue to pursue such to protect the community.” “It is crucial that those who use radioactive material for commercial purposes follow the rules to protect the user and the public,” said Director Thomas Ashley of the NRC’s Office of Investigations. “The NRC does not tolerate willful violations of its requirements and demands that licensees and their employees act with integrity and abide by requirements put in place to ensure they’re used safely.” Kazee is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 13 before U.S. District Court Judge J. Michael Seabright for the District of Hawaii. Kazee faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Judge Seabright will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The NRC's Office of Investigations investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Kris Dighe of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.


title: Two Individuals Detained in Ongoing  Elder Fraud Investigations

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – Two individuals have been ordered detained in federal custody, charged in ongoing federal, state, and local law enforcement investigations into online scams targeting Rhode Island seniors, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. On September 26, Jirui Liu, 22, of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, appeared before a U.S. Magistrate, having been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. It is alleged that he participated in a scheme that caused a 79-year-old man to turn over to $35,000 in cash and gold bars valued at $130,000 to members of the conspiracy. On September 23, 2024, Kush J. Patel, 22, of Bridgeport, CT, was ordered detained following his initial appearance in U.S. District Court, having been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. It is alleged that Patel participated in a scam that defrauded a Rhode Islander of nearly $200,000. As reflected in court documents in the matter of the United States v. Jiri Liu , while shopping online, a 79-year-old Narragansett man received a pop-up message that falsely claimed that he was under investigation for attempting to purchase child pornography. He was directed him to call a telephone number provided to him to address the issue. When he called the number, scammers falsely told him that his Social Security number had been compromised and is involved in money laundering activity, and that the government was attempting garnish his assets. The scammers then put the victim in touch with co-conspirators who impersonated federal authorities and a bank employee who instructed the victim to turn over his assets to the government so that they could be secured during the investigation. It is alleged that as part of the scheme, in early September, an unknown member of the conspiracy traveled to the victim’s home, where the victim provided him with $35,000 in cash. Several days later, at the direction of the conspirators, the victim purchased $135,000 in gold bars and delivered them to members of the conspiracy. On September 24, 2024, the scammers attempted to arrange for the victim to deliver an additional $160,000 in gold bars. Before that occurred, however, the victim contacted law enforcement to report that he had been scammed. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arranged for the production of fake gold bars, which were provided to the victim for the third delivery. HSI agents surveilled the delivery as it was made, as is alleged, to Liu, who was arrested outside of the victim’s home. In a separate investigation that resulted in the arrest of Kush J. Patel, HSI joined Tiverton, RI, Police after learning that a 72-year-old individual was the likely victim of online scammers. That investigation determined that a separate victim responded to an online pop-up message claiming that his computer contained a virus, and was falsely told that his identity had been compromised and that drug trafficking, money laundering, and child pornography had been associated with his name. The victim was advised that he would need to speak with a Federal Trade Commission agent about the matter, at which point this purported agent told the victim that, in order to resolve the issue privately, his assets would need to be frozen. Over the next several weeks, the fake FTC agent directed the victim to make three purchases of gold bullion from a specific gold dealer in New York via wire transfer, and that the gold was to be delivered to the victim’s home. As a result of these instructions, the victim made three purchases of gold bullion in amounts totaling $96,093.96 $101,233.79; and $165,762.32, respectively. The first two deliveries of bullion were picked-up by an unknown member of the conspiracy. On September 21, at the direction of law enforcement, the victim substituted the contents of the third package before meeting with and delivering the package to an unknown individual, later identified allegedly as being Patel. The delivery occurred under law enforcement surveillance in a restaurant parking lot. Patel was followed as he left the parking lot and was arrested following a traffic stop by Connecticut State Police. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton. These matters were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with substantial assistance from the Narragansett and Tiverton Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Providence, Warwick, Pawtucket, Cranston, and Newport Police Departments, and the Rhode Island and Connecticut State Police. A series of joint federal, state, and local law enforcement investigations into online scams presently targeting victims in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Hampshire remain ongoing. Reporting fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.[ET]. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov . ### kush_patel_criminal_complaint_aff.pdf jirui_criminal_complaint_aff.pdf


title: South Carolina Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Shipping Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl to North Georgia

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ROME, Ga. - Onesepherous L. Grissette has been sentenced to federal prison for shipping thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl from South Carolina to North Georgia using the U.S. Mail. “The danger posed by counterfeit pills and fentanyl is a real and continuing threat to our citizens and has claimed many lives,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office and agency partners are continually developing new and innovate investigative strategies for identifying traffickers who peddle these dangerous drugs and to hold them accountable for causing irreparable harm to our communities.” “The US Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “We remain steadfast to seek justice to the end and to keep communities safe through continued collaborative investigative efforts with our law enforcement partners.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: In July 2022, investigators with the United States Postal Inspection Service seized a shipment of pills mailed from South Carolina that were addressed to an individual who resided in Chickamauga, Georgia. The pills resembled the prescription drug oxycodone, but testing confirmed that the tablets contained fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Grissette shipped more than 4,500 pills to this individual for nearly two years and that the individual paid Grissette approximately $85,000. Onesepherous L. Grissette, 43, of Conway, South Carolina, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II to five years, 10 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Grissette was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance on June 24, 2024, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with valuable assistance provided by the Lookout Mountain Drug Task Force and the Horry County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case. The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia recommends that parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov ; www.operationprevention.com/ ; and www.dea.gov/onepill . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Cartersville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

body_text: ROME, Ga. – Ian Alicea Prewett has been sentenced to federal prison for enticing children to perform sexual acts for the purpose of producing child pornography. “Prewett is a sexual predator who enticed and victimized innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “His prosecution and sentence are examples of our office’s steadfast commitment to engage with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable individuals like Prewett who seek to exploit the anonymity of the internet to sexually abuse vulnerable children.” “This sentence represents a victory in the ongoing battle to protect our most vulnerable citizens — our children. This predator, who has perpetrated unspeakable horrors on minors, will now face justice for the seriousness of his crimes,” said Steven N. Schrank, Acting Special Agent in Charge who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners will continue to use every available resource to find, arrest and prosecute those who seek to exploit children.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: On various dates between 2020 and 2022, Ian Alicea Prewett uploaded sexually explicit digital images of minors to Instagram. Although Prewett tried to conceal his online identity, federal agents identified him as the individual who uploaded the images and, in May 2023, obtained a warrant to search his home. During the search, agents discovered a cell phone associated with the Instagram accounts that Prewett used to distribute child pornography. At the time agents executed the search warrant, Prewett was already awaiting trial in Cobb County, Georgia, for statutory rape, child molestation, and child enticement. Those charges resulted from Prewett chatting with a 14-year-old girl on Instagram, asking her to send him sexually explicit photographs of herself, and then engaging in sex acts with her. Prior to his arrest in May 2023, Prewett used social media to entice numerous minors to create sexually explicit material and engage in sexual acts. One of his victims was a minor under eight years old living in the United Kingdom. Prewett directed her to send him pictures and videos of herself performing sexual acts. Prewett also instructed a minor from Mobile, Alabama to do the same and he later traveled to Alabama to meet, photograph, and engage in sex acts with the minor. Ian Alicea Prewett, 31, of Cartersville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II to 20 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Prewett was convicted of sexual exploitation of children after he pleaded guilty on April 24, 2024. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Cobb County Police Department, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Wiltshire Police (United Kingdom). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore S. Hertzberg and Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: U. S. Attorney Hairston Cautions Against Disaster Fraud in the Wake of Hurricane Helene

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, NC – United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina Sandra J. Hairston today reminded everyone to guard against and report disaster-related fraud following Hurricane Helene. “The impact of disasters affecting our citizens are not just from the events themselves, but also from fraudsters who take advantage of disaster victims and good-hearted people who want to help those affected,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “These criminals take advantage of victims before, during, and after a natural disaster strikes, targeting people when they are most vulnerable, and their methods to commit fraud are wide-ranging. My office works closely with the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF), which tracks and manages complaints of fraudulent activity – like phony charities or fake contractors who prey on victims of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and more. If you suspect that someone is trying to take advantage of your situation after a natural disaster or if you are the victim of disaster-related fraud, please contact the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at http://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm and complete the online form.” The NCDF is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies to form a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud. Here are examples based on over 200,000 disaster fraud complaints submitted to the NCDF: Fake charities immediately soliciting donations either using the names of well-known charities or appearing reasonable as related to a disaster; Individuals impersonating government officials advising that disaster assistance will be made available should the potential victim provide a sum of money or personal identifiers such as date of birth, social security number, and bank account information (name of financial institution, routing number, and account number); Individuals impersonating insurance provider representatives requesting money and personal identifiers as described above; Individuals soliciting victims to invest in non-existent businesses and ventures offering recovery efforts such as cleanup, rebuilding, and making structures (homes) more resistant to future disasters (e.g., elevation to minimize future flood risks); Individuals overcharging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster (aka price-gouging). In addition, based on the type of disaster, individuals are frequently victimized by theft of property from businesses and residences abandoned because of a disaster (either evacuation pre-disasters such as flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires or to obtain living accommodations because of damaged apartments and homes). Recommended Measures to Avoid Becoming a Victim Only make donations to known charities and only after contacting the charity directly and not in response to an email, instant message, phone call, text, etc. A recommended step is to research the charity by visiting recognized charity information/rating websites such as the www.Give.org, CharityNavigator.org, and CharityWatch.org. Never click on a link in an unsolicited email, instant message, text, etc. Never assume that charity solicitations posted on the internet and social media are legitimate. Avoid cash donations to charities - use a credit card or pay with a check. Never transmit donations to a named individual. Charities do not seek donations via electronic fund (financial institution)/wire transfers. Avoid being victimized by impersonators of government officials, insurance companies, investment companies, etc., by terminating the phone call or other exchange of information (e.g., email, texts) and calling the actual government agency, insurance company, and/or investment company directly using a well-advertised/posted phone number and/or email address. Check with your state contracting board before hiring a contractor to repair storm damage. Cautiously rely on recommendations from family and friends. Consider purchasing materials on your own from a reliable supplier and having them delivered to your damaged structure to avoid putting down money before work is started. Consider paying for repairs as they are completed. Do not be forced into making repair decisions by a high-pressure contractor. Protect yourself and your neighbors. If you or someone you know has been targeted by fraudsters or been the victim of disaster-related fraud, contact the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm . ###


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Charges Against 18 Defendants In Scheme To Manufacture And Distribute Millions Of Deadly Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Through Fake Online Pharmacies

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Katrina W. Berger, the Executive Associate Director of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); William S. Walker, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of HSI; Frank A. Tarentino III, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the DEA; and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the unsealing of charges against FRANCISCO ALBERTO LOPEZ REYES, a/k/a “Frank,” and 17 other defendants located in the United States, Dominican Republic, and India for their involvement in a scheme to advertise, sell, manufacture, and ship millions of deadly pills disguised as legitimate pharmaceuticals. These counterfeit pills were purchased by tens of thousands of victims from fake online pharmacies run by LOPEZ REYES and his co-conspirators. At least nine of those victims later died of narcotics poisoning. Federal authorities have seized nine website domains used by the defendants and their co-conspirators to sell counterfeit pills, four of which are named in the Indictment . The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The proliferation of fake online pharmacies is fueling this nation’s fentanyl epidemic. As alleged, Francisco Lopez Reyes, a/k/a “Frank,” and his lieutenants have run a global network of these websites and aggressively marketed, manufactured, sold, and distributed millions of deadly fentanyl pills meant to mimic legitimate prescription drugs. The victims of the scheme include people from all walks of life—people of all ages and occupations—from all 50 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Germany, and Slovenia. At least nine victims who purchased counterfeit pills from the defendants died of narcotics poisoning, including a 45-year-old army veteran who thought she was purchasing real oxycodone. Today’s charges show this Office’s unrelenting commitment to fighting the proliferation of fentanyl and counterfeit pharmaceuticals. I commend the career prosecutors of the Southern District of New York and our partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service for their tireless efforts to bring those poisoning our communities to justice.” HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger said: “Trafficking counterfeit pharmaceuticals is not just a crime; it is a threat to public health. HSI is committed to working with our partners to stop those who poison our neighborhoods for the sake of profit.” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “The 18 defendants in this case operated a sophisticated network of fake online pharmacies and pill mills in India, the Dominican Republic, and the United States that preyed on Americans who believed they were purchasing legitimate medications from legitimate pharmacies. The defendants exploited the online pharmacy market to sell counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine to unsuspecting victims. These individuals sold millions of dangerous fake pills to victims in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia. The defendants did this to make money by driving addiction with deadly, highly-addictive fentanyl. The DEA is relentlessly focused on saving lives by finding these criminal networks and shutting them down.” HSI Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker said: “In just the last few months, Homeland Security Investigations agents, analysts, and task force officers in New York City have intercepted hundreds of pounds of fentanyl and other deadly narcotics. Investigators uncovered illicit clandestine drug labs operating in residential basements, and seized fentanyl from parcel facilities where day-to-day mail is processed. We further uncovered strategies allegedly used by those who deal death to exploit parcel systems in furtherance their illegal enterprise. HSI is on the frontlines of the fentanyl epidemic, doing everything in our power to prevent the deadly narcotic from reaching just one more victim. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with grieving families who were forced to say goodbye to their loved ones too soon.” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III said: “Over the past year, our DEA New York team, along with our law enforcement partners, targeted those individuals involved in the operation of illegal pill mills in the Bronx and Manhattan, producing deadly fake pills made up of fentanyl and methamphetamine. This investigation demonstrates the complexity and global influence that predatory drug trafficking organizations have on our communities, families, and young people; many times, leaving a trail of devastation in its path.” USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “We are proud to be working with our law enforcement partners on this impactful case. These arrests represent the progress we have made to disrupt and ultimately dismantle this illegal narcotics distribution network. The defendants allegedly took advantage of the online pharmaceutical space and preyed upon innocent victims who were in need of medication, people suffering with legitimate ailments. Postal Inspectors will constantly be vigilant in this fight against fentanyl and all illicit drugs, to preserve the integrity of the mail and most importantly to keep our employees and the American public safe.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment: [1] The proliferation of unregulated online pharmacies has fueled the nation’s fentanyl epidemic, enabling drug traffickers to peddle direct-to-consumer counterfeit pharmaceuticals, which are devoid of the medication they purport to contain and are instead comprised of deadly narcotics like fentanyl and its analogues. For at least the last two and a half years, a network of individuals located in the U.S., the Dominican Republic, India, and elsewhere have exploited Americans’ reliance on online pharmacies by advertising, selling, manufacturing, and shipping through the mail millions of unregulated counterfeit prescription pills to tens of thousands of victims. Instead of prescription drugs at a bargain, what customers actually received were phony pills made of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl—an analogue of fentanyl—and methamphetamine. Shaped, dyed, and stamped to be indistinguishable from actual prescription medication, these tablets were in fact manufactured by the defendants in industrial-scale milling facilities, or pill mills, located in the basements of several residential buildings in, among other places, Manhattan and the Bronx, New York. As part of this scheme, the defendants shipped counterfeit pharmaceuticals to victims across the United States and around the world, including in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Germany, and Slovenia. The victims of this criminal enterprise range in age from at least 23 to 77 years old. They include veterans, doctors, lawyers, musicians, artists, politicians, economists, restaurant managers, personal trainers, dancers, former schoolteachers, administrative executives, and first responders, among others. Between in or about August 2023 and in or about June 2024, at least nine victims—all of whom purchased counterfeit prescription pills from the defendants—died of narcotics poisoning. One victim, Victim-1, a 45-year-old woman, was a veteran who had served for 12 years in the U.S. Army National Guard. Victim-1 believed she was purchasing 30-milligram oxycodone, also known as “M30s,” from the defendants’ online pharmacy, but the pills were, in fact, made of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl. After receiving the pills, Victim-1 conducted research to attempt to learn whether the pills were genuine, but, because the defendants made the pills look real, Victim-1 was unable to tell the difference. Five days after receiving counterfeit oxycodone pills advertised, sold, manufactured, and shipped by the defendants, Victim-1 died from acute fentanyl intoxication. The fake oxycodone pills that killed Victim-1, which were recovered from her bedside, are pictured below: LOPEZ REYES led the enterprise, orchestrating and controlling every facet of the scheme from the Dominican Republic. With his co-conspirators, LOPEZ REYES set up dozens of online pharmacy websites, designed to appear legitimate in order to lure customers into buying, at reduced prices, tablets of fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and methamphetamine disguised as real prescription medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, Adderall, and Xanax, among others. LOPEZ REYES also relied on others, including SADIQ ABBAS HABIB SAYYED, a/k/a “Rakesh Sharma,” a/k/a “Jonathan Acosta,” KHIZAR MOHAMMAD IQBAL SHAIKH, and ALBA GONZALEZ to sell counterfeit pills to Americans over the internet and through encrypted messaging platforms. The homepage of one such website, Curecog.com (“Curecog”), is pictured below. Curecog purported to be a “US-based online pharma store” that was “approved” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), which “serve[s] affordable medicines . . . approved by specialists and manufactured by trusted brands.” Curecog, however, was neither legitimate nor FDA approved. Instead, Curecog was a fraudulent storefront that peddled the defendants’ controlled substances, including fentanyl. To fulfill pill orders, LOPEZ REYES enlisted JUAN EFREN PAULINO, a/k/a “Freddy,” and JUAN MOISES PEREZ MENDEZ, a/k/a “Caballero,” as his principal lieutenants to oversee the operation of multiple pill mills in New York City. At those pill mills, workers used dyes with specific colors and specialized equipment with custom molds to press powdered narcotics so as to mimic the color, shape, size, and markings of commercially manufactured prescription pills, at rates of up to 100,000 pills every 12 hours. Law enforcement raided at least three of these pill mills and two other narcotics storage locations, seizing approximately 625,000 counterfeit pills—the majority of which contained fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and/or methamphetamine—10 industrial pill presses, commercial mixers, industrial-grade gas masks, and more. At these facilities, law enforcement also seized staggering quantities of not yet processed narcotics. In total, law enforcement seized approximately 255 pounds of para-fluorofentanyl, 100 pounds of fentanyl, and 215 pounds of methamphetamine, in pill, powder, and crystal form. Each of these seizures were a mere snapshot in time, representing only a single day’s working supply at these pill mills and storage locations. Multiple defendants—including EFREN PAULINO, PEREZ MENDEZ, WELLINGTON EUSTATE ESPINAL, a/k/a “Roni,” HERIBERTO EUSTATE ESPINAL, a/k/a “Daulin,” EUSEBIO PERALTA BAUTISTA, a/k/a “Luis Collazo Santos,” HECTOR BIENVENIDO FELIZ FELIZ, a/k/a “Tacoma,” and LUIS PAULINO—worked at these pill mills day and night. A photograph of the over 190,000 pills seized from just one of the defendants’ pill mills is pictured below: After the defendants manufactured the counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, a network of shippers, including MIGUEL CONCEPCION BRITO, CYNTHIA ONEGA, EDWARD EUSTATE JIMENEZ, a/k/a “Chino,” ROBERT JUNIOR RAMOS HENRIQUEZ, a/k/a “Junior,” a/k/a “Kiko,” JOSE CONCEPCION BRITO, ANGEL VALDEZ BRITO, and WILIANYI ALMANZAR POLANCO, packaged and mailed the pills to customers across the country at the direction of LOPEZ REYES, who specified to whom and where to ship particular types and quantities of pills. After orders were delivered, the defendants and their co-conspirators bombarded customers with aggressive and manipulative marketing tactics to pressure their victims to order more illegal pills, including by providing unsolicited free samples via mail of counterfeit pills containing addictive and deadly fentanyl and near-daily outreach by phone call or text message. One victim had to block up to 30 phone numbers in an effort to stop the harassment. Information about safe, legal internet pharmacies is available. According to the FDA, a safe, legal internet pharmacy: always requires a doctor’s prescription; has a physical address and telephone number in the United States; is licensed in the state(s) in which they are operating; is licensed in all states in which they do business; and has a state-licensed pharmacist on staff to answer patient questions. The FDA also maintains the BeSafeRx campaign, with resources and tools to help make safer, more informed decisions when purchasing prescription medicine from an online pharmacy. That resource is available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/quick-tips-buying-medicines-over-internet/besaferx-your-source-online-pharmacy-information . * * * A chart containing the charges and minimum and maximum penalties each defendant faces is attached. The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the El Dorado Task Force International Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, which is comprised of law enforcement officers and investigators from the DEA, HSI, the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, the USPIS, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office; the New York City Border Enforcement Security Task Force Contraband Group; the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces’ (“OCDETF”) New York Strike Force; the USPIS New York Division Contraband Interdiction and Investigations Team; HSI New York; and the DEA New York Field Division. Mr. Williams also thanked HSI Santo Domingo, the DEA Dominican Republic Country Office, the U.S. Marshals Service Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance. The OCDETF New York Strike Force provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the New York Strike Force is to target, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking and money laundering organizations, reduce the illegal drug supply in the U.S., and bring criminals to justice. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maggie Lynaugh, Adam Sowlati, Chelsea Scism, Katherine Cheng, Camille Fletcher, and Lisa Daniels are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Defendant Age Charges Minimum and Maximum Penalties FRANCISCO ALBERTO LOPEZ REYES, a/k/a “Frank” 44 Continuing criminal enterprise (principal); narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death; distribution of narcotics resulting in death; conspiracy to commit money laundering Mandatory life in prison JUAN EFREN PAULINO, a/k/a “Freddy” 53 Continuing criminal enterprise; narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison JUAN MOISES PEREZ MENDEZ, a/k/a “Caballero” 56 Continuing criminal enterprise; narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison SADIQ ABBAS HABIB SAYYED, a/k/a “Rakesh Sharma,” a/k/a “Jonathan Acosta” 39 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison KHIZAR MOHAMMAD IQBAL SHAIKH 33 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison WELLINGTON EUSTATE ESPINAL, a/k/a “Roni” 42 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison HERIBERTO EUSTATE ESPINAL, a/k/a “Daulin” 28 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison EUSEBIO PERALTA BAUTISTA, a/k/a “Luis Collazo Santos” 59 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison HECTOR BIENVENIDO FELIZ FELIZ, a/k/a “Tacoma” 45 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison LUIS PAULINO 66 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison MIGUEL CONCEPCION BRITO 27 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison CYNTHIA ONEGA 22 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison EDWARD EUSTATE JIMENEZ, a/k/a “Chino” 22 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death; distribution of narcotics resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison ROBERT JUNIOR RAMOS HENRIQUEZ, a/k/a “Junior,” a/k/a “Kiko” 34 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death; distribution of narcotics resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison ALBA GONZALEZ 36 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death; distribution of narcotics resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison JOSE CONCEPCION BRITO 28 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison ANGEL VALDEZ BRITO 29 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison WILIANYI ALMANZAR POLANCO 34 Narcotics trafficking conspiracy resulting in death Mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; life in prison


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Alaska

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Note : Yuvriryukuvgu Yugtun, una neg'arrluku. The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in the State of Alaska, for the Oct. 1 Regional Education Attendance Area (REAA) elections. The department will monitor in the Bethel Dillingham and Kusilvak Census Areas, as well as the Northwest Arctic and North Slope Boroughs. The Justice Department will assign federal observers to monitor the election in the Dillingham and Kusilvak Census Areas to observe compliance with the Voting Rights Act. A federal court previously issued an order to resolve claims under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the rights of Yup’ik-speaking voters. The order authorizes federal observers to monitor election day activities in these two census areas. The department is also sending its staff to monitor compliance in the Bethel Census Area, Northwest Arctic Borough and North Slope Borough, Alaska. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country. In addition, the department also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, when authorized by federal court order. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Acts and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. More information about voting and elections is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Information on the language requirements of Section 203 of the Voting Rights and about voting rights generally is available in Yup’ik on the department’s website. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.


title: U.S. Attorney Esparza Announces $7.8 Million in Justice Department Grants to Support the Uvalde Community

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza today announced the award of $7,821,753 in a Department of Justice grant to help the Texas Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office, Victim Services Team (VOCA) by enabling them to serve victims of the May 24, 2022, shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Program funds will support necessary and ongoing trauma-informed, evidence-based healing- and resiliency-related services connected to crisis response and consequence management support for victims of the attack. The grant was awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs. “We are firmly committed to supporting Uvalde on its path toward healing and providing the tools for enduring resilience following the senseless, heartbreaking events at Robb Elementary in May 2022,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This funding is a vital step in addressing the trauma caused by those events, providing essential services to the community, and ensuring victims and their families have the appropriate resources to continue recovery in the face of unimaginable loss.” The award announced above is being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about this and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page . About the Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov . ###