title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Georgia School District to Protect Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities

body_text: The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with Fulton County Schools in Georgia to resolve the department’s investigation of the district’s response to an escalating series of student-on-student sexual assaults on a school bus serving students with special needs. The department conducted its investigation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. “A school district’s responsibility is to protect its students from sexual assault and harassment, particularly students whose disabilities make them vulnerable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Schools have a responsibility to address obstacles in reporting sexual assault and to take into account the special needs or vulnerabilities of any affected students and their families. The Justice Department will continue working to ensure that our schools are safe learning environments free from sexual harassment and equitable for students with disabilities.” “Children with disabilities can be especially vulnerable and deserve to thrive in a learning environment free of violence of any kind, including when traveling to and from school aboard buses,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “We applaud the school district’s willingness to cooperate with our investigation and to amicably resolve this matter to ensure the protection and safety of these children.” The department’s investigation found that the district lacked adequate procedures and failed to train employees in the proper reporting of and response to student-on-student sexual harassment and assault; failed to appropriately accommodate the special needs of students with disabilities in preventing and responding to sexual assault; and failed to make educational and school communications, particularly those related to the complaint reporting and investigation process, accessible for parents and guardians with limited English proficiency. The agreement will strengthen the district’s policies and procedures for responding to student-on-student sexual assault and ensure that the district’s response accounts for the unique needs of students with disabilities and Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents. The district cooperated with the department throughout the investigation. Among other actions, under the settlement agreement, the district will: Revise its policies for responding to complaints of sexual misconduct; Provide district staff with trainings on student-on-student sexual misconduct; Ensure it provides students with disabilities the accommodations they need to participate in the district’s educational programs, particularly accommodations that support the communication needs of students with disabilities; and Provide appropriate language assistance services to LEP parents and guardians. The enforcement of Title IX, Title II and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act are top priorities for the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the Educational Opportunities Section’s work is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ . The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia worked in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/about .


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un Distrito Escolar de Georgia para proteger los derechos civiles de los estudiantes con discapacidades

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un acuerdo de conciliación con las Escuelas del Condado de Fulton en Georgia para resolver la investigación del Departamento de la respuesta del distrito a una serie de agresiones sexuales entre estudiantes en un autobús escolar que atiende a estudiantes con necesidades especiales. El Departamento llevó a cabo su investigación bajo del Título IX de las Enmiendas Educativas de 1972, el Título II de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas de 1974. «La responsabilidad de un distrito escolar es proteger a sus estudiantes del acoso y la agresión sexuales, especialmente aquellos cuyas discapacidades los hacen especialmente vulnerables», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Las escuelas tienen la responsabilidad de abordar los obstáculos en la denuncia de agresiones sexuales y de tener en cuenta las necesidades especiales o vulnerabilidades de los estudiantes afectados y sus familias. El Departamento de Justicia continuará a trabajar para garantizar que nuestras escuelas sean entornos seguros del aprendizaje, libres del acoso sexual, y que sean equitativas para estudiantes con discapacidades». «Los niños con discapacidades pueden ser especialmente vulnerables y merecen florecer en un entorno del aprendizaje libre de cualquier tipo de violencia, incluyendo durante el viaje en autobús hacia y desde la escuela,» declaró Ryan K. Buchanan, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Norte de Georgia. «Felicitamos al distrito por su disposición a cooperar con nuestra investigación y a resolver este asunto de manera amistosa, con el fin de asegurar la protección y seguridad de estos niños». La investigación del Departamento descubrió que el distrito carecía de procedimientos adecuados y no capacitó a los empleados en la adecuada notificación y respuesta ante casos de agresión y acoso sexuales entre estudiantes; no acomodó adecuadamente las necesidades especiales de los estudiantes con discapacidades para prevenir y responder a las agresiones sexuales; y no hizo que las comunicaciones educativas y escolares, especialmente aquellas relacionadas con el proceso de notificación e investigación de quejas, fueran accesibles para los padres y tutores con un dominio limitado del inglés. El acuerdo fortalecerá las políticas y los procedimientos del distrito de respuesta ante agresiones sexuales entre estudiantes y garantizará que la respuesta del distrito considere las necesidades únicas de estudiantes con discapacidades y padres con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés). El distrito cooperó con el Departamento durante toda la investigación. Entre otras acciones, en virtud del acuerdo conciliatorio, el distrito: Revisará sus políticas de respuesta a quejas de conducta sexual indebida; Proporcionará capacitaciones al personal del distrito sobre la conducta sexual indebida entre estudiantes; Se asegurará de que proporcione a los estudiantes con discapacidades los acomodos que necesitan para participar en los programas educativos del distrito, en particular las adaptaciones que respaldan las necesidades de comunicación de los estudiantes con discapacidades; y Proporcionará servicios de asistencia lingüística adecuados a los padres y tutores LEP. La aplicación del Título IX, el Título II y la ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas es una de las principales prioridades de la División de Derechos Civiles. Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt , e información adicional sobre el trabajo de la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas está disponible en www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Los miembros del público pueden informarnos de posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/ . La Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Norte de Georgia trabajó en colaboración con la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas de la División de Derechos Civiles en la investigación de este caso. Información sobre la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Norte de Georgia se puede encontrar en www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/about .


title: Former Mexican lawyer who became major methamphetamine supplier to drug trafficking organization sentenced to more than seven years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A former attorney from Mexico was sentenced June 21, 2024, to 90 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Gustavo Castellanos-Tapia, 38, of Burien, Washington, was a significant supplier of methamphetamine to the drug trafficking organization with ties to the prison gang known as the “Aryan Family.” In imposing the sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo rejected arguments from the defense the Castellanos-Tapia played a minor role in the drug ring. Gustavo Castellanos-Tapia was identified as a significant supplier of methamphetamine to the drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement had Castellanos-Tapia under surveillance and learned that he would deliver suitcases full of methamphetamine—some 30-40 pounds at a time—every few weeks. Unlike some drug ring participants who become involved to feed their addiction, Castellanos-Tapia was not a drug user. In fact, he previously worked as a lawyer in Mexico and came to the U.S. in 2020 when the pandemic stalled the economy. He obtained work as a boat painter but got into drug dealing to increase his income. Castellanos-Tapia and 23 other defendants were indicted and arrested in March 2023. Over the course of the investigation, agents seized from members of the drug trafficking organization an estimated 255 pounds of methamphetamine, an estimated 830,000 fentanyl pills, more than 26 pounds of fentanyl powder, cocaine, six pounds of heroin, $668,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 225 firearms. In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, prosecutors pointed out that despite a small decrease in overdose deaths nationwide, Washington had an increase in overdose deaths of over 27% in the year ending December 2023. “Drugs like the methamphetamine that Castellanos-Tapia distributed have a devastating impact on the community,” prosecutors wrote. “Users of these drugs frequently resort to stealing—from family members, friends, and complete strangers—to feed their addictions. No doubt, drug users are responsible for a large percentage of these crimes, as well as the violent crimes, in our communities.” Because Castellanos-Tapia was not legally present in the United States he likely will be deported following his prison term. This case 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. This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections, with significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Zach Dillon. The case is U.S. v Castellanos-Tapia CR23-5085


title: Leader and Two Members of Brooklyn-Based Real Ryte Gang Each Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Prison for Violent Racketeering Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Semaj Smith, also known as “Bam Bam” and “Real Ryte Sport,” a member of the Brooklyn-based street gang Real Ryte, was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 132 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Last month, co-defendants Dajahn McBean, also known as “Jeezy Mula,” who is the leader of Real Ryte, and Real Ryte member Mark Waiters, also known as “Telly,” were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of 150 months and 149 months, respectively. All three defendants pleaded guilty in September and October 2023 to charges in a superseding indictment stemming from Real Ryte’s gang war with the Breadgang crew of the 5-9 Brims, a subset of the Bloods. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences. “The defendants have dedicated themselves to committing violent crimes on behalf of their gang without any regard for endangering the public,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will not tolerate our communities being turned into scenes out of video games with gang warfare, reckless shootings and car chases. Today’s sentence shows that individuals, like these defendants, who don’t get that message will be punished with significant time in prison.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department and to the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations New York for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation. According to court filings and facts presented during the defendants’ guilty plea proceedings, Real Ryte was a violent street gang that operated in, among other places, Brooklyn, New York. Members of Real Ryte have committed acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, and engaged in bank fraud, wire fraud and other crimes. Between at least 2015 and 2018, members of Real Ryte committed serious crimes to further the interests of the gang, including earning money for the gang’s members through illicit means, and committing acts of violence to enhance the gang’s position with respect to rival criminal organizations. During the charged period, Real Ryte was engaged in a violent conflict with members of a rival crew known as the “Breadgang,” whose members also operated in Brooklyn. The gang war led to a series of shootings between Real Ryte and Breadgang, including the murder of Sean Peart, a Real Ryte member, a crime for which Marvin Pippins, a Breadgang member, was convicted following a trial in this District. In response to Peart’s death, the defendants and other members of Real Ryte retaliated against Pippins and other Breadgang members. On January 3, 2017, the defendants learned that a Breadgang member could be found in lower Manhattan, and, at McBean’s direction, Smith, Waiters and a co-conspirator traveled to the location to shoot and kill him. However, during a chase with vehicles speeding through the streets of Manhattan in the wrong direction, the defendants mistakenly shot an innocent person they mistook for their intended target, seriously injuring the victim before fleeing. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Joy Lurinsky and Rebecca Schuman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Cleon Thomas and Abiodun Ojo. The Defendants : DAJAHN MCBEAN (also known as “Jeezy Mula”) Age: 28 Brooklyn, New York MARK WAITERS (also known as “Telly”) Age: 26 Brooklyn, New York SEMAJ SMITH (also known as “Bam Bam” and “Real Ryte Sport”) Age: 30 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-260 (S-1) (HG)


title: Settlement Reached with Fulton County Schools to Protect the Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - The United States Attorney’s Office entered into a settlement agreement with Fulton County Schools in Georgia to resolve an investigation of the district’s response to an escalating series of student-on-student sexual assaults on a school bus serving students with special needs. The United States conducted its investigation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974. “Children with disabilities can be especially vulnerable and deserve to thrive in a learning environment free of violence of any kind, including when traveling to and from school aboard buses,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We applaud the school district’s willingness to cooperate with our investigation and to amicably resolve this matter to ensure the protection and safety of these children.” “A school district’s responsibility is to protect its students, particularly students whose disabilities make them especially vulnerable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “As a result of the agreement reached today, Fulton County Schools will work to ensure that all students are safe on their school buses, and that bus drivers and monitors are trained to watch for and prevent sexual harassment and assault. Schools have a responsibility to address barriers to reporting sexual assault and to effectively investigate reports, taking into account the special needs or vulnerabilities of any affected students and their families. The Civil Rights Division will hold schools accountable to this critical obligation.” The United States’ investigation found that the district lacked adequate procedures and failed to train employees in the proper reporting of and response to student-on-student sexual harassment and assault; failed to appropriately accommodate the special needs of students with disabilities in preventing and responding to sexual assault; and failed to make the reporting and complaint process accessible for parents and guardians with limited English proficiency. This agreement will strengthen the district’s policies and procedures for responding to student-on-student sexual assault and ensure that the district’s response accounts for the unique needs of students with disabilities and Limited English Proficient parents. As a part of the settlement, the school district, among other actions, agrees to: •revise its policies for responding to complaints of sexual misconduct; •provide appropriate district personnel with training on student-on-student sexual misconduct, including the vulnerabilities unique to students with disabilities; •ensure it provides students with disabilities the accommodations they need to participate in the district’s educational programs, particularly accommodations that support the communication needs of students with disabilities; and •afford appropriate language assistance services to Limited English Proficient parents and guardians. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia worked in collaboration with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Aileen Bell Hughes, Deputy Chief, Public Integrity and Civil Rights Section was the lead attorney for the district in this matter. 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: Trading Card Thief Sentenced for Burglary and Ordered to Repay Nearly $300k in Restitution

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Nicholas Ryan Garrison, 25, of Tulsa, to 27 months imprisonment for Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Upon release, Judge Sippel further ordered Garrison to 3 years of supervised release and to pay $298,771.90 in restitution. According to court documents, in Feb. 2021, the Tulsa Police Department (TPD) took a report of a burglary from a gaming and trading card store. The victim provided TPD with footage of the break-in. The footage showed Garrison breaking into the store, breaking several display cases, and taking thousands of trading cards. Garrison cut himself during the break-in, and his DNA linked him to several similar robberies in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas. Garrison is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, Illinois State Police Department of Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Dallas Police Department – Texas, Crestwood Police Department – Missouri, Troy Police Department – Illinois, Great Bend Police Department – Kansas, McPherson Police Department – Kansas, and Bedford Police Department – Texas, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi prosecuted the case.


title: Final Defendant in Nationwide Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The final member of a large-scale nationwide methamphetamine trafficking ring has been convicted. Throughout the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns, and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled. Brian Keleman, 55, of Pascoag, R.I., pleaded guilty on June 21, 2024 to two counts of the second superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2024. “This final conviction represents the culmination of a very important investigation involving over 150 pounds of methamphetamine and high-powered weapons. The dismantling of this organization underscores that federal, state and local law enforcement is doing everything in our power to get dangerous drugs off our streets, protect our community and hold those accountable who continue pump these deadly substances onto our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “With Brian Keleman’s conviction, Operation Ice Cats has officially crushed a large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking organization that brought over 160 pounds of highly addictive meth to New England,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking operations like this and bring those involved to justice, as we work to make our communities safer." “As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of Massachusetts,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities. This should serve as a warning to those who attempt to distribute this poison in Massachusetts.” Keleman was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2021 with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The superseding indictment also charged 10 other defendants with controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses, and money laundering offenses. In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. In late 2020, investigators identified Reshat Alkayisi as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to customers throughout the New England area. Keleman worked for Alkayisi at his illegal marijuana grow operation and also delivered methamphetamine to some of Alkayisi’s regular methamphetamine customers who further distributed that methamphetamine throughout New England. Between April and May 2021, Keleman delivered over 21 pounds (nine kilograms) of pure methamphetamine to Alkayisi’s customers. On June 1, 2021, four packages were seized containing a total of approximately 100 pounds (over 45 kilograms) of 100% pure methamphetamine from Keleman that he picked up on behalf of Alkayisi from a UPS store in Rhode Island. Keleman is the 11th and final defendant in the case to plead guilty. The remaining 10 co-defendants are awaiting sentencing. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine to which Keleman pleaded guilty provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release and a maximum of a term of supervised release of life and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; and DEA Acting SAC Belleau made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This case 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 .


title: Local couple sentenced after benefitting from forced labor

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – Two Edinburg residents have been sentenced following their admissions of benefitting from a victim’s free labor which allowed the couple to have gainful employment, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Eduardo Javier Gomez, 32, and his former partner Margarita Alvarez, 42, pleaded guilty March 1, 2023. U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 70-month-term of imprisonment for Gomez, while Alvarez received two years of probation. Gomez must also serve three years of supervised release following his sentence. From June 24 until July 8, 2021, Gomez and Alvarez benefitted from a victim’s free labor which allowed the couple to have gainful employment. Gomez also earned money from a fireworks stand where the victim provided free labor. Law enforcement discovered the victim had been illegally smuggled to the Rio Grande Valley. Gomez was holding her against her will. Gomez was requesting further payment from family members in exchange for the victim being moved further north. When the family was unable to pay, the couple took the victim’s phone and forced her to work as a nanny and housekeeper in the home Gomez and Alvarez shared. Gomez also managed a fireworks stand where she forced the victim to work. They never paid her. Two days after learning of the victim, authorities were able to locate and rescue her. Gomez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexa D. Parcell, Sherri Zack and Kim Leo prosecuted the case.


title: Trafficker sent to prison for transporting 18 kilos of cocaine across border

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old woman from Mission has been sentenced for importing cocaine from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Brenda Bazaldua-Mariscal pleaded guilty May 22, 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Bazaldua-Mariscal to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the organizational structure of the drug trafficking organization. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane noted her a previous 60-month sentence. On Aug. 12, 2021, Bazaldua-Mariscal approached the Pharr Port of Entry driving a Lincoln MKX. Authorities noted inconsistencies in her travel itinerary and referred her to secondary inspection. There, a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics in the front of the vehicle. Authorities then discovered the front bumper was lined with a non-factory compartment containing 16 bundles of cocaine with a total weight of 18 kilograms and an estimated street value of $234,000. Further investigation revealed text messages indicating Bazaldua-Mariscal was aware she was importing narcotics. She will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.


title: New Orleans Man Indicted for  Federal Drug and Gun Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – BRANDON TURNER (“TURNER”) , age 39, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted on June 14, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Count One of the indictment charged him with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). Count Two charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count Three charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). If convicted, TURNER faces a minimum 5-year term of imprisonment, up to 40 years’ imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release for Count One; a minimum 5-year term of imprisonment up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release for Count Two; and up to 15 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count Three. TURNER also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all three counts. According to court documents, on January 30, 2024, TURNER was arrested for suspected narcotics trafficking. Law enforcement officers searched TURNER’s apartment and found a detectable amount of fentanyl and cocaine. Law enforcement officers also found ammunition and a Glock Model 43, 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: N.Y. Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Traveling to Lynchburg to Meet 14-Year-Old for Sex

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A New York man, who drove 8 hours in an effort to have sex with a 14-year-old Lynchburg, Virginia, girl with whom he had been chatting online, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison. Derrick Loi, 27, of Lakeville, New York, pled guilty earlier this year to one count of coercion and enticement. According to court documents, in early February 2023, Loi met a 14-year-old girl from Lynchburg on Twitter (now known as X), and, in the early morning hours of February 14, 2023, began chatting with her on Discord. Loi told the young girl that, not only was he was interested in buying sexually explicit images and videos of her, but he also wanted to meet her in person to have sex. Ultimately, Loi agreed to pay the victim $300 to have sex with him and to provide him with sexually explicit images. Loi and the victim agreed that Loi would become the victim’s “sugar daddy” and that he would get unlimited access to sexually explicit content of the victim for a weekly fee of $50, which would increase to $100 after the first month. On February 15, 2023, Loi sent the victim a payment in line with that agreement. On February 22, 2023, Loi and the victim began discussing plans for Loi to travel to meet the victim, including a discussion on specific sex acts and how he would film them. After reserving a hotel room in Lynchburg, Loi chatted periodically with the young girl throughout his 8-hour drive from New York and also took time to send her a picture of items that he had brought with him for their sexual encounter. Just as Loi arrived at the pre-arranged location, an officer from the Lynchburg Police Department drove up and began questioning Loi. Initially, Loi provided a false name and lied to law enforcement about why he was in Lynchburg. A subsequent search of Loi’s vehicle revealed sex toys, a box containing “morning-after” contraception pills, and a bottle of pink vodka, which Loi had previously told the victim he was bringing for her. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and the Lynchburg Police Department provided vital assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff prosecuted the case. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/


title: Bronx Resident Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Interstate Transport of Money Stolen from Skill Gaming Machines in Dozens of Pennsylvania and Virginia Establishments

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of the Bronx, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 57 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of interstate transportation of stolen money, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Rolando Jose Pena, 47. According to information presented to the Court, between April 2022 and March 2023, Pena and his co-defendants broke into and stole cash from skilled gaming machines located throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia, then transported the stolen money back to New York. In total, Pena and his conspirators stole more than $800,000 from over 40 establishments. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, and various law enforcement departments throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pena.


title: Five Charged in Capital Region Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Felix Arencibia, age 38, of Amsterdam, New York; Todd Austin, age 64, of Gloversville, New York; Ahmad Burke, age 66, of Albany; Kevisha DuBoise, age 27, of Schenectady, New York; and Christian Mur-Santana, age 28, of Las Vegas, Nevada have been indicted for participating in a drug distribution conspiracy. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement. As alleged in the indictment and other court papers, between November 2022 and July 2023, the defendants participated in a drug conspiracy led by Arencibia, who received packages of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mur-Santana through the mail and then distributed those drugs in the Capital Region. The specific charges, and the maximum and mandatory terms of imprisonment, are set forth below: Defendant Charges Max./Min. Felix Arencibia Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl Distribution of methamphetamine Minimum:10 years Maximum: Life Todd Austin Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine Distribution of methamphetamine Maximum: 20 years Ahmad Burke Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine Maximum: 20 years Kevisha DuBoise Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine Distribution of methamphetamine Maximum: 20 years Christian Mur-Santana Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl Distribution of methamphetamine Minimum:10 years Maximum: Life The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Each of the defendants previously made initial appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart. All were released with conditions pending further proceedings, except for Todd Austin, who was ordered detained following a detention hearing. Four other defendants charged as part of this conspiracy have pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and to the distribution of methamphetamine, and are currently scheduled to be sentenced as follows: Andrew Deleon, age 27, of Schenectady, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2024. Melissa Karwan, age 37, of Schenectady, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2024. Flor Arencibia, age 39, of Albany, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2024. Stefanie Plass, age 37, of Schenectady, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2024. The DEA and USPIS are investigating these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases. These cases are 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.


title: Dewitt Woman Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal Prison for Theft of Federal Funds

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Dewitt woman was sentenced on Monday, June 17, 2024, to 20 months in federal prison, for theft of funds from an organization receiving federal funds. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Mindy L. Chapman, 56, is the former director of a local daycare provider and held that position for approximately 20 years. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement uncovered evidence that, over the course of several years as the daycare’s director, Chapman made personal purchases with the daycare’s credit cards, transferred daycare funds to pay personal credit card bills, and increased her salary significantly. As part of her sentence, Chapman was ordered to pay $296,801.50 in restitution. After completing her term of imprisonment, Chapman will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the DeWitt Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Man who tried to break into Tumwater credit union and ATM using blowtorch sentenced to 5+ years in prison

body_text: Tacoma – A trained welder who tried to use an oxyacetylene torch to break into a Tumwater credit union and steal from an ATM was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 66 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Randall Taufete’e, 34, pleaded guilty to arson and attempted larceny of a federally insured credit union on March 15, 2024. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said “Arson is an extremely serious offense. It destroys property and risks harm to the lives of others, including firefighters. You’re fortunate you didn’t set the entire structure on fire.” According to records in the case, on October 24, 2022, Tumwater firefighters responded to a fire alarm at O Bee Credit Union. They observed flames coming from the top of the ATM machine which was in a wall of the building. The flames were extinguished but smoke had filled the building. Following the fire, investigators found char and pry marks on the ATM machine, on the night deposit box, the drive through window and an exterior door. Surveillance video showed two men using a pry bar, an electric saw and an oxyacetylene welder’s torch to try to open the ATM and gain access to the building. The larceny attempt and arson did $198,018 in damage to the building. A few days after the fire, Taufete’e was taken into state custody for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Agents then identified Taufete’e as one of the men in the surveillance video, but despite the video and other items linking Taufete’e to the arson, Taufete’e denied being involved. Taufete’e and codefendant Brandon Ronald Collado were indicted in January 2023. Collado pleaded guilty in June 2023 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Taufete’e pleaded guilty in March 2024. In asking for a 92-month sentence, prosecutors noted that Taufete’e has more than a dozen criminal convictions as an adult, running the gamut from theft to assault, to robbery, burglary, and firearms possession. Taufete’e will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term. He and Collado and will be required to pay $198,018 in restitution for the damage to the credit union. The case was investigated by the Tumwater Police Department with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).


title: ABA Therapy Provider to Make Changes to Comply with Americans with Disabilities Act

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the government has entered into a settlement agreement with CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS, LLC (“Creative Interventions”) to resolve allegations that the company discriminated against a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Type 1 Diabetes, and the child’s parents, by refusing to monitor the child’s Continuous Glucose Monitor (“CGM”) and by refusing to provide other routine diabetes care while the child attended the Creative Interventions Achievement Clinic in Windsor. Creative Interventions is a private company that provides Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) therapy and other therapeutic services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Creative Interventions provides its services in private homes, public schools, and at its facility in Windsor where it offers an Achievement Clinic, a drop-off program for young children. Creative Interventions also provides early intervention services as part of Connecticut’s Birth to Three Program. This matter was initiated by a complaint filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut by the Center for Children’s Advocacy (CCA) on behalf of the parents of a child with Type 1 Diabetes who was enrolled at the Creative Interventions Achievement Clinic from 9 am to 3:30pm, five days a week. According to CCA’s complaint, when the child was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, Creative Interventions staff refused to provide the child’s diabetes-related care and, instead, required a parent to come to the clinic to provide the care. Among other things, the child’s diabetes management plan requires a caregiver to monitor a CGM, which shows the child’s blood sugar levels, and requires a caregiver to be prepared to address high or low blood sugar readings by providing a fast-acting carbohydrate or glucagon or insulin, if necessary. Based on its investigation, the government found that Creative Interventions discriminated against the child and the child’s parents, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), by refusing to have its staff provide this routine diabetes care to the child. The government found that monitoring the child’s CGM and providing the other routine diabetes care specified by the child’s care plan (including the administration of insulin and glucagon) were reasonable modifications under the ADA that Creative Interventions staff should have provided, with proper training. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Creative Interventions has agreed not to discriminate against children with disabilities in the future. Creative Interventions will also implement new policies and procedures for handling requests for reasonable modifications that are consistent with the ADA and will provide training to its staff on the ADA. As part of the settlement, Creative Interventions has also agreed that, where a child’s parents and health care team consent, its non-medical staff will obtain training and provide routine diabetes care for children with Type 1 Diabetes, including monitoring a child’s CGM and administering glucagon and insulin, if necessary, as reasonable modifications under the ADA. Creative Interventions has also agreed to pay $15,000 to the complainant in this matter. “Children with diabetes and their families are entitled to equal access to child care and health care,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I thank Creative Interventions for cooperating The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: St. Louis County Woman Caught with Gun, Drugs Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a woman who was caught with a gun and drugs to seven years in prison and ordered her to pay a $15,000 fine. Judge Schelp also ordered Charity Ward’s sentence to run consecutive to any sentence she receives for pending cases in St. Charles County Circuit Court and St. Louis County Circuit Court. Ward, 35, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. She admitted that on Jan. 2, 2023, St. Louis County Police officers found her at a motel in Ferguson. They also found fentanyl, cocaine base, methamphetamine, $3,000 and a Glock 29 10mm semi-automatic pistol in the motel room. Ward is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm. Ward told officers that she sold the cocaine base to acquaintances and distributed the fentanyl to others during parties. The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former U.S. Coast Guard Member Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI - On June 18, a former U.S. Coast Guard Member was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography. The social media application Snapchat alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one image of suspected child pornography was uploaded on March 8, 2021, using an account linked to Blayne Schouest, who at the time was a U.S. Coast Guard Member stationed in Key West, Fla. After executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered seven videos containing child pornography on Schouest’s cell phone. An indictment charged Schouest with one count of possessing child pornography. Schouest pled guilty to the indictment on March 8. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge, Matthew Margelot, U.S. Coast Guard Investitive Service (CGIS) Southeast Field Office, announced the conviction. CGIS Key West investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Ayer prosecuted it. To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by NCMEC in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other law enforcement agencies. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls . 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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-10016. ###


title: Last of Five Defendants with Ties to White Supremacy and Who Were Charged with Targeting Energy Facility Enters Guilty Plea

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

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Today, Jordan Duncan, 29, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the manufacturing of a firearm as charged in a superseding criminal information filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. This crime carries a maximum punishment of 10 years’ imprisonment. Duncan is a former Marine assigned previously to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. According to court documents, Duncan, with co-defendants, Paul James Kryscuk, 38, Liam Collins, 25, Justin Wade Hermanson, 25, and Joseph Maurino, 25, researched, discussed, and reviewed at length a previous attack on the power grid by an unknown group. The group depicted in the attack used assault-style rifles in an attempt to explode a power substation. Between 2017 and 2020, Kryscuk manufactured firearms while Collins stole military gear, including magazines for assault-style rifles, and had them delivered to the other defendants. During that time, Duncan gathered a library of information, some military-owned, regarding firearms, explosives, and nerve toxins and shared that information with Kryscuk and Collins. In October 2020, a handwritten list of approximately one dozen intersections and places in Idaho and surrounding states was discovered in Kryscuk’s possession, including intersections and/or places containing a transformer, substation, or other component of the power grid for the northwest United States. Previously filed charges alleged that Collins and Kryscuk were members of and made multiple posts on the “Iron March” forum, a gathering point for young neo-Nazis to organize and recruit for extremist organizations, until the forum was closed in late 2017. Collins and Kryscuk met through the forum and expanded their group using an encrypted messaging application as an alternate means of communication outside of the forum. Collins and Kryscuk recruited additional members, including Duncan, Hermanson, and Maurino, and conducted training, including a live-fire training in the desert near Boise, Idaho. From video footage recorded by the members during the training, Kryscuk, Duncan, and others produced a montage video of their training. In the video, the participants are seen firing short barrel rifles and other assault-type rifles, and the end of the propaganda video shows the four participants outfitted in AtomWaffen masks giving the “Heil Hitler” sign, beneath the image of a black sun, a Nazi symbol. The last frame bears the phrase, “Come home white man.” Prior to their arrests, Collins and Duncan had relocated to Idaho from North Carolina and Texas, respectively, to be near Kryscuk. Kryscuk, Collins, Maurino and Hermanson earlier entered pleas of guilty to various crimes: on February 15, 2022, Kryscuk entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to destroy an energy facility, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment; on October 24, 2023, Collins pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of unregistered firearms, which carries a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment; and on March 8, 2023 and April 11, 2023, respectively, Hermanson and Maurino pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship interstate, which carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. All five defendants now await sentencing before Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI Salt Lake City and Charlotte Field Offices with assistance from Fields Offices in Boston, New York, and Newark, the Boise Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Kocher of the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney John Cella of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Idaho, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and the District of Rhode Island. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:20-CR-167-M.


title: Ricco Saine Sentenced To 262 Months For Firearms Offense

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On June 24, 2024, Ricco Lashawn Saine, 44, currently of Kingsport, Tennessee, formerly of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to 262 months by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Following his incarceration, he will be on supervision for five years. Ricco Saine was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) by a federal jury on November 8, 2023. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Greer determined that Ricco Saine was an Armed Career Criminal. His spouse and co-defendant, Tonya Rae Saine, was previously sentenced to 21 months incarceration and a term of three years supervised release. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on August 27, 2021, an officer with the Kingsport Police Department observed Ricco Saine standing near his vehicle at the office of the Westside Inn in Kingsport, Tennessee. After a police canine alerted on the vehicle, officers conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered a loaded firearm inside a bag on the passenger seat. The bag also contained Ricco Saine’s Tennessee identification card. Agents subsequently learned of firearms purchased by Tonya Saine from a federal firearm licensee (“FFL”) in Sevierville. Store surveillance video was obtained which showed Ricco Saine and Tonya Saine shopping for firearms at the gun counter in October 2021. After consultation with Ricco Saine, Tonya Saine ultimately selected a pistol and a laser-dot sight for the pistol, an AR15-style rifle, and ammunition. Tonya Saine, who was not prohibited from purchasing a firearm, completed the required paperwork using her information and paid for the items. Ricco Saine was observed carrying the AR15 box away from the store. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) eventually recovered a pistol with a laser sight from Tonya Saine. Law enforcement also recovered a text message from a cell phone that Tonya Saine sent Ricco Saine after the purchase of the firearms that said, “I’ve got your gun and stuff in the house.” A cooperating witness testified that they saw Ricco Saine with the pistol and were able to recognize the firearm because of the attached laser aiming device and distinctive markings on the firearm. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee, and ATF Special Agent in Charge Marcus S. Watson made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Kingsport Police Department and ATF. Kingsport Police Department officer Mike Slater, formerly a Task Force Officer assigned to the ATF led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney B. Todd Martin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Blackwell represented the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Malden Man Who Robbed Market With Airsoft Gun Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

body_text: BOSTON – A Malden man was sentenced on Friday, June 21, 2024 in federal court in Boston for robbing a local market using an airsoft gun in December 2021. John Schurko, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to three years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. In February 2024, Schurko pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery. On Dec. 12, 2021 at approximately 8 p.m., Schurko entered the Harvard Market in Malden, displayed what appeared to be a black handgun, went behind the counter and demanded money from the clerk. On Dec. 16, 2021, Schurko’s getaway vehicle was located in a hotel parking lot in Medford where he was subsequently arrested. A search of the vehicle recovered, among other things, a black Airsoft gun that resembled a real firearm. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin; Medford Police Chief Jack Buckley; Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo Jr. made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Former Alabama Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Offense of Excessive Force

body_text: Former Elmore County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Deputy Blake Hicks, 33, was sentenced today to 29 months in prison and three years of supervised release for depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law. According to documents and statements made in court, Hicks willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee, identified as T.Q. Specifically, without legal justification, Hicks punched and kicked T.Q. in or around the head while T.Q. was handcuffed and incapacitated on the ground. T.Q. suffered a broken cheekbone, concussion and lacerations from Hicks’ assault. “This defendant had a duty to respect the rights of people in his custody and to keep them safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Instead, he violently assaulted a person under arrest who was not resisting or threatening harm to the defendant or the public. The Justice Department remains firmly committed to holding accountable law enforcement officials who abuse their powers and use excessive force against people in custody.” “We expect law enforcement officers to maintain order and ensure public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama. “These are tremendous responsibilities. Fortunately, the vast majority of officers serve honorably. Hicks fell short of his obligation to protect and serve. The sentence imposed today ensures that he is held responsible for his actions. Failure to hold Hicks accountable would discredit the noble service of other officers and weaken the public’s trust in law enforcement.” The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.


title: “King” of Violent Haitian Gang Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Gun Smuggling and Money Laundering

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Joly Germine, 31, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was sentenced today to 420 months in prison for his role in a gunrunning conspiracy that smuggled firearms to Haiti in violation of U.S. export laws, and the laundering of ransoms paid for U.S. hostages held by the notoriously violent Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo. Eliande Tunis, 46, of Pompano Beach, Florida, who styled herself as Germine’s “wife” and was described at trial as the “Queen” of 400 Mawozo, was sentenced on June 5, to 150 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy. Two other defendants in the conspiracy were also sentenced to jail time for their involvement. The conspiracy resulted in the purchase in the United States of at least 24 firearms, including weapons designed for the military and close-quarters combat such as AK-47s, AR-15s, an M4 Carbine rifle, an M1A rifle, and a .50 caliber rifle, which were smuggled from the United States to the gang in Haiti to further their criminal activities. Those firearms were bought using funds laundered from the proceeds of the hostage taking for ransom of U.S. citizens in Haiti in 2021. “A leader of the Haitian gang known as 400 Mawozo will now spend 35 years in prison for a scheme to smuggle guns from the United States to Haiti using the proceeds extorted from kidnapping American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The leaders of violent gangs in Haiti that terrorize Americans citizens in order to fuel their criminal activity will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.” “Joly Germine is being held accountable for his role in smuggling weapons into Haiti using funds laundered from the ransoms of kidnapped American citizens,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The 400 Mawazo gang not only wreaks havoc in its own communities but targets innocent Americans living and traveling in Haiti. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to target the leadership and take down any violent criminal group who preys upon Americans abroad and uses unlawful and dangerous tactics like weapons-trafficking and kidnapping to further their criminal enterprise.” “Firearms smuggling is not a victimless crime,” said Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “Just like these weapons, many guns smuggled to Haiti end up in the hands of violent gangs. Those gangs use them to harm both Haitians and American citizens. As this sentence demonstrates, ATF is committed to working with our law enforcement partners both at home and internationally to hold gun smugglers responsible.” “Mr. Germine, a leader of a notorious Haitian gang, admitted to an illegal gun-running scheme to arm fellow gang members with U.S. firearms in support of the group’s violent crime spree across Haiti, including the alleged 2021 kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively pursue every tool at its disposal to hold accountable those who would smuggle U.S.-origin weapons and other controlled goods for the benefit of malicious actors and their criminal enterprises.” “Violent gangs have ravaged Haiti, and all too often, Americans in Haiti have been targets of their violence,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “These two defendants not only helped lead a prominent violent gang in Haiti, but they were also intimately involved in arming the gang and laundering ransom proceeds the gang obtained from kidnapping Americans. Preventing them from illegally shipping anymore firearms or laundering the proceeds of kidnappings strikes a critical blow against the gang they once led.” “As Joly Germine and Eliande Tunis have just learned, the FBI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling gangs who undertake hostage-taking of U.S. Citizens anywhere,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “This includes taking away their ability to wreak violence on the innocent using smuggled firearms.” “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message: the Diplomatic Security Service is committed to making sure that those who commit transnational crimes face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Assistant Director Paul Houston of the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for Threat Investigations and Analysis. “DSS’ strong relationship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world continues to be essential in the pursuit of justice.” According to court documents, Germine, pleaded guilty on Jan. 31, to the 48-count second superseding indictment, which charged him with conspiring to violate U.S. export control laws and to defraud the United States, violating export control laws, smuggling, and laundering the proceeds of ransoms paid to free U.S. hostages taken by the gang and laundering money to promote his crimes. Germine’s plea came at the end of the government’s case at trial, which included the testimony of 24 witnesses and two weeks of evidence. Germine’s co-defendant Tunis, who had a supervisory role in the conspiracy, pleaded guilty on the eve of trial on Jan. 17, to the same 48-count indictment, and was sentenced on June 5 to 150 months in prison. Other co-defendants, Jocelyn Dor, 31, and Walder St. Louis, 35, who acted as a straw gun purchasers for Germine and Tunis, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 60 months and 36 months, respectively, for their roles in the gun-smuggling and money laundering scheme. According to evidence presented at trial, from at least March through November 2021, Germine, Tunis, and two co-defendants conspired with each other and with other gang members in Haiti to acquire and supply firearms to the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. Germine directed the gang’s operations from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones, including directing gang members in Haiti to transfer money to Tunis and others in the United States for the purpose of obtaining firearms for the gang. Germine then provided Tunis and the two other U.S.-based co-defendants, all Florida residents, specifications for firearms and ammunition that Germine and other gang leaders wanted sent to Haiti. Tunis and the two co-defendants then purchased at least 24 rifles, handguns, and a shotgun at Florida gun shops while falsely stating that they were the “actual buyers” of the firearms, when they were in fact acting as straw purchasers for Germine. In approximately May 2021, Tunis smuggled firearms and ammunition to Haiti in containers disguised as food and household goods. In October 2021, Tunis attempted to ship additional firearms and ammunition to Haiti, again by smuggling the firearms, but those firearms were seized by the FBI before they left the United States. 400 Mawozo is a violent Haitian gang that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets area to the east of the capital, Port-au-Prince. From at least Jan. 12, 2020, 400 Mawozo was engaged in armed hostage takings of U.S. citizens in Haiti for ransom. The victims have generally been forced from their vehicles at gunpoint and kept in various locations by armed gang members while their relatives and colleagues negotiate payment for their release. At trial, the government presented evidence that the gang received ransom payments from the hostage taking of three U.S. citizens in the summer of 2021, who testified at trial, and the cash ransom proceeds were commingled with the gang’s funds and transferred via MoneyGram and Western Union from the United States to Haiti to buy more firearms. In the fall of 2021, the 400 Mawozo gang claimed responsibility for taking 16 U.S. citizens hostage, including five children, and one Canadian citizen who were part of a missionary organization visiting an orphanage in Port-au-Prince. The gang demanded a ransom of $1 million for each hostage. The hostages were all released or had escaped by on or about Dec. 16, 2021. While Germine has been charged in a separate indictment in relation to that hostage-taking incident, today’s sentencing does not address those charges, which are lodged in case number 22-cr-161 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the government of Haiti, particularly the Haitian National Police, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida’s Special Prosecutions Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen P. Seifert and Kimberly Paschall for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.


title: Former SEPTA Video Surveillance Manager Sentenced to 37 Months for Extensive Bribery and Extortion Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that James Stevens, 71, of Somerdale, NJ, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 37 months in prison for a bribery and extortion scheme that traded on his role as the Director of the Video Surveillance Unit at the Southeastern Regional Transportation Authority (SEPTA). In November of 2022, Stevens and Robert Welsh, 60, of Tempe, Arizona, were charged by indictment with conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and fraud charges related to the scheme, in which Stevens demanded from Welsh, owner and operator of Spector Logistics, Inc., a stream of financial and other benefits. In exchange, Stevens helped grow Welsh’s business with SEPTA, for which the firm installed, maintained, and supplied video surveillance equipment. The benefits Welsh provided to Stevens included tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments, as well as donations to an alleged charity that Stevens pocketed, lodging and meals during the 2015 Papal Visit, frequent meals and drinks, tickets to Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel concerts, and funds for SEPTA annual holiday parties. As Stevens demanded, Welsh also offered Stevens future employment with Spector when Stevens retired from SEPTA. During the time of this corrupt relationship, Spector maintained and obtained millions of dollars in contracts with SEPTA. Stevens played a significant role in facilitating and approving contracts for Spector and Blue Zebra, a second company Welsh owned and established with Stevens’ assistance. Stevens helped Spector win bids by giving Welsh inside information about SEPTA’s financial analyses and otherwise collaborating with Welsh in the contracting process. In doing so, Stevens provided an unfair advantage to Welsh and a disadvantage to other potential vendors. Stevens and Welsh pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme in January 2024 and August 2023, respectively. Welsh is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18, 2024. "Stevens’ sentence serves as a warning to those who abuse the public’s trust in its government officials," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "The hundreds of thousands of daily commuters who count on SEPTA, as well as honest vendors who compete fairly for its contracts, deserve public employees who carry out their duties with integrity, without manipulating the system for personal gain. The U.S. Attorney's Office in partnership with the FBI will continue to fight fraud and corruption." “Mr. Stevens used his position in maintaining safety on our region’s transit system to secure a myriad of benefits, which he received in exchange for providing his co-conspirator with millions of dollars’ worth of SEPTA contracts,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “We at the FBI, with our partners at the US Attorney’s Office, will continue to root out pay-to-play schemes that harm the public’s trust in our systems.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and John J. Boscia.


title: New York Man Admits to Passing Counterfeit Cash in Marshall County

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Travis Bayne, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, has admitted to using counterfeit money at several businesses in Marshall County. According to court documents, Bayne passed several $20 counterfeit bills for purchases in October 2023. Bayne faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The United States Secret Service investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.


title: Texas medical center institutions agree to pay $15M record settlement involving concurrent billing claims for critical surgeries

body_text: HOUSTON – Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC), Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Surgical Associates of Texas P.A. (SAT) have jointly agreed to pay $15 million to resolve claims they billed for concurrent heart surgeries in violation of Medicare teaching physician and informed consent regulations, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. BSLMC is a joint venture between CommonSpirit Health, a national hospital chain, and BCM, a medical school in Houston. BSLMC operates a teaching hospital, formerly known as St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, in its Medical Center. BCM employs teaching physicians and residents who perform services at BSLMC, including Dr. Joseph Coselli, 71, Houston, and Dr. Joseph Lamelas, 63, Miami, Florida. SAT is a medical practice group affiliated with various cardiothoracic surgeons, including Dr. David Ott, 77, Houston. The investigation began Aug. 7, 2019, upon the filing of a sealed qui tam lawsuit aka whistleblower complaint. The whistleblower alleged Coselli, Lamelas and Ott - three heart surgeons who performed at St. Luke’s - engaged in a regular practice of running two operating rooms at once and delegating key aspects of extremely complicated and risky heart surgeries to unqualified medical residents. The heart surgeries at issue are some of the most complicated operations performed at any hospital including coronary artery bypass grafts, valve repairs and aortic repair procedures. These surgeries typically involve opening a patients’ chest and placing the patient on the bypass machine for some portion of time. Medicare regulations dictate when teaching physicians can leave the operating room for any operation, no matter how complex. The settlement resolves allegations that from June 3, 2013, to Dec. 21, 2020, Ott, Coselli and Lamelas violated these rules in various respects. Surgeons often ran two operating rooms at once and failed to attend the surgical “timeout”— a critical moment where the entire team would pause and identify key risks to prevent surgical errors, according to the allegations. Additionally, surgeons would allegedly enter a second or occasionally a third operation without designating a backup surgeon. At times, the surgeons allegedly hid these activities by falsely attesting on medical records they were physically present for the “entire” operation. In addition, medical staff did not inform patients the surgeon would be leaving the room to perform another operation. “Patients entrusted these surgeons with their lives - submitting to operations where one missed cut is the difference between life and death,” said Hamdani. “Allegedly, the patients were unaware their doctor was leaving for another operating room. This settlement reaffirms the importance of Medicare requirements governing surgeon presence and ensuring that no physician - no matter how prominent or successful - can skirt around the rules.” “The complete disregard for patient safety exhibited by these three doctors put patients at risk and violated Medicare regulations for their own convenience and greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This record settlement demonstrates our steadfast commitment to protecting Medicare beneficiaries and working with our law enforcement partners to utilize all the tools in our arsenal to hold accountable those who steal from Medicare and other federal health care programs.” “Any time any one of us goes under the knife as a vulnerable patient, we implicitly trust that the surgeons and medical professionals have our best interest at heart, especially here in Houston’s world-renowned hospitals,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI - Houston field office. “In this case, doctors gambled with their patients’ care, during complicated open-heart surgeries no less, compromising quality of care over quantity and then falsely billed Medicare for reimbursement of services they improperly delegated. We hope today’s civil settlement announcement represents accountability for doctors and hospitals everywhere.” The $15 million recovery is the largest settlement to date involving concurrent surgeries. The False Claims Act entitles the private whistleblower who commences the suit to a portion of the recovery. In this case, the whistleblower will receive $3,075,000. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, DHHS-OIG and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Andrew Bobb are handling the case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Former airline mechanic sentenced to prison for sexual assault of woman seated next to him on plane

body_text: Seattle – A former commercial airline mechanic was sentenced today to six months in prison and five years of supervised release for abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Duane Brick, 53, pleaded guilty March 5, 2024. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James H. Chun said, “This was a serious and frightening crime…. He was clearly a predator. He checked to see if she was responsive and when she was not, he continued the abuse.” According to records filed in the case Brick was on a March 20, 2023, flight from Phoenix to Seattle. He was seated in a middle seat, with the 24-year-old victim in the window seat. The victim was anxious about flying and had taken an anti-anxiety medication. After politely tolerating Brick’s attempt at small talk, the victim put on her headphones and closed her eyes to try to relax. She fell asleep and awoke to find Brick had grabbed her hand and placed and pressed it on his crotch. The victim was frozen in shock. Brick then tapped the victim on the face, head, arm, and breast to see if she was fully asleep. He reached under her shirt and bra and groped her breast. Brick pulled out the victim’s shirt and reached toward her waistband in an attempt to put his hands down her trousers. She pushed his hand away and said “no.” She turned her body away. Despite that, Brick tried two more times to reach into her pants. In court today Assistant United States Attorney Grace Zoller said the assault was “intentional, methodical, and prolonged… it took place over many minutes. He knew she was not consenting and when he was caught, he blamed her.” A witness in the aisle seat reported what he saw happening to the flight crew. The victim told the flight crew she wanted law enforcement called to meet the plane. However, the flight attendants failed to do that. Brick was an employee of their airline. Brick claimed to them that the touching was accidental. Brick, as an airline employee, was allowed to leave the plane quickly when it landed at Seattle. The victim did report the assault. Brick was indicted April 12, 2023. His employment with the airline was terminated. The FBI investigated this case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Grace Zoller and Amanda McDowell. The case is U.S. v. Duane Brick (23-cr-00052)


title: Rochester man sentenced for his role in stolen check scheme involving hundreds of victims

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Shydequan C. Wynn, 31, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of financial institution fraud, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated between October 2019, and March 2022, Wynn executed a scheme, with others, to defraud financial institutions. Wynn stole checks included in mail from unattended mailboxes. He then forged or altered the stolen checks, often changing the amounts and making them payable to himself or another co-conspirator. He or a co-conspirator then cashed the fraudulent checks for financial gain. The scheme involved approximately 112 victims and stolen and altered checks totaling approximately $179,447. Of this amount, approximately $74,911.50 involved checks that were successfully altered and negotiated. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood.


title: Jamestown woman going to prison for selling meth

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tracey Wynn, 42, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between September 2018 and January 2019, Wynn was a drug trafficking associate of Douglas Beardsley and sold methamphetamine supplied by Beardsley. On four separate occasions, Wynn sold methamphetamine to an individual working with the DEA. On August 7, 2017, investigators executed a search warrant at Wynn’s residence and recovered a quantity of methamphetamine, approximately $347 in cash, drug paraphernalia, as well as items indicating children lived at the residence. On October 23, 2019, Wynn committed a moving traffic violation and was stopped by a Jamestown Police officer. A search of the vehicle recovered two digital scales, one of which had crystal methamphetamine on it. Wynn was arrested for driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia. At the jail, a bag of marijuana was found in Wynn’s sweatshirt pocket, and plastic bags of methamphetamine were found on her person. Douglas Beardsley was previously convicted and sentenced. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division.


title: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty for Possession of Sex Abuse Videos of Infant and Prepubescent Children

body_text: WASHINGTON – Joseph Ruben Baer, 20, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to a federal child pornography charge stemming from his distribution of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement agent in April 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Baer pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of possession of child pornography. The Honorable Loren L. AliKhan scheduled sentencing for September 23, 2024. According to plea documents, in early 2024, a member of the FBI–MPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online dating application in an undercover capacity. Law enforcement had learned that the application is sometimes used by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. The undercover agent encountered Baer, who sent a message believing he was communicating with a pedophile. Baer expressed an interest in child pornography and later sent the undercover agent two video files via an encrypted messaging application. Those video files depicted Baer masturbating while watching child pornography on a laptop computer. Baer was arrested in the District of Columbia on May 10, 2024. Law enforcement subsequently recovered seven child pornography videos from Baer’s iPhone, which included the two video files he had earlier distributed to the undercover agent. The videos depict the sexual abuse of infant and prepubescent children. Baer has remained in custody since his May 10, 2024, arrest. Baer faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Baer must pay mandatory restitution of at least $3,000 to any identified victim. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guideline and other statutory factors. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney. 24cr202


title: Sex offender convicted on new child pornography charge

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jordan E. Brodie, 37, of LeRoy, NY, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography following a previous conviction for possession of child pornography, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in May 2023, Brodie, a convicted sex offender under the active supervision of the Genesee County Probation Department, became involved in a chat application in which he and others traded child pornography. Brodie uploaded at least one of the images to a different platform, which then reported the image to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. An investigation by the New York State Police determined that the upload took place from Brodie’s home in LeRoy. A search warrant was executed at Brodie’s residence during which investigators seized his phone, and the contents of the social media account that uploaded the image. Images of child pornography depicting children less than 12 years old were recovered from both the phone and the social media account. Some of images included violence against children. Brodie was previously convicted of a child pornography charge in May 2021 in Genesee County, for which he was being actively supervised at the time of the current offense. The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei II, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa. # # # #


title: Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Peter Vega, 38, of Rio Rico, was sentenced on June 11, 2024, by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 180 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Vega pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Launder a Monetary Instrument on March 19, 2024. Vega was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout the United States. Vega coordinated the shipment of methamphetamine on at least six occasions from Arizona to the eastern United States using the United States mail. He also coordinated the transportation of approximately 14 kilograms of fentanyl. In addition to shipping and transporting drugs, Vega coordinated the laundering of drug proceeds returning to Arizona by funneling money through multiple bank accounts held by third parties. Search warrants served on Vega's house and cell phone revealed evidence of the crimes including drug packaging materials, photos, videos and chats. After being indicted, Vega fled to Mexico. U.S. and Mexican law enforcement located and apprehended Vega in Mexico in January 2023. The Government of Mexico then deported him back to the United States to face charges. 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. This case also involves the OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The Drug Enforcement Administration-Tucson Office OCDETF Strikeforce, including agents from United States Border Patrol, the United States Marshals Service and the Marana Police Department led the investigation. The IRS Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service also assisted as partner agencies on the investigation. The Government of Mexico assisted with locating and deporting the defendant. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 18-00107-RCC CR 18-02467-RCC RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-080_Vega # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Springfield Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in Greene County, Mo., and illegally possessing firearms. Justin Thomas Hollingsworth, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 18 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 23, 2023, Hollingsworth pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Hollingsworth admitted he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County from June 1 to Aug. 25, 2022. Hollingsworth also admitted that on Aug. 25, 2022, he was in possession of a Ruger 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber pistol. According to court documents, Hollingsworth made more than $30,000 in one month of selling methamphetamine. Hollingsworth is being held accountable for a total of nearly five kilograms of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hollingsworth’s residence and arrested him on June 29, 2022. Officers found nine baggies that contained a total of 342.4 grams of methamphetamine inside a black zipper case on Hollingsworth’s bed. On the floor of the bedroom they found another zipper case that contained a total of 23 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Officers also found a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol, two loaded magazines, seven baggies of assorted prescription pills and $17,766 in cash, which the court today ordered to be forfeited to the government. Officers found more baggies of methamphetamine throughout the rest of the house. On Aug. 25, 2022, law enforcement officers arrested Hollingsworth again, outside a local hotel, and searched his vehicle. Officers found approximately three pounds of methamphetamine, a Ruger 9mm pistol, a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 39 rounds of ammunition for the Ruger pistol, a box of ammunition and a baggie of marijuana. Inside Hollingsworth’s hotel room, officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun with an extended magazine, methamphetamine and marijuana. Officers also found $14,156 in cash, which the court today ordered to be forfeited to the government. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.