title: New Oxford Veterinarian Sentenced For Defrauding The U.S. Department Of Agriculture

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dr. Donald Yorlets, age 68, of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 24 months of probation, including 12 months of home detention, and a $50,000 fine by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture between 2016 and 2019 by submitting false blood samples for bovine disease testing and by issuing false Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for the animals. According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, federal law requires that each cow transported in interstate or international commerce be first tested for various bovine diseases, such as Bovine Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Bovine Leucosis and Bovine Viral Diarrhea. Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis are communicable diseases that can be transmitted to humans under certain circumstances. Bovine Tuberculosis is screened for by what is known as a Caudal Fold skin test. The test must be administered by a USDA accredited veterinarian and involves the injection of a tuberculin substance under the skin and checking it for a reaction 72 hours later. Testing for Brucellosis, Bovine Leucosis and Bovine Viral Diarrhea requires the drawing of blood and the submission of samples to an accredited laboratory for analysis. Animals transported in international commerce can only be exported with an International Certificate of Veterinarian Inspection (ICVI). To lawfully issue an ICVI, a USDA accredited veterinarian must verify that each animal has been physically examined, tested for disease, vaccinated and medically treated as required by the USDA prior to shipment. Yorlets conspired with Daniel and Benjamin Gutman, owners of a livestock exporting business known as Gutman Brothers Dairy Cattle, to avoid the disease testing requirements by falsely representing he tested every cow for Bovine Tuberculosis when, in fact, he did not. Yorlets also submitted hundreds of non-authentic, bovine blood samples to a PA Department of Agriculture testing laboratory in Harrisburg for testing and by issuing false Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for the untested animals. The false blood test results and Certificates enabled the sellers to quickly export hundreds of untested cows to Mexico, Canada, Qatar, and Puerto Rico. The investigation began in 2017 when the Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory (PVL) in Harrisburg became suspicious that dozens of blood specimens submitted by Dr. Yorlets were not authentic. To confirm their suspicions the PVL sent 804 blood samples submitted by Dr. Yorlets to the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Iowa for Antibody Profile testing. Each animal has a unique Antibody Profile in its blood. If all of the Yorlets’ blood specimens were genuine, Antibody Profile testing should have shown that all 804 blood samples had a unique Antibody Profile. However, the NVSL’s testing only found 70 unique Antibody Profiles in the 804 samples. The results confirmed that Dr. Yorlets’ repeatedly submitted the same blood samples for different animals and issued false Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for hundreds of cows that were never tested. This allowed the sellers to export the animals quickly and reduce expenses incurred in keeping the animals on domestic feeder lots. Yorlets was a Pennsylvania licensed veterinarian since 1981. His veterinary license was suspended for six months following his guilty plea on August 31, 2020, and he was removed from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Accreditation Program. Daniel Gutman and Benjamin Gutman, both residents of Maryland, were each sentenced to 30 months in prison for a conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States. Collectively, they were ordered to pay $1,938,646.42 in fines and forfeiture. The case was investigated by the USDA’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Previously Deported Mexican National Sentenced To 27 Months’ Imprisonment For Covid-19 Related Fraud And Identity Theft Offenses

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on June 2, 2023, Pedro Hernandez-Romero, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment and a one-year term of supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for the crimes of aggravated identity theft, social security account number fraud and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on July 9, 2020, Hernandez-Romero, a previously deported alien, using the name, date of birth, and social security number of a U.S. citizen, applied for and ultimately received $25,176 in Pennsylvania Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits to which he was not entitled. Further investigation revealed that, using the same stolen identity, Hernandez-Romero applied for and received $1,950 in traditional unemployment benefits. At his sentencing, Hernandez-Romero was also ordered to pay $27,134.00 in restitution to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) and by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. # # #


title: Newberry Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking Conspiracy, Firearm Possession, and Witness Tampering

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Eric Rashun Jones, a/k/a “E Dolla,” a/k/a “E,” 31, of Newberry, has pleaded guilty to Human Trafficking Conspiracy, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, and Witness Tampering. As to the Human Trafficking Conspiracy conviction, evidence presented in court showed that from August 2018 through November 2022, Jones worked together with at least one other person to prostitute women in the commercial sex trade by force, fraud, and coercion. He did so by physical violence: Jones broke one victim’s orbital socket and burst her ear drum; he hit another victim regularly with a closed fist. Videos recovered by FBI showed Jones directing the physical assault of women who worked for him. He also forced women to engage in sexual acts with him and others. Jones also exploited the drug addictions of victims, including by withholding the fentanyl one victim was dependent on as punishment and by paying others for commercial sex with the drugs they were dependent on. He also threatened to kill one victim and her family. Further, Jones exercised high levels of control: he managed online advertisements for the commercial sex, he controlled when and where women would work, and he determined whether and how proceeds would be divided. As to the Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition conviction, evidence presented in court showed that Lexington County 911 received a call on June 25, 2019, from a victim who told law enforcement that Jones had forced her into prostitution, that he had confiscated proceeds, and that he had stolen her phone, money, and pistol. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department responded and found Jones in a hotel room with two women, one of whom was partially undressed. Inside the hotel room was a Springfield 9mm handgun loaded with 6 rounds. Jones admitted to hiding the firearm under the mattress. At the time, federal law prohibited Jones from firearm possession as a result of prior felony convictions, including for Strong Arm Robbery, Common Law Robbery, and Assault & Battery 1st Degree. As to the Witness Tampering conviction, evidence presented in court showed that between August and November 2022, while in federal custody, Jones called a woman involved with him in commercial sex and told her on a recorded jail call to “say nothing at all” to federal law enforcement, to “never say nothing,” to “tell those mother f***ers you know nothing,” and to “f*** the police, the police aint your family.” Separately, over a five-day span, Jones called that victim 40 times. Jones also told her he has “a third eye on the street,” and in a prior hearing it was alleged that Jones was a member of a street gang. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Jones agreed to pay victims restitution and to register as a sex offender. He also agreed to forfeit jewelry, U.S. currency, a firearm, and electronics used or purchased with proceeds of criminal conduct. Jones faces a maximum penalty of Life in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and Lifetime supervision to follow a term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Jones after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Greenville Police Department, Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Five Defendants Arrested For Daytime Armed Robberies Of Manhattan Jewelry Stores

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of two Complaints charging five defendants with the armed robberies of two Manhattan jewelry stores on the mornings of January 3, 2023, and May 20, 2023, in which approximately $2 million of jewelry was stolen at gunpoint. The five defendants were arrested this morning in New York and New Jersey. FRANK DIPIETRO, VINCENT CERCHIO, VINCENT SPAGNUOLO, and MICHAEL SELLICK were charged by Complaint in connection with the January 3, 2023, robbery of a jewelry store on Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. SAMUEL SORCE was charged by Complaint in connection with the May 20, 2023, robbery of a jewelry store on Elizabeth Street in lower Manhattan. DIPIETRO, CERCHIO, SPAGNUOLO, SELLICK, and SORCE will be presented in Manhattan federal court later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “These five defendants allegedly carried out brazen and dangerous daylight robberies of jewelry stores in Manhattan, stealing about $2 million in jewelry at gunpoint. Dressed as construction workers, the defendants allegedly sought to blend into the busy streets around them before pointing guns at the jewelry stores’ employees and carrying out about $2 million in stolen diamonds and other valuable pieces. Thanks to the career prosecutors from my Office and our partners at the NYPD and the FBI, the defendants’ alleged armed robbery spree has been shut down.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “The defendants allegedly brazenly robbed Manhattan jewelry stores of approximately $2 million worth of merchandise at gunpoint. Violent robberies, especially those with firearms, will not be tolerated by the FBI and our partners in law enforcement. The arrests today should serve as a warning to anyone willing to engage in armed robberies – you will face the consequences.” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “The swift arrests in this case reaffirm the NYPD’s steadfast commitment, with its law enforcement partners, to hold everyone accused of violent acts accountable. The charges these defendants face reflect a callous disregard for life, and they will now be held accountable. I thank and commend the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, the New York Field Office of the FBI, and everyone who worked to achieve justice in this case.” According to the allegations in the Complaints and other publicly filed documents: [1] On the morning of January 3, 2023, DIPIETRO, CERCHIO, SPAGNUOLO, and SELLICK traveled to Midtown Manhattan together in multiple vehicles. At approximately 10:20 a.m., an employee of a Midtown Manhattan jewelry store was preparing to place pieces of jewelry into the store’s street-level display case when DIPIETRO and SELLICK, dressed in construction vests, entered the building from Madison Avenue. As shown in the image below, DIPIETRO pointed a gun at the employee and said “give it to me,” before SELLICK said, “turn around and get in the closet.” DIPIETRO and SELLICK fled the store with at least three pieces of high-end diamond jewelry, including an approximately 73-carat necklace (first picture below), an approximately six-carat ring (second picture below), and an approximately 17-carat pair of earrings (third picture below). DIPIETRO, SELLICK, CERCHIO, and SPAGNUOLO then fled Midtown Manhattan. Surveillance footage from the area of the robbery indicates that the defendants, including DIPIETRO and CERCHIO, had prepared for the robbery by “casing” the scene the day before. On the morning of May 20, 2023, employees of a jewelry store on Elizabeth Street in Manhattan had just opened for business when DIPIETRO and SELLICK — again masked and wearing construction vests — entered the store’s street-level front door. As shown in the image below, SELLICK pointed a gun at the store’s employees and ordered them to the ground, while DIPIETRO gathered jewelry. After DIPIETRO and SELLICK fled the store with the stolen goods, they first got in a getaway car driven by SORCE — who was also dressed like a construction worker — before switching to a second getaway car driven by SPAGNUOLO. * * * CERCHIO, 69, of Howard Beach, New York, DIPIETRO, 65, of Red Bank, New Jersey, SELLICK, 67, of Franklin Square, New York, SORCE, 25, of Florham Park, New Jersey, and SPAGNUOLO, 65, of Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in connection with a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison to be imposed in addition to any sentence imposed for the underlying Hobbs Act robbery. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI for its assistance in this matter. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter and Justin Horton are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaints and the description of the Complaints set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. u.s._v._sorce_complaint.pdf u.s._v._dipietro_et_al_complaint.pdf


title: Tallahassee Police Officer Recognized By The Department Of Justice For The Attorney General’s Award For Distinguished Service In Community Policing

component: Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the recipients of the Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing, recognizing the exceptional work of 19 law enforcement officers and deputies from 15 jurisdictions across the country. The Attorney General’s Award recognizes individual state, local, and Tribal sworn rank-and-file officers, deputies, and troopers for exceptional efforts in community policing. The awarded individuals have demonstrated active engagement with the community in one of three areas: criminal investigations, field operations, or innovations in community policing. This year, the Department received nominations for almost 200 individual officers, deputies, and troopers. Nominations came from 49 states, representing state, local, campus, sheriff, and other agency types. Tallahassee Police Department Officer Henni Hamby received an award for Community Policing. Officer Hamby is devoted to public safety for people of all ages. She operates programs including a personal safety and empowerment program for elementary school children, as well as a car seat check program for parents. Officer Hamby is also an advocate of senior programs – she recognizes that older adults are more vulnerable than most when it comes to theft, abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and other crimes. Officer Hamby is the department’s Citizen Police Academy Coordinator and has developed an outstanding partnership with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization. Officer Hamby works tirelessly to serve her community. I couldn’t be prouder of Officer Henni Hamby and our partners at the Tallahassee Police Department,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern of Florida. “Community policing is more than just walking the beat – law enforcement and communities’ working together can cultivate creative solutions to all manner of challenges, thereby furthering public safety.” A list of award winners can be found here . Complete information on the Sixth Annual Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing can be found here . The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Community Policing is made possible through the Department’s work with national law enforcement stakeholder groups, who play a vital role in the review process. The various components throughout the Department also play a critical role, providing the review process with a depth of knowledge and experience that is inherent across the Department. The result is this annual awards program, which allows the Department to highlight a group of officers whose commitment to their communities is obvious through their exceptional efforts. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html


title: OneTaste Founder and Former Head of Sales Indicted for Forced Labor Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: An indictment was unsealed this morning in federal court in Brooklyn charging Nicole Daedone, founder and former Chief Executive Officer, and Rachel Cherwitz, former Head of Sales, of OneTaste, Inc. (OneTaste), a wellness education company founded in San Francisco, California. Daedone and Cherwitz are both charged with forced labor conspiracy in connection with a years-long scheme to obtain the labor and services of a group of OneTaste members—including volunteers, contractors, and employees of OneTaste—by subjecting them to economic, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse, surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation. Cherwitz was arrested this morning and is expected to appear in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California this afternoon. Cherwitz will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Daedone remains at large. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges. “Under the guise of empowerment and wellness, the defendants are alleged to have sought complete control over their employees’ lives, including by driving them into debt and directing them to perform sexual acts while also withholding wages,” said U.S. Attorney Peace. “This prosecution should serve as a reminder to both employer and employee that no matter the marketing mantra, this conduct is never acceptable.” “The defendants advertised their company as being able to help individuals recover from past trauma. In reality, they allegedly targeted their victims in order to manipulate them not only into debt but to limit their independence and create a reliance on OneTaste for basic needs. The FBI will continue to ensure that anyone willing to engage in a forced labor schemes are held accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. OneTaste As alleged in the indictment and court documents, OneTaste branded itself as a sexuality-focused wellness education company founded by Nicole Daedone in 2004. From approximately 2004 through 2018, OneTaste generated revenue by providing courses, coaching and events related to so-called wellness practices, in exchange for a fee. Many OneTaste members lived in residential warehouses where they participated in courses and experimented sexually. At various points in time, OneTaste maintained operations in, among other locations, New York City, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Boulder, Los Angeles, Austin and London. In New York City, OneTaste leased residences and hosted events in several different locations, including in Brooklyn, Harlem, Hells Kitchen, Soho and West Village neighborhoods. Daedone served as the Chief Executive Officer and a leader of OneTaste from the company’s founding until approximately 2017. Rachel Cherwitz served as OneTaste’s Head of Sales from approximately 2009 through 2018. The Scheme As alleged in the indictment, between approximately 2004 and 2018, Daedone and Cherwitz deployed a series of abusive and manipulative tactics in order to obtain the labor and services of a group of OneTaste members who were volunteers, contractors, and employees of OneTaste. Daedone and Cherwitz intentionally targeted for recruitment to OneTaste individuals who had suffered prior trauma and advertised that OneTaste’s courses and teachings could heal past sexual trauma and dysfunction. If the members could not afford OneTaste’s courses—which ranged from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars each—Daedone and Cherwitz induced the OneTaste members to incur debt, and at times directly assisted the OneTaste members in opening new credit cards, to pay for them. Daedone and Cherwitz also undertook tactics designed to render the OneTaste members dependent on OneTaste for their shelter and basic necessities, and to limit the OneTaste members’ independence and control. Among other things, they subjected the OneTaste members to constant surveillance in communal homes and collected deeply sensitive and personal information about them which the defendants then used to render the OneTaste members emotionally, socially and psychologically dependent on OneTaste. They isolated the OneTaste members from their support networks by breaking up established relationships and assigning them to move to new locations on short notice. While employing such tactics, Daedone and Cherwitz demanded absolute commitment to Daedone, including by exalting Daedone’s teachings and ideology. As part of this ideology, Daedone and Cherwitz instructed the OneTaste members to engage in sexual acts—including acts the members found uncomfortable or repulsive— as a requirement to supposedly obtain freedom and enlightenment and demonstrate their commitment to OneTaste and Daedone. Upon securing the allegiance of the OneTaste members through these tactics, Daedone and Cherwitz engaged in abusive employment practices. For example, Daedone, Cherwitz and other OneTaste leaders promised to pay the OneTaste members wages and commissions for work performed on behalf of OneTaste and subsequently failed to pay the OneTaste members the amounts owed, or changed the OneTaste members’ employment statuses or locations without advance notice. Daedone and Cherwitz also recruited and groomed OneTaste members to engage in sexual acts with OneTaste’s current and prospective investors, clients, employees and beneficiaries, for the financial benefit of OneTaste and, in turn, themselves. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Daedone and Cherwitz each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. If you believe you are or may be a victim in this case, please call the FBI New York’s main line at 212-384-5000. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren H. Elbert, Gillian Kassner, Devon Lash and Jonathan Siegel are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Anna November. The Defendants : NICOLE DAEDONE Age: 56 San Diego, California RACHEL CHERWITZ Age: 43 Philo, California E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-146 (DG)


title: Jury Convicts Southern Oregon Man After Boobytrapped Home Injures Federal Officer

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—On June 2, 2023, a federal jury in Medford found a southern Oregon man guilty of multiple crimes resulting from his boobytrapping of a home that injured an FBI bomb technician. Gregory Lee Rodvelt, 71, a former resident of Williams, Oregon, was found guilty of assaulting a federal officer and using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. According to court documents, on September 7, 2018, bomb technicians from Oregon State Police (OSP) and the FBI went to a property in Williams formerly owned by Rodvelt that he had lost in lawsuit. After Rodvelt learned that a receiver had been appointed to sell the property, he proceeded to boobytrap it. When the bomb technicians arrived at the property, they observed a minivan blocking the gate. The technicians found steel animal traps affixed to a gate post and under the hood of the minivan. They also located homemade spike strips, which the receiver had previously run over. As the technician neared the residence, they observed a hot tub that had been placed on its side and rigged in a manner that when a gate was opened it would activate a mechanical trigger causing the spa to roll toward the person who had opened the gate. The technicians further observed that the windows of the residence had been barred from the inside and there were security doors at the front and rear of the residence. The front door also had what appeared to be bullet holes from shots fired inside. In the garage, they found a rat trap modified to accept a shotgun shell. Though the trap was unloaded, it was connected to the main garage door so it would be tripped when the door was opened. The technicians and two other law enforcement officers gathered near the front of the residence and used an explosive charge to breach the front door. The group carefully entered the residence, looking for traps, and found a wheelchair in the center of the front entryway. When the wheelchair was bumped, it triggered a homemade shotgun device that discharged a .410 shotgun shell that struck the FBI bomb technician below the knee. The group administered first aid to the wounded technician and transported him to a local hospital. Assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence is punishable by up to life in federal prison. Rodvelt will be sentenced at a later date by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from OSP and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper and Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.


title: Collins Sex Offender Convicted at Trial of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Collins, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender has been convicted of receiving child pornography on his cell phone following a bench trial yesterday. Billy Puckett, 39, was found guilty of one count of receiving child pornography following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, June 5. Puckett has been detained in federal custody without bail since his arrest on the federal indictment. Puckett, a registered sex offender, has two prior felony convictions for statutory rape and a prior felony conviction for statutory sodomy. A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of Highway 13 and East 316 Road in Bolivar, Mo., on Aug. 28, 2020. The trooper, who learned that Puckett was a registered sex offender, searched Puckett’s vehicle and found a cell phone plugged into a cigarette lighter. When the phone’s screen activated, the trooper noticed Puckett had Facebook and Snapchat applications on the phone, which were not authorized due to Puckett’s status as a registered sex offender. The trooper seized Puckett’s phone, on which he located multiple images of child pornography, and Puckett was arrested. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of Puckett’s phone and found hundreds of images of child pornography. Under federal statutes, Puckett is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Red Lodge man admits illegal possession of short barrel, privately-made rifle

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

body_text: BILLINGS — A Red Lodge man accused of illegally possessing a short barrel, privately-made AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle after he was suspected of violating a protective order admitted to a firearm crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. James Faddis Kennedy, 73, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm. Kenned faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S Sentencing Guidelines and other sentencing factors. Kennedy was released pending further proceedings. The government alleged that on Oct. 19, 2022, the Red Lodge Police Department received a theft report that Kennedy had removed a “no trespassing” sign from a fence at the complainant’s residential property. The complainant had documented the incident on video and had video of Kennedy taking a gun into his house. The complainant further indicated that Kennedy was prohibited from possessing firearms because of an Order of Protection. The investigation determined that an Order of Protection was issued on July 2, 2022 and prohibited Kennedy from threatening to commit or committing violence against the complainant. The order contained a provision that said, “Respondent shall not possess the following firearms,” but listed no specific firearms. Law enforcement executed a state search warrant on Kennedy’s residence on Nov. 17, 2022. Officers found multiple firearms and gun parts, including a privately made model AR-15 style, 5.56 mm, semi-automatic rifle with no serial number. The rifle had an overall length of 30.5 inches and a barrel length of 10 inches. There is no record of the firearm in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Red Lodge Police Department conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: CEO of Dozens of Companies and Entities in Florida and New Jersey Admits Role in Massive Scheme to Traffic in Fraudulent and Counterfeit Cisco Networking Equipment

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Florida resident and dual citizen of the United States and Turkey pleaded guilty to running an extensive operation over many years to traffic in fraudulent and counterfeit Cisco networking equipment, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. announced today. Onur Aksoy, aka “Ron Aksoy” and “Dave Durden,” 39, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court on June 5, 2023, to two counts of an indictment charging him with conspiring with others to traffic in counterfeit goods, to commit mail fraud, and to commit wire fraud (Count 1); and mail fraud (Count 4). According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Aksoy ran at least 19 companies formed in New Jersey and Florida as well as at least 15 Amazon storefronts, at least 10 eBay storefronts, and multiple other entities (collectively, the “Pro Network Entities”) that imported from suppliers in China and Hong Kong tens of thousands of low-quality, modified computer networking devices with counterfeit Cisco labels, stickers, boxes, documentation, and packaging, all bearing counterfeit trademarks registered and owned by Cisco, that made the goods falsely appear to be new, genuine, and high-quality devices manufactured and authorized by Cisco. The devices had an estimated total retail value of hundreds of millions of dollars. Moreover, the Pro Network Entities generated over $100 million in revenue, and Aksoy received millions of dollars for his personal gain. The devices the Pro Network Entities imported from China and Hong Kong were typically older, lower-model products – some of which had been sold or discarded – which Chinese counterfeiters then modified to appear to be genuine versions of new, enhanced, and more expensive Cisco devices. The Chinese counterfeiters often added pirated Cisco software and unauthorized, low-quality, or unreliable components – including components to circumvent technological measures added by Cisco to the software to check for software license compliance and to authenticate the hardware. Finally, to make the devices appear new, genuine, high-quality, and factory-sealed by Cisco, the Chinese counterfeiters allegedly added counterfeited Cisco labels, stickers, boxes, documentation, packaging, and other materials. Fraudulent and counterfeit products sold by the Pro Network Entities suffered from numerous performance, functionality, and safety problems. Often, they would simply fail or otherwise malfunction, causing significant damage to their users’ networks and operations – in some cases, costing users tens of thousands of dollars. Customers of Aksoy’s fraudulent and counterfeit devices included hospitals, schools, government agencies, and the military. Between 2014 and 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized approximately 180 shipments of counterfeit Cisco devices being shipped to the Pro Network Entities from China and Hong Kong. In response to some of these seizures, Aksoy falsely submitted official paperwork to CBP under the alias “Dave Durden,” an identity that he used to communicate with Chinese co-conspirators. To try to avoid CBP scrutiny, Chinese co-conspirators broke the shipments up into smaller parcels and shipped them on different days, and Aksoy used a fake delivery address in Ohio. After CBP seized a shipment of counterfeit Cisco products to Aksoy and the Pro Network Entities and sent a seizure notice, Aksoy often continued to order counterfeit Cisco products from the same supplier. Between 2014 and 2019, Cisco sent seven letters to Aksoy asking him to cease and desist his trafficking of counterfeit goods. Aksoy responded to at least two of these letters by causing his attorney to provide Cisco with forged documents. In July 2021, agents executed a search warrant at Aksoy’s warehouse and seized 1,156 counterfeit Cisco devices with a retail value of over $7 million. The charge of conspiracy to which Aksoy pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The charge of mail fraud to which Aksoy pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Both offenses carry a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Pursuant to the plea agreement that the court conditionally accepted pending sentencing, Askoy faces a sentence of four to six years and six months in prison and must forfeit $15 million in illicit gains from his scheme and make full restitution to his victims. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2023. Attorney for the United States Khanna and Assistant Attorney General Polite credited special agents and members of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang; the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Denny; the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General, Southeast and Caribbean Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Floyd Martinez; the U.S. Navy, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross; HSI Miami, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury; and HSI Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The CBP Electronics Center of Excellence; the CBP Los Angeles National Targeting and Analysis Center; and the CBP Office of Trade, Regulatory Audit and Agency Advisory Services, Miami Field Office, provided valuable assistance. Anyone who believes they may be a victim of Aksoy or the Pro Network Entities, please visit http://www.justice.gov/largecases or https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/united-states-v-onur-aksoy-pro-network for more information. The Pro Network Entities include at least the following: Pro Network Companies Approximate Month and Year of Formation State of Formation Pro Network LLC August 2013 New Jersey Netech Solutions LLC November 2016 Florida Target Network Solutions LLC January 2017 Florida Easy Network LLC April 2017 New Jersey ACE NETUS LLC (a/k/a Ace Network) April 2017 New Jersey My Network Dealer LLC April 2017 New Jersey 1701 Doral LLC May 2017 New Jersey Maytech Trading LLC August 2017 Florida NFD Trading LLC September 2017 Florida Kenet Solutions LLC September 2017 Florida Team Tech Global LLC January 2018 New Jersey Tenek Trading LLC January 2018 Florida The Network Gears LLC February 2018 Florida All Networking Solutions LLC (a/k/a All Network) April 2018 Florida San Network LLC October 2018 Florida Pro Network US Inc. January 2019 Florida Jms Tek LLC August 2019 Florida Renewed Equipment LLC August 2021 Florida Pro Ship US LLC August 2021 Florida Pro Network Amazon Storefronts Approximate Date of Earliest Known Activity Albus Trade Hub January 2014 EasyNetworkUS March 2014 Get Better Trade July 2015 Mercadeal February 2017 Netech Solutions February 2018 Netkco LLC September 2014 NFD Trading LLC January 2018 Palm Network Solutions June 2017 Renewed Equip August 2017 Servtaur August 2019 Smart Network July 2017 SOS Tech Trade August 2017 Target-Solutions September 2020 TeamTech Global March 2016 TradeOrigin US August 2015 Pro Network eBay Storefronts Approximate Date of Earliest Known Activity connectwus March 2014 futuretechneeds July 2017 getbettertrade July 2017 getontrade April 2016 maytechtradingllc October 2017 netechsolutions April 2017 netkco September 2014 nfdtrading February 2018 smartnetworkusa January 2014 tenektradingllc May 2018 The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark, Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section in Washington, D.C., and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit in Newark. aksoy.indictment.pdf


title: Connecticut Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge Stemming from Kidnapping and Murder of Massachusetts Man

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAMARI SMITH, also known as “Dakota,” 34, of Manchester, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to a charge stemming from the kidnapping and murder of a Massachusetts man in 2020. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, Calvin Roberson and another individual kidnapped Francisco Roman, Jr., 28, at gunpoint from a residence in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Roberson and his associate threatened to harm Roman if he did not comply with their orders, handcuffed him, and stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman. Roberson and his associate forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s 2010 Acura ZDX, and transported Roman and the other stolen property to Connecticut. Roberson’s associate shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford. They then drove the car to Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street. Roberson and his associate then drove to an apartment that Roberson shared with Smith in Waterbury, and took most of the property stolen during the robbery into the apartment. Smith subsequently learned that property was stolen during a robbery, and that the victim had been murdered. Smith then helped sell or dispose of the stolen property. Roberson was arrested on February 11, 2021. In an interview with federal law enforcement agents on that date, Smith lied about her role in the sale or disposal of the stolen property. Smith pleaded guilty to misprision of felony, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. She is released on a $150,000 bond pending sentencing. On April 27, 2023, Roberson, also known as “Cutty,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnaping, and one count of causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. At sentencing, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life. He has been detained since his arrest. As to Roberson’s associate, who is awaiting trial, U.S. Attorney Avery that charges are not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, FBI’s Springfield Gang Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County (Mass.) District Attorney’s Office, Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, Chicopee Police Department and Springfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Angel M. Krull. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts for their assistance in this matter.


title: Airline Employee Indicted in Alleged Scheme To Fraudulently Create and Sell Travel Vouchers

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A customer service representative for Southwest Airlines fraudulently created and sold travel vouchers worth more than $1.87 million, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago. While working for Southwest at Midway Airport in Chicago, DAJUAN MARTIN used fictitious customer names to fraudulently generate the vouchers without the airline’s knowledge or approval, the indictment states. Martin then sold the vouchers at below market value to co-defendant NED BROOKS and others in exchange for cash, the indictment states. The vouchers, known as “Southwest Luv Vouchers,” were supposed to be used to compensate customers who had unfavorable travel experiences on the airline. The indictment was returned Monday. It charges Martin, 36, of Bolingbrook, Ill., with 12 counts of wire fraud, and Brooks, 46, of Chicago, with four counts of wire fraud. Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Martin et al indictment


title: Former Erie man pleads guilty to sexual exploitation of children charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Charles Freemont Black, IV, 39, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Black received and possessed computer images and movies depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Black.


title: Johnsonburg woman sentenced to 27 months in jail for embezzlement

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 27 months in jail followed by 2 years of supervised release and order to pay restitution in the amount of $765,172.95 on her conviction of wire fraud, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Melissa Bittler, 43, 112 Cushing Avenue, Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, over a five-year period Bittler embezzled over $765,000 from the construction company in Johnsonburg where she was employed as the office manager and bookkeeper. Among numerous and consistent personal expenditures with stolen money, Bittler bought and renovated her house and purchased a Honda Pilot with the embezzled company money. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Cercone noted the enormity of the amount stolen by Bittler and the significant negative impact on the small business that was victimized. Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Johnsonburg Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bittler.


title: Operation Angel Leads to Fifth Federal Indictment for Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – Earlier this year, several law enforcement agencies worked together in an undercover operation designed to identify individuals seeking to sexually exploit minors. That effort, called “Operation Angel,” resulted in the arrest of four individuals, Justin Aubrey, 26, Steven Earnest , 35, Kevin O’Donnell , 26, and Alexander Young , 26, all of Louisville, Kentucky. A federal grand jury previously returned indictments against all four. Aubrey and Earnest were charged with attempted sex trafficking of children on March 15, 2023. Earnest was also charged with attempted online enticement. O’Donnell , and Young were charged on February 22, 2023, with attempted online enticement. Today, a federal grand jury returned a new and additional indictment against Young for online enticement, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and production of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service Kentucky Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department, Chief Richard Sanders of the Jeffersontown Police Department, and Chief Art Elum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement. According to the latest indictment, in December 2022, Young met a girl, under the age of 16, online. He communicated with her and persuaded, induced, and enticed her to engage in sexual activity for which a person may be charged with a criminal offense, including the production of sexually explicit images which she sent to him. Young also sent the girl sexually explicit images of himself. The latest charges resulted from additional investigation following Operation Angel. The earlier indictments charged Aubrey and Earnest after they showed up, with money, after negotiating to pay for sex with children under age 14. O’Donnel l and Young were charged after showing up to engage in sexual activity with minors under the age of 16. For all these charges, law enforcement officials were acting in online, undercover roles. All defendants remain in federal custody pending resolution of their charges. Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting the cases. Multiple federal, state, and local officials participated in Operation Angel, led by the USSS. Other law enforcement agencies included the FBI, HSI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office Department of Criminal Investigations, the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Jeffersontown Police Department, and the Owensboro Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Dark Web Traffickers of Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine Prosecuted

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces a sentencing and a guilty plea in two cases the United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting involving drug trafficking on the dark web. Sentence: United States v. Ian Hoffmann , No. 2:21-cr-017-JAM Ian Hoffmann, 44, of Bell Canyon, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. According to court documents, Hoffmann ran multiple narcotics vendor accounts on various dark web marketplaces, including “CaliCartel” and “BuxomBrunette” on the Dream marketplace, “Playground” on the Silk Road 3.1 marketplace, and “GambinoCrimeFamily” on the Wall Street Market marketplace. Hoffmann was a prolific dark web drug trafficker, completing more than 2,000 drug sales in a six-month period between October 2018 and April 2019 alone. Hoffmann accepted cryptocurrency in exchange for his narcotics and sent the drugs he sold using the U.S. Postal Service. Federal law enforcement agents surveilled Hoffmann as he mailed dozens of packages suspected to contain narcotics on various dates in 2019. Agents subsequently executed a search warrant at Hoffmann’s residence and seized approximately 5 pounds of heroin, 14 pounds of cocaine, 40 pounds of methamphetamine, two loaded firearms, three boxes of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, more than a quarter of a million dollars in cash, a money-counting machine, several scales, and packaging materials. Plea Agreement: United States v. Gabriel Alva , No. 2:21-cr-178-JAM Gabriel Alva, 31, of Winnetka, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine; and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of this drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, Alva and his co-conspirators ran multiple drug vendor accounts on various dark web contraband marketplaces, including “Diablow” on the Silk Road 3.1 marketplace, “RaiseAppeals” on the Dream marketplace, and “RaisedByDiablow” on the Nightmare marketplace. Alva’s dark web vendor pages offered crystal methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and other narcotics for sale. Alva accepted payment in cryptocurrency for the narcotics and converted approximately $1.3 million worth of various cryptocurrencies into cash. In May 2019, law enforcement agents seized nearly 2 kilograms of heroin, more than 2 kilograms of cocaine, and nearly 24 kilograms of methamphetamine from Alva’s residence. Agents also seized a Remington shotgun and a Smith & Wesson assault rifle, which Alva admitted that he possessed to further his dark web drug trafficking operation. These cases are the product of investigations by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, which includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting both cases. Alva is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Sept. 26, 2023. Alva faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Illinois Woman Sentenced for Stealing $439,000 from Bank

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Tuesday sentenced a former bank branch manager who embezzled about $439,000 from her employer to a term of imprisonment of 27 months. Samantha J. Cherry, 35, from Morrisonville, Illinois was a manager at a UMB Bank branch in St. Louis at the time. Between January 2021 and March 2022, Cherry took cash directly from the vault and moved currency from other cash supplies into her cash drawer totals. Cherry admitted to the theft after being questioned by bank personnel. Cherry pleaded guilty in March 2023 to one felony count of theft or embezzlement by a bank officer. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy is prosecuting the case.


title: Youth Wrestling Coach and Referee from Ocean County Admits Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man today admitted distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Alec Donovan, 26, of Brick, New Jersey, a youth wrestling coach and referee, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From January 2021 through March 2021, Donovan used an internet-based application to exchange multiple images and videos of child sexual abuse, including depictions involving pre-pubescent children. Donovan also used the web-based messaging application to solicit and engage in conversations with minors, including requesting nude photographs from the minors and sending nude photographs to them. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. donovan.information.pdf


title: Brambleton Man Sentenced for Investment Scheme

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Brambleton man was sentenced today to two years in prison for an oil, gas, and energy investment fraud scheme. According to court documents, between January 2014 and August 2019, Ryan Riley, 50, a registered investment advisor, defrauded at least nine investors of approximately $434,100 by making false promises about oil, gas, and energy investments. Riley made false statements about promised returns, supposed partners, and specific wells and leases that had been identified for the projects he was pitching. He told investors that their funds were going to be used for oil, gas, and energy related projects. Over time, Riley told those victims that certain deals fell through, but that the victims’ investments would be converted to new oil, gas, and energy projects. However, despite Riley’s promises, he routinely transferred the funds to his personal accounts where he used the funds for other purposes including paying at least $149,000 towards his mortgage and making risky stock trades, which resulted in substantial losses. As part of his sentence, Riley was ordered to pay $434,100 in forfeiture, $388,750 in restitution. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Wayne A. Jacobs; Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. The U.S. Attorney also commends the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Virginia State Corporation Commission (VSCC), which conducted parallel civil investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly M. Shartar prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-43.


title: Combatting Gun Violence In The Northern District Of Florida

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Acts of gun violence are far too frequent in communities throughout the Northern District of Florida. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. “The investigation and prosecution of violent crime is central to our mission to protect the public,” said Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “We will continue to utilize every resource available to us to make our streets safe. Our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe and serve a critical role in our efforts to combat violent crime.” The most effective way to reduce gun violence is through partnerships – federal, state, and local agencies working together to effectively enforce the laws. This strategy has been successful in this area, including such cooperative initiatives as: ALLin LEON , and the Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative, which are making a meaningful difference to reduce gun violence in the Northern District of Florida. “ALLin LEON” is a comprehensive plan to unify people, agencies, and organizations to work collaboratively to reduce crime in Leon County. It is a partnership which allows all stakeholders to work towards a common goal. “ALLin LEON” is comprised of four components: prevention, re-entry, enforcement, and community involvement. Each component seeks to use reliable data to implement proven strategies. The joint federal, state, and local strike force is a concerted effort to crack down on violent crime under the Leon County Sheriff’s Office ALLin LEON umbrella. This initiative has engaged community volunteers to regularly take at-risk youth to places of worship, activated Neighborhood Crime Watch programs, and conducted other activities to target neighborhoods that are perennial hotspots for violence. The effort also aims to help connect individuals who are reentering the community from incarceration with education, job skills, and substance abuse treatment. Gainesville Gun Violence Initiative (GVI) is a joint effort of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The Gainesville GVI was established in April 2019, by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in an effort to stem the escalating gun violence in Gainesville and the surrounding area. As GVI partners, the State Attorney’s Office for the Eight Judicial Circuit, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Gainesville Police Department, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Alachua Police Department, the University of Florida Police Department, and the Florida Department of Corrections share this commitment to protecting public safety. Intelligence tools come in many forms. One source is the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), which digitally analyzes and compares fired shell casings to help investigators link shootings that may have previously seemed unrelated. Administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the system is being used at more than 250 sites as a crime gun intelligence tool by law enforcement agencies around the country. “Extending NIBIN technology to state and local agencies strengthens our collective ability to identify trigger-pullers before they shoot again,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk D. Howard. “ATF works hand-in-hand with our partners because no one agency can reduce the level of violence gun crime in North Florida alone.” To learn more about ATF and its crime gun intelligence programs: https://www.atf.gov/firearms/tools-services-law-enforcement Gun violence is an acute problem across the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the U.S. firearm homicide rate in 2021 was the highest documented since 1993. While the numbers have slightly declined since 2021, they remain high. In 2021, for the first time ever, firearm-related injuries became the leading cause of death for American children, ages 1-19, according to the New England Journal of Medicine (see also here ). The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Miami Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Retaliatory Attack on Federal Cooperating Witness

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Aurelio Luis Perez, a 55-year-old Miami resident, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for retaliating against a witness in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1513(b)(2), after pleading guilty on March 24. Perez assaulted a federal cooperating witness at a local club just several days after the victim was identified as a government witness in a federal criminal trial. Specifically, Perez followed the victim into the restroom and assaulted him while yelling, “This is for snitching” in Spanish. As a result of the assault, the witness suffered a cracked front tooth, inflammation, bruising, and lacerations to his lip. The victim did not know Perez. Perez was a close associate of another individual under investigation at the time of the attack. Perez’s associate has been convicted for his role in distributing over $230 million of adulterated HIV medication. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. HHS-OIG Miami and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Abraham and Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20253. ###


title: Watauga Man Is Sentenced To Seven Years For Transporting Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Luis Eduardo Nunez, 27, of Sugar Grove, N.C., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for transporting child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Nunez to serve 30 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI), and Chief Andy LeBeau of the Boone Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, beginning in May 2021, an undercover agent with HSI observed that Kik Messenger user “thatguy246011,” later identified as Nunez, was participating in private group chats dedicated to the distribution of child pornography. On multiple occasions, Nunez also used Kik Messenger to post images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Court documents show that the undercover agent made contact with Nunez via Kik Messenger. Over the course of the exchanges, Nunez expressed his interest in viewing and trading child pornography and sent the undercover agent child pornography. In July 2021, HSI also received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning the same Kik messenger username, indicating that the user had uploaded 30 files through the app, most of which depicted child pornography. On August 31, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Nunez’s residence. Over the course of the search, law enforcement seized Nunez’s cell phone. A forensic analysis of the phone’s contents identified at least 154 images and 18 videos of child pornography on the device. Court records indicate that investigators also spoke with Nunez at his residence. In a voluntary interview, Nunez admitted that he used Kik Messenger to transport child pornography. Nunez also admitted that he set up a new account on the app and used it to transport child pornography after his old one was shut down. On October 7, 2022, Nunez pleaded guilty to transporting child pornography. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The case was investigated by HSI, NC SBI, and the Boone Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Mark T. Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: Hostage-Taking Co-Conspirators Will Serve a Combined 32 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2023-087_Lares-De La Rosa

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Olegario Lares-De La Rosa, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced last Friday by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 18 years in prison. Lares-De La Rosa was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking, Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, Transportation of Illegal Aliens and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, after a jury trial in February 2023. Ivan Heriberto Borboa-Ruiz, 28, of Mexico, Lares-De La Rosa’s co-conspirator, was sentenced last Thursday to 14 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking and Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. On April 6, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations received a tip from an individual in New York who reported that his two cousins were being held captive and that their captors had demanded a $16,000 ransom for their release. The two victim cousins were undocumented non-citizens who were part of a group of six individuals abducted in the desert by three armed men after the group crossed illegally into the United States. One of the victims was kicked in the head when he refused to cooperate. The armed captors confiscated all of their cellphones and then transported the six captives to a house where they were held for multiple days in a room where the door was screwed shut each night to prevent escape. The two victim cousins were the final hostages to have the ransom paid. Borboa-Ruiz made the phone calls arranging for the ransom and hostage exchange. On April 8, 2022, Borboa-Ruiz arrived at the location of the money exchange in Tucson, Arizona and met with two undercover agents. Borboa-Ruiz, who was armed with a loaded 9mm pistol, received and counted the $16,000 in cash twice to confirm the ransom had been paid, made a phone call stating “they were good,” and that the two victims could be released. Lares-De La Rosa was parked a short distance away with the two victims. Shortly after the money exchange, Lares-De La Rosa directed them to get out of the car. The victims walked single file to the vehicle where the ransom had been paid. As the two victims reached the undercover vehicle, Borboa-Ruiz was immediately arrested by law enforcement. While agents were arresting Borboa-Ruiz, Lares-De La Rosa sped away, leading agents on a high-speed vehicle chase. During the pursuit, Lares-De La Rosa threw a loaded 9mm pistol out of the window and bailed out of the vehicle. He then fled into a residential neighborhood, concealing himself in several private backyards before being arrested. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marana Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney, Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-0974-TUC-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-087_Lares-De La Rosa # # # 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Eleventh Circuit Affirms Convictions And Sentence Of Fort Myers Business Owner For COVID-Relief And Mortgage Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Atlanta, Georgia – The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta has affirmed the convictions and sentence of Casey David Crowther (37, Fort Myers) in one of the first federal appeals involving a fraudulent COVID-relief loan (11th Cir. Case No. 21-12255). In March 2021, a federal jury in Fort Myers had found Crowther guilty of bank fraud, making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering in connection with his Paycheck Protection Program loan scheme. (Before trial, Crowther had pleaded guilty to other bank-fraud and false-statement charges related to a separate scheme in which Crowther had created fake bank statements to justify a loan for a nearly $1.3 million waterfront house in St. James City, Florida.) United States District Judge John E. Steele sentenced Crowther to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Crowther appealed his convictions on the PPP charges and his sentence. Among other things, he argued that he was permitted to use PPP funds for any purpose—notwithstanding unambiguous restrictions in the loan documents that he signed—so long as he intended to repay the loan. The Eleventh Circuit rejected Crowther’s arguments and affirmed his convictions and sentence. Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program to facilitate up to $349 billion in low-interest, potentially forgivable loans for qualified businesses struggling to make payroll or pay operating expenses in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were provided by private lenders and guaranteed by the Small Business Association and could be used only for payroll and certain other expenses necessary to maintain business operations during the pandemic (primarily payroll). In April 2020, Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by stating that he intended to use the money for payroll, rent, and utilities for his company, Target Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. According to the evidence presented at trial, he instructed his bank to deposit the funds into a secret account separate from his company’s main operating account. He quickly used the account for personal use, spending nearly $700,000 on a 40-foot pleasure boat and $55,000 on a horse. He also used PPP funds to pay down personal credit-card debt, a loan owed to an old business partner, and his company’s line of credit (which were not permitted uses). When Crowther’s bank warned him that he was likely to be audited, he attempted to conceal his fraud by falsely “hiring” family members and dozens of fictitious employees to inflate his company’s apparent payroll. He hid the true purpose of certain wire transfers (saying that the boat payment was an “equipment purchase” and the horse payment was for “roofing material”). All the while, taxpayers continued to fund the low-interest loan that had been intended to protect Crowther’s business and employees. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Michael V. Leeman. The appeal was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Siekkinen.


title: New Kensington Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Fraud

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of New Kensington, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Fraud in Connection with Emergency Benefits, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Nathan Woods, 24, currently incarcerated in Allegheny County Jail pleaded guilty to 2 counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around June 2020, and continuing thereafter until in and around July 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Woods knowingly and willfully did conspire to commit fraud in connection with emergency benefits, more specifically, fraud related to pandemic unemployment benefits. Following the guilty plea today, Judge Schwab sentenced Woods to time-served. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $11,910 to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor, jointly and severally with conspirator Erick Woods. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Woods.


title: Kentucky Businessmen Sentenced in Decade Long Scheme to Defraud FCC

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Charles A. “Chuck” Jones, 52, and Mark J. Whitaker, 51, both of Murray, Kentucky, have been convicted of federal crimes and sentenced for a decade long scheme to defraud the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) E-rate program. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentences today. According to United States Attorney Ritz and the information presented in court, the E- rate program is an FCC program that provides money to needy schools, often in rural areas of America, for internet access and telecommunications services. The program has specific rules that forbid service providers to the schools, such as Jones, from paying kickbacks to school officials and consultants. The E-rate program also requires participating service providers to charge at least a 10% copay. For approximately 10 years, Jones, owner of several Murray, Kentucky businesses, paid kickbacks to an E-rate consultant working with the Missouri and Tennessee schools involved in this case. During the conspiracy Jones, his employee Mark J. Whitaker, and the schools’ E-rate consultant, made false statements and submitted fabricated documents regarding the required copays and the program’s fair and open bidding process. Jones used the victim schools as a vehicle to fraudulently obtain money from the E-rate program. The loss to the E-rate program was approximately $6.9 million. Jones pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Whitaker pled guilty to misprision on wire fraud. United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Jones to 18 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $3.5 million in restitution. Judge Norris sentenced Whitaker to one year of probation. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz said, "Protection of federal grant programs that provide needed services and equipment to our schools in West Tennessee is a top priority of this office. When dishonest offenders conspire to defraud these programs for their own selfish gain, they not only steal tax dollars, but also hurt local schools in the process. We will continue to work with our federal partners to root out and expose such fraud against the government, to hold offenders accountable, and to recover ill-gotten gains." Sharon R. Diskin, Acting FCC Inspector General said, "These sentences send a strong message that individuals who defraud a vital federal subsidy program, such as E-rate, will be held fully accountable for their actions. I would like to thank our partners in the United States Attorney's office for the Western District of Tennessee and the FBI for their unrelenting dedication to this case.” This case was investigated by the Federal Communications Commission - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked former Assistant United States Attorney Murre Foster and Assistant United States Attorney Tony Arvin who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. ###


title: Six Defendants Charged In $14.7 Million Scheme To Fraudulently Obtain Pandemic Relief Loans

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging GLENROY WALKER, HOWARD LEVY, SHERRIL BAEZ, NORMA GETTEN, DONNAT POWELL, and GARY WHEELER with conspiring to commit wire fraud by submitting fraudulent applications for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). WALKER and LEVY are also charged with aggravated identity theft. The defendants were arrested this morning and were presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants schemed to steal millions of dollars from a program Congress created to help struggling small businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, this Office will pursue and prosecute the fraudsters that took advantage of a global emergency to greedily line their own pockets.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “As alleged, the defendants conspired to fraudulently obtain more than $14 million from the Paycheck Protection Program through applications containing sham documents. This unfortunately is another example of individuals attempting to scam a program that was designed to help Americans during unprecedented upheaval. Ensuring that fraudsters who abused the Paycheck Protection Program are brought to justice remains a priority for the FBI.” According to the Complaint unsealed today: [1] Between at least July 2020 and February 2022, GLENROY WALKER and HOWARD LEVY operated a scheme to submit fraudulent applications for loans from the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program. The PPP was created by Congress to provide billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to fund payroll and certain other qualifying business expenses because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP was overseen by the SBA, which guaranteed loans issued, in the first instance, by commercial lenders. WALKER and LEVY submitted more than 100 fraudulent PPP loan applications to various financial institutions. Among other fraudulent misrepresentations, the PPP applications WALKER and LEVY submitted frequently contained phony bank statements and tax documents. SHERRIL BAEZ, NORMA GETTEN, DONNAT POWELL, and GARY WHEELER all participated in this scheme with WALKER and LEVY by, among other things, participating in the submission of fraudulent applications for their own purported businesses and recruiting other prospective fraudulent PPP applicants into the scheme. WALKER and LEVY received significant kickbacks from the applicants, including BAEZ, GETTEN, POWELL, and WHEELER, and shared portions of their kickbacks with recruiters, including some of the defendants. The fraudulent applications submitted by the six defendants collectively sought more than $14.7 million in loans and resulted in the disbursement of more than $4.6 million from various financial institutions, all guaranteed by the SBA. * * * WALKER, 65, of New Rochelle, New York, LEVY, 60, of the Bronx, New York, BAEZ, 50, of Freeport, New York, GETTEN, 62, of the Bronx, New York, POWELL, 48, of Paterson, New Jersey, and WHEELER, 46, of Mount Vernon, New York, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. That charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. WALKER and LEVY are also charged with a single count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the FBI. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hoffman and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. u.s._v._walker_et_al_complaint.pdf


title: Jeannette Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Laws

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A resident of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Kenyetta Jones, 27, of Jeannette, PA pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on February 22, 2019, the defendant knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for October 11, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court revoked the defendant’s bond and remanded him to the custody of the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Kenyetta Jones.


title: Two Norman Residents Sentenced to Serve Seven Years Collectively in Federal Prison for Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western


title: Tenderloin Dealer Who Sold Fentanyl That Killed One And Injured Another Sentenced To Six Years In Prison

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Celin David Doblado-Canaca was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl, including fentanyl that caused the death of one victim and injured another, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. James Donato, United States District Judge. Doblado-Canaca, 40, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty, without a written agreement, on April 4, 2023, to the charge of distributing fentanyl. In pleading guilty, Doblado-Canaca admitted he sold drugs in the San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. On May 18, 2020, Doblado-Canaca sold drugs to a buyer that he had sold to before. He later learned that the buyer then provided the drugs to two other individuals in San Bruno, Calif., referred to in court documents as Victim 1 and Victim 2. Both Victim 1 and Victim 2 snorted the drugs, believing they were taking cocaine, when in fact they ingested fentanyl. Both Victim 1 and Victim 2 overdosed; Victim 1 died, and Victim 2 survived the ordeal. Court documents demonstrate Doblado-Canaca was arrested after he continued to sell drugs in the Tenderloin. Specifically, on May 20, 2020, the same buyer Doblado-Canaca sold to on May 18 called him to set up another buy, this one on Hyde Street in the Tenderloin. In the early evening, Doblado-Canaca met the buyer and another person, who was an undercover police officer. Doblado-Canaca sold three baggies of what he knew was fentanyl and was arrested shortly thereafter. At the time of his arrest, Doblado-Canaca possessed eight more baggies of fentanyl and 13 baggies of heroin, respectively. On October 28, 2021, Doblado-Canaca was charged by Information with one count of distributing fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Doblado-Canaca pleaded guilty to the charge. In addition to the six year prison term, U.S. District Judge Donato ordered Doblado-Canaca to serve three years of supervision following release from federal prison, and to pay restitution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ross Weingarten prosecuted the case with the assistance of Linda Love and Margoth Turcios. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA and the San Bruno Police Department. One Pill Can Kill: Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill . Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fentanyl is used because it’s cheap. Small variations in the quantity or quality of fentanyl in a fake prescription pill can accidentally create a lethal dosage. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug poisoning deaths in the United States. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies, like Percocet and Xanax. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These particular pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late.