title: Collin County Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Crimes Related to Carrollton Murder

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

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – An Allen man, convicted of multiple federal violations related to a fraud scheme that included the murder of a Carrollton man, has been sentenced to life in federal prison, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Keith Todd Ashley, 51, was found guilty by a jury of wire fraud, mail fraud, carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and bank fraud in October 2022. Ashley was sentenced to life in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant. According to information presented at trial, beginning in 2016, Ashley, a registered nurse who also began working as a financial advisor and life insurance agent, started stealing money from his clients. Ashley promised his clients he would invest their money in financial products but instead used the funds to pay other clients, to keep his struggling brewery in business, to pay his personal bills and to fund a lavish lifestyle. In May 2016, Ashley began stealing investment funds from a Carrollton man. This scheme included transferring the client’s money into his personal accounts and changing the beneficiary of the man’s life insurance to a trust controlled by Ashley. The scheme eventually resulted in the Feb. 19, 2020, murder of the client, which Ashley attempted to stage as a suicide. Even after the client was killed, Ashley went through elaborate steps to collect on the life insurance policy, transfer funds from the victim’s bank account to himself, and attempt to obtain a copy of the victim’s autopsy report. Ashley was indicted by a federal grand jury on Nov. 12, 2020, and has been charged with various federal violations, including wire fraud, mail fraud and firearms violations. “Today’s sentence brings a sense of relief and justice to the victim’s family and friends, who have endured pain and grief as a result of the defendant’s horrific actions,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Mr. Ashley’s actions of defrauding and ultimately taking the victim’s life is reprehensible and indefensible. I’m grateful to our local and federal law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly on this case. Their dedication was essential in bringing this defendant to justice.” “Keith Ashley funded his lavish lifestyle and attempted to rescue his failing business by robbing his clients of financial security, and when that wasn’t enough, he robbed one of his life,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “Many local and federal resources came together to seek justice for the victims, and our hope is that today’s sentence can bring continued healing to the families and friends who will be forever impacted by the greed and deceit caused by the defendant.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Frisco Resident Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and the Carrollton Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Rattan and Jay Combs and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Fine. ###


title: Pearl River Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and to Being a Habitual Offender of Domestic Violence

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, Miss – A Pearl River man pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and to being a habitual offender of domestic violence, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to court documents, Lee Garrick McMillan, 31, assaulted his wife on May 20, 2023 in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. McMillan fractured his wife’s ribs by kicking her with steel toed boots. This assault marked the third domestic violence incident perpetrated by McMillan against an intimate partner. McMillan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 28, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Acton Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Obtain COVID Relief Funds

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An Acton was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain disaster loan funds from the Small Business Administration (SBA) and to launder the funds. Edwin Acevedo, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 33 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Acevedo was also ordered to pay restitution of $251,684. In January 2023, Acevedo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. Acevedo was arrested and charged along with co-conspirator Hector Garcia in August 2021. According to charging documents, Acevedo’s co-conspirators allegedly used stolen identity information of United States citizens to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. It is alleged that Garcia used stolen identity information of a United States citizen to open a fraudulent bank account, which was then linked to other fraudulent bank accounts set up to receive the SBA funds. Acevedo coordinated co-conspirators’ receiving some of the debit cards associated with fraudulent bank accounts into which SBA funds were deposited. Acevedo and co-conspirators laundered the SBA funds by using the debit cards to purchase iPhones, which Acevedo and others then re-sold for cash. It is also alleged that Garcia and other co-conspirators wired a portion of the funds to co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic. It is alleged that over $452,000 in SBA funds were fraudulently obtained in connection with the scheme. Approximately $250,000 of this money was used to purchase iPhones in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. On Dec. 8, 2022, Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud – aiding and abetting; and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He has since pleaded not guilty is pending trial. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Orlando, Fla.; the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General; the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; the Department of State; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Massachusetts State Police; the New Hampshire State Police; and the Acton, Nashua (N.H.), Manchester (N.H.) and Ocala (Fla.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna Nuzum and Adam Deitch of the Criminal Division are prosecuting 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 . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Final Defendant Sentenced in South Carolina’s Largest RICO Conspiracy

body_text: The 40th and final defendant prosecuted as part of the District of South Carolina’s case against the Insane Gangster Disciples (IGD), a branch of the nationwide Folk Nation gang, was sentenced today. “The incarcerated leadership of the IGD maintained the gang’s lucrative drug enterprise by ordering murders and terrorizing neighborhoods throughout South Carolina,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This vertical prosecution of 40 gang leaders, members, and associates has disrupted the criminal enterprise both inside and outside of prison. The case demonstrates the Department’s resolve to pursue and dismantle these organizations wherever they operate.” According to court documents, the IGD was a sprawling criminal enterprise that included inmates within the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) who were gang leaders and used contraband cell phones to orchestrate murders, kidnappings, gun trafficking, and an international drug operation. James Robert Peterson, 35, of Gaffney; Edward Gary Akridge, 31, of Greenville; Matthew J. Ward, 39, of Lexington; and Juan Rodriguez, 43, of Woodruff, orchestrated the crimes from inside SCDC where they were inmates. IGD also included non-incarcerated members who committed crimes outside the prison system. In South Carolina, IGD was divided into three primary “sets,” each with its own leader. “Contraband cellphones allowed gang leaders to perpetuate violence, traffic guns, and run an international drug operation from behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “Through a years-long, multi-agency partnership with state, local, and federal law enforcement, we have dismantled this criminal enterprise and held accountable both the incarcerated defendants and those who enabled them. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute inmates who use contraband phones to continue their criminal conduct from prison.” Since the initial indictment in this case, all charged defendants have pleaded guilty to conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) statute, or to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics (including methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl). Ten defendants were charged with either VICAR murder or kidnapping resulting in death – all of whom pleaded guilty as charged. Nineteen of the 40 defendants in the case were sentenced on racketeering charges to the following prison terms: Peterson, the leader of a gang set within IGD, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and kidnapping resulting in death. Ward, the leader of a gang set within IGD, was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Akridge, the leader of a gang set within IGD, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading to RICO conspiracy and VICAR murder. Aaron Michael Carrion, 31, of Lexington, a member of and enforcer for IGD, was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and VICAR murder. Aaron Corey Sprouse, 31, of Gaffney, a member of IGD, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and VICAR kidnapping. Arian Grace Jeane, 29, of Greenville, a member of IGD, was sentenced to over 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy and aiding and abetting VICAR murder. Cynthia Rooks, 55, of Lexington, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Lisa Marie Bolton, 35, of Dallas, North Carolina, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Jonathan Eugene Merchant, 30 of Laurens, a member of IGD, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting VICAR murder. Joshua Lee Scott Brown, 25, of Greenville, a member of IGD, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting VICAR murder. Alex Blake Payne, 31, of Greenville, a member of IGD, was sentenced to over nine years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Virginia Ruth Ryall, 46, of Gastonia, North Carolina, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Sally Williams Burgess, 40, of Greenville, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Jennifer Sorgee, 39, of Easley, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Heather Henderson Orrick, 36, of Greenville, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Crystal Nicole Bright, 43, of Lexington, a member of IGD, was sentenced to over five years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Lisa Marie Costello, 46, of Gaffney, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over four years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Amber Hoffman, 39, of Lexington, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over five years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Clifford Kyzer, 38, of Lexington, an associate of IGD, was sentenced to over 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to RICO conspiracy. Twenty-one other defendants in this case have also been sentenced to charges stemming from the IGD’s far-reaching narcotics organization after pleading guilty to narcotics distribution conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and/or firearms offenses and related charges. The following are those defendants and their prison terms: Rodriguez was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Samuel Dexter Judy, 31, of Lexington, was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Kelly Jordan, 37, of Williamston, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Richard Ford, 65, of Lexington, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and related charges. Brian Bruce, 51, of West Columbia, was sentenced to four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Montana Barefoot, 28, of Lexington, was sentenced to five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. John Johnson, 39, of Gaston, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Kelly Still, 46, of Windsor, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Benjamin Singleton, 49, of Lexington, was sentenced to over nine years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Kyla Mattoni, 41, of Lexington, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm, and related charges. Alexia Youngblood, 41, of Lexington, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Rebecca Martinez, 36, of Lexington, was sentenced to five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Mark Edward Slusher, 49, of Lexington, was sentenced to over seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Robert Figueroa, 46, of West Columbia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Britney Shae Stephens, 35, of Anderson, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Matthew Edward Clark, 44, of York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Catherine Amanda Ross, 31, of Gaffney, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting kidnapping. Brandon Lee Phillips, 39, of Gaffney, was sentenced to time served after serving approximately four years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Billy Wayne Ruppe, 58, of Gaffney, was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Windy Brooke George, 24, of Gaffney, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Tiffanie Brooks, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced to over three years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. In connection with the investigation and prosecution of this case, law enforcement seized approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 130 firearms, and various quantities of heroin and fentanyl. “ATF joined our local, state, and federal partners in a very dedicated and focused effort to make a long-lasting impact on the level of gun violence and gang activity in South Carolina,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Mein of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “We brought some extremely dangerous individuals to justice and recovered over a hundred firearms from a criminal organization intent on harming our communities. Disrupting these major criminal networks will have a significant impact on public safety across the state.” “This sentence marks the end of an era for a violent organization responsible for a multitude of criminal activities across South Carolina that negatively impacted the way of life for many communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to dismantling complex criminal enterprises and ensuring that our communities are safe and secure.” The case is the result of a multi-agency effort to dismantle the IGD by the ATF, FBI, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team SCDC, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Laurens County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Eleventh Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office provided valuable assistance. Trial Attorney Rebecca Dunnan and Principal Deputy Kim S. Dammers of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Holloway for the District of South Carolina prosecuted the case. Attorneys Brandon B. Hinton, formerly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Lisa K. Man, formerly of the Organized Crime and Gang Section, also assisted with the case. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Man Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Leonardo Robbie Duncan had preliminary and detention hearing in federal court on a complaint charging him with involuntary manslaughter. Duncan, 32, a certified member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending trial. According to the criminal complaint, on August 12, 2023, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) responded to a report of a head-on collision involving two vehicles at approximately 6:45 a.m. in Upper Fruitland, New Mexico. Enroute, NMSP officers passed a male walking westbound approximated half a mile from the crash. Upon arrival at the scene, NMSP officers observed an off duty Southern Ute tribal officer rendering aid to the victims. The tribal officer informed NMSP officers that the driver of the other vehicle had fled the scene on foot. NMSP officers attempted to locate the individual but were unsuccessful. One victim passed away at the scene and the other passed in the ambulance enroute to the hospital. Later the same day, Duncan’s father brought him to the Navajo Police Department to turn himself in. At that time, NPD officers conducted a breath alcohol content test which registered .08 at 12:30 p.m., approximately six hours after the accident. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted on the current charge, Duncan faces up to 8 years in prison. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Navajo Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-187


title: Bath Man With Prior Sex Offense Conviction Going To Prison On Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joshua Wormley, 38, of Bath, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that in July 2017, Wormley was convicted of attempted possession of a sexual performance of a child. In February 2021, Wormley possessed a cell phone containing approximately 800 images and two videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Yates County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Ronald Spike. # # # #


title: Milwaukee Women Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Unemployment Benefits During COVID Pandemic

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 17, 2023, United States District Court Judge Brett H. Ludwig sentenced Nikki Brown (age: 43) of Milwaukee to 33 months in federal prison for stealing $494,498 in unemployment benefits made available under the CARES Act during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nikki Brown previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 for executing a scheme to defraud various state unemployment benefits programs. According to documents filed in the case, Brown recruited third parties to help file fraudulent federal unemployment claims in six different states, including Wisconsin. Brown convinced dozens of people to give her their personally identifiable information (PII) by promising to give them a portion of the fraud proceeds. Brown then used the PII to file false and fraudulent unemployment claims, which resulted in her stealing $494,498 of unemployment benefits. Over the past few years, the Department of Justice has led an historic enforcement initiative to detect and disrupt COVID-19 related fraud. To date, those efforts have resulted in criminal charges against over 1,500 defendants with alleged losses exceeding $1.1 billion; the seizure of over $1.2 billion in relief funds; and civil investigations into more than 1,800 individuals and entities for alleged misconduct in connection with pandemic relief loans totaling more than $6 billion. United States Attorney Haanstad stated: “Prosecuting those who steal from federal benefits programs remains a top priority for the Department of Justice and my office. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold those, like Ms. Brown, who enrich themselves by defrauding COVID-19 benefit programs fully accountable.” “Nikki Brown’s sentencing reiterates the Office of Inspector General’s commitment to bringing to justice those who conspire to file fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims. Protecting the integrity of the UI program is one of our highest priorities, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the UI program for those who need it,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Great Lakes Region. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Smyczek. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Hortonville Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 17, 2023, Colton H. Nelson (age: 24) of Hortonville, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment for his distribution of child pornography. Nelson previously pled guilty to the offense on May 3, 2023. According to court filings, in September of 2022, investigators with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office were conducting an online investigation on a popular peer-to-peer file sharing platform. Investigators observed that an individual, later identified as Colton H. Nelson, was engaged in the receipt and distribution of numerous videos and images containing child sexual abuse material. During execution of a search warrant at Nelson’s residence, law enforcement recovered - over 7,000 videos and images depicting child pornography. At sentencing, Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach commented that the serious nature of the offense necessitated a sentence that would both punish Nelson and deter him from engaging in similar conduct in the future. In addition to the 60-month prison sentence, Nelson will spend five years on supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. He was also required to pay a $5,000 special assessment. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Gang Leaders Sentenced for Racketeering Conspiracy and Murder

body_text: Five leaders of the Gangster Disciples, a gang with a long history of lawlessness and violence, were sentenced in the Southern District of Illinois for their participation in a years-long interstate racketeering conspiracy involving drug trafficking, witness tampering, and multiple murders. The following are the defendants and their sentences: Frank Smith, aka Little Frank, aka Red Beard, 50, of Naperville, Illinois, was sentenced today to life in prison. Warren Griffin, aka GG, aka Big Head, 54, of Glenwood, Illinois, was sentenced on July 18 to life in prison. Sean Clemon, aka Pops, 53, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was sentenced on July 19 to life in prison. Dominique Maxwell, aka D-Mac, aka Monster, 31, also of Cape Girardeau, was sentenced on July 20 to life in prison. Anthony Dobbins, aka Crazy, aka Tony Rome, 55, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced on July 21 to 32 years in prison. Smith, Griffin, Clemon, and Maxwell were convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms offenses after a six-week jury trial. Dobbins pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms offenses. “With life sentences imposed on four defendants and a 32-year sentence for a fifth defendant, law enforcement has delivered a devastating blow to the Gangster Disciples criminal enterprise,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling violent, criminal organizations is a priority for the Justice Department, and a goal we share with our law enforcement and prosecution partners across the country.” “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling criminal organizations, holding gang members accountable, and pursuing justice for victims,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe for the Southern District of Illinois. “By prosecuting the leaders of criminal enterprises, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are working to uphold the rule of law and punish violent offenders who terrorize our communities.” According to court documents, the five defendants were national and regional leaders of the Gangster Disciples, a criminal organization with a presence throughout the United States, including in federal and state prisons. The gang employs a structured hierarchy, with leadership positions such as national “Board Members” and state “Governors.” As part of their efforts to maintain control of the gang, the defendants murdered two other Gangster Disciple leaders who opposed their regime. “The FBI and our partners are firmly committed to ensuring that our communities are protected from the extreme violence and lawlessness displayed by those sentenced today,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Through close collaboration and coordination, five leaders of the Gangster Disciples faced justice, and we will not rest as we continue to put a stop to interstate racketeering." “The sentences in this case send a clear message to the members of violent criminal organizations across this country; you will be investigated and you will be held accountable for your crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Bernard Hansen of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division. “As this investigation shows, ATF has no higher priority than leveraging crime gun intelligence and working with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the violence perpetrated by these groups.” On April 28, 2018, Clemon and Maxwell, on orders from Smith, fatally shot a Gangster Disciples leader and injured two other men in a public park in Bridgeton, Missouri. The shooting was part of a leadership dispute in which Board Members Smith and Griffin sought to remove another Gangster Disciple member from his position as Governor of Missouri. Smith texted “Mike Tyson Punch Out” to Maxwell prior to the shooting, which was an order to commit “extreme violence,” including murder. The gang members fired more than 70 shots during the attack. Both Clemon and Maxwell were promoted to leadership positions within the gang after committing this murder. Then, on May 18, 2018, Board Members Griffin and Dobbins drove to the south side of Chicago to murder a former powerful Board Member because he opposed their status as leaders in the gang. Griffin lured the victim into the street, and Dobbins came up behind the victim and shot him three times in the back and once in the face. The defendants’ other acts of violence included a nightclub stabbing in East St. Louis and another shooting in Cape Girardeau. Gangster Disciples members also engaged in various acts of drug trafficking, including a scheme to smuggle the synthetic drug “K2” into Missouri state prisons. “Drug trafficking organizations like this one employ violence and intimidation to further their criminal enterprise,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Davis, head of the division that leads Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations in Missouri, Kansas, and southern Illinois. “Unfortunately, we are well aware that violence is too often an element of drug trafficking. These men are an extreme example of that terrible combination. Our communities are well-served with this group off our streets.” The ATF, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), FBI, DEA, Missouri Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police, Chicago Police Department, Bridgeton Police Department, Cape Girardeau Police Department, Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis, and O’Fallon (Illinois) Police Department investigated the case. BOP employees from the National Gang Unit worked in conjunction with outside law enforcement to provide relevant documentation and testimony in support of the investigation and trial leading to the convictions. Trial Attorneys Jeremy Franker, Alexander Gottfried, Christopher Usher, and Conor Mulroe of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Summers for the Southern District of Illinois provided substantial assistance.


title: Drunk Driver Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Second Degree Murder

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Derwin Davis Tsosie, Jr., 26, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes on Monday to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Tsosie pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder. On November 14, 2022, Tsosie was driving at approximately 135 miles per hour when he hit the victims’ car from behind, killing the driver and seriously injuring the passenger. Tsosie’s blood alcohol concentration was .323, more than four times the legal limit. At the time of the crash, Tsosie’s license was suspended for a previous DUI arrest. The crime occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Tsosie is an enrolled member. The Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 23-8019-PCT-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-124_Tsosie # # # 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: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Galen Flowers, 40, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 6, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Flowers’ St. Albans home and at an adjoining property on which Flowers admitted he had been storing some of his property and other belongings, including several cars. Officers seized over 1,300 grams of methamphetamine and quantities of other controlled substances, including fentanyl, in connection with the search. Officers also seized 21 firearms and a stolen and loaded Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which Flowers had obtained in an exchange for drugs. Flowers has a long criminal history that includes two prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, both in Putnam County Circuit Court, on September 5, 2008, and October 13, 2009. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy D. Boggess and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-131. ###


title: New Orleans Woman Sentenced for Identity Theft

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that RAYCHAEL DEPLAND , age 34, of New Orleans, was sentenced today for Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(7). According to court documents, DEPLAND , while working at University Medical Center in New Orleans as a patient access representative, sent personal information of UMC patients to Acia Gray. Gray, along with others, used this information in a check cashing scheme at Wal-Mart stores, primarily in Texas. Gray and other members of this check cashing scheme were charged and convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1349 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Gray received a sentence of fifty-seven (57) months imprisonment. Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced DEPLAND to 4 years probation, ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid community service, and required to pay a $100 special assessment fee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the United States Department of Treasury, Inspector General for Tax Administration, in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Former Alabama Correctional Sergeant Convicted of Violating the Civil Rights of an Inmate and Obstruction of Justice

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal jury in the Middle District of Alabama convicted a former Alabama correctional sergeant of deprivation of rights under color of law, falsification of records and obstruction. The evidence at trial established that on March 8, 2018, at the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Staton Correctional Facility, Correctional Sergeant Devlon Williams assaulted an inmate, D.H., in the main hallway of the healthcare unit. Witnesses at trial testified that Williams repeatedly punched and kicked D.H., who was on the ground and not resisting or posing a threat to any person or corrections officer. Williams continued the beating by hitting D.H. multiple times with a collapsible baton. The government presented evidence at trial that after the beating, Williams and another corrections officer, Larry Managan, who previously pleaded guilty to obstruction, attempted to cover up the beating. Williams made false statements about the assault to an Alabama Department of Corrections investigator and prepared a false report about the incident. “This defendant is being held accountable for using excessive force against an inmate and preparing a false report to cover-up his unlawful behavior,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Prisoners, like everyone else, have the right to be free from such needless and extreme violence at the hands of law enforcement officers. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who violate the constitutional and civil rights of any American, including people who are incarcerated.” “While most corrections officers try each day to do the right thing, unfortunately, some abuse the authority they are granted,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama. “Everyone deserves protection under the law and my office will hold any officer criminally responsible for violating the civil rights of a person in his or her custody.” “There is no place for this type of behavior in law enforcement. The mission of the FBI is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Mobile Field Office. “Today’s conviction demonstrates our commitment to this mission. I would also like to highlight the exceptional work by our partners at the Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division without whom this case could not have been successful.” Williams’ co-defendant, Larry Managan Jr., previously pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with this incident on Dec. 8, 2021. Williams and Managan are awaiting sentencing. The FBI Mobile Field Office and Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.


title: Eastern Oregon Man Caught with Methamphetamine and a Stolen Firearm While on Supervised Release Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—An Eastern Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today after he was arrested with more than two pounds of methamphetamine and a stolen firearm while on supervision following his release from state prison. Tom Raymond Carroll, 39, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in February 2021, special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) identified Carroll as a drug dealer operating in Baker and Malheur Counties in Eastern Oregon. Carroll had recently been released from Oregon state prison following convictions for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm. On February 20, 2021, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and heroin from Carroll. During the transaction, Carroll warned the purchasers to be careful because someone had recently died from the drugs he was distributing. In early May 2021, law enforcement obtained and executed state search warrants for Carroll’s vehicle and person and a hotel room he was renting in Baker City, Oregon. A backpack found in his hotel room contained more than two pounds of methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, drug ledgers and paraphernalia, and more than $20,000 in cash. On May 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Carroll with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On March 20, 2023, Carroll pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This case was investigated by ATF with assistance from the Baker City Police Department, Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Ontario Police Department, and Oregon State Police. It was prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Grandview Man Sentenced for $4.1 Million Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a $4.1 million drug-trafficking conspiracy, which is linked to two murders, and which distributed approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas. Markus Michael A. Patterson, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 560 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Patterson to pay a money judgment of $15,000, which represents the proceeds he received from the drug-trafficking conspiracy. That forfeiture amount is based on the unlawful distribution of approximately 400 kilograms of methamphetamine, based on an average price of $8,000 per kilogram. On Oct. 24, 2022, Patterson pleaded guilty to participating in conspiracies to distribute methamphetamine and launder drug proceeds from Jan. 1, 2017, Sept. 1, 2018, to possessing a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime, and to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Patterson was arrested on Aug. 30, 2018, at a hotel in Phelps County, Mo. Officers found approximately one pound of methamphetamine (what remained from two pounds of methamphetamine Patterson brought to Phelps County from Kansas City, Mo.), $8,742 in cash, and drug paraphernalia in Patterson’s hotel room and car. The cash seized by officers was the proceeds of drug sales, which Patterson was supposed to return to his source in Kansas City. The drug-trafficking organization with which Patterson was associated was responsible for two murders. In August 2018, James Hampton was seized by members of the same drug-trafficking conspiracy that supplied Patterson with the Phelps County methamphetamine. Patterson was in St. Louis, Mo., with this group when Hampton was seized. Hampton was seized because conspirators thought he could help find the drugs and money stolen by co-conspirator David Richards. When they realized Hampton could not or would not help, he was restrained and beaten. Hampton was then transported from St. Louis to Kansas City, in the trunk of his car. Brittanie Broyles, who was with Hampton and witnessed him being beaten and restrained, was also taken to Kansas City. On Aug. 6, 2018, Hampton’s car and body were discovered burning in Bates City, Mo. On Aug. 8, 2018, Broyles’s body was recovered near Super Flea in the Northeast area of Kansas City. She had been murdered by two gunshots to her head. Witnesses and video identified Patterson following co-defendant Gerald Ginnings, 43, of Kansas City, Mo., in a co-conspirator’s car as Ginnings drove Hampton’s car to Bates City. Ginnings pleaded guilty on Friday, Oct. 21, to the same charges as Patterson and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 25, 2023. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Patterson has prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter, distributing a controlled substance, and tampering with physical evidence. Patterson is among 32 co-defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case and its companion case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bruce Rhoades and Robert M. Smith. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Sni Valley Fire Department, the Jackson, Lafayette, Buchanan, and Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Departments, the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the St. James, Mo., Police Department.


title: Colombian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for East Texas Drug Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas - A Colombian national has been sentenced to over 21 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs through the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Luis Fernando Toro Londono, also known as Don Alonso, La Vaca, and Don Hector, 56, of Medellin, Colombia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine knowing it would be distributed in the United States and was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant. According to information presented in court, in August 2017, federal drug agents were investigating a drug trafficking organization moving drugs from Colombia to Mexico via Costa Rica and Panama for eventual distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine in the United States. The organization used Go-Fast vessels and aircraft to transport most of their cocaine shipments to Central America and Mexico. Londono was identified as a Colombian based cocaine investor, smuggler, and money launderer that coordinated the dispatch of large cocaine shipments and coordinated the movement of drug proceeds throughout multiple countries and several cities in the United States. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas and Colombia and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez. ###


title: Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and Money Laundering

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison today after he was caught engaging in an identity theft and bank fraud scheme and illegally possessing an AK-style assault rifle while on supervision following his release from state prison. Quandre Leroy Hollingsworth, 30, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $73,904 in restitution to his victims. According to court documents, on May 24, 2019, Hollingsworth was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by police as part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering and fraud activity. Hollingsworth was arrested on a parole violation warrant for a state robbery conviction. During his arrest, officers found a wallet on Hollingsworth’s person containing multiple identification and credit cards bearing the names of other individuals. Officers also located a receipt for a storage locker rental. As the investigation continued, law enforcement located a fraud report from a local credit union submitted by one of the individuals whose identification cards was found in Hollingsworth’s wallet. Credit union surveillance footage obtained by law enforcement showed Hollingworth depositing four fraudulent checks and withdrawing cash between March 24-28, 2019. On July 15, 2019, a search warrant was obtained and executed on the storage locker matching the receipt found during investigators’ original traffic stop. Inside the locker, they located an AK-style assault rifle, ammunition, multiple pieces of stolen mail, passports, driver’s licenses, and birth certificates. Hollingsworth’s DNA profile was later matched to DNA recovered from the seized rifle. On July 20, 2022, Hollingsworth was charged by criminal complaint with one count of bank fraud. Later, on October 18, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Hollingsworth with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and conspiring to commit money laundering. On December 21, 2022, he pleaded guilty to both charges. This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau. It was prosecuted by Gregory R. Nyhus, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Great Falls woman admits possessing stolen mail, wire fraud crimes

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman who transported mail admitted today to possessing stolen mail and wire fraud charges after depositing checks she had overwritten with her name, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jacqueline Rose Hydock, 33, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail and wire fraud. Hydock faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Dec. 13. Hydock was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that Hydock was a driver for a Great Falls postal service contract route, and her job was to transport mail between the post office annex in Black Eagle and the main post office in downtown Great Falls. In May 2022, Hydock opened a new account at Montana Federal Credit Union and then made a series of check deposits using an ATM and drive-up window. The checks, issued by various individuals and placed in the mail, had been overwritten in a black felt pen, with the payee’s name changed to Hydock’s. In addition, a woman mailed a birthday card to her grandson and enclosed a Walmart gift card. When the card arrived, there was no gift card in the envelope, which had been opened and taped shut. An investigation determined that the gift card was used on May 22, 2022 in Great Falls, and photos showed Hydock and another individual at the register for the transaction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Anchorage Man on Child Pornography, Attempted Enticement Charges

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment today charging an Anchorage man with allegedly attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. According to court documents, Peter Joseph Hickel Jr., 33, was arrested on July 25 near Sunset Park in Anchorage after communicating with and attempting to meet an individual that he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. Hickel is charged with attempted production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251(a), attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2422(b), and possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2251A(a)(5). If convicted, Hickel faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska; and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has any information concerning Hickel’s alleged actions or may have encountered him in person, via text message or on an online messaging app, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously online at tips.fbi.gov . Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Vandergrift Resident Sentenced to 57 Months’ Imprisonment for Conviction of Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A former resident of Vandergrift, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to a total term of 57 months’ imprisonment followed by a three-year term of supervised release on his conviction of bank robbery, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Bradley Mondi, age 36. According to information presented to the court, on July 12, 2021, Mondi robbed the tellers working at the Apollo Trust Company Bank located in North Apollo, Pennsylvania of $6,666.00. Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Apollo Borough Police Department, and the Kiskiminetas Township Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Mondi.


title: Brooklyn Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms in Green Island

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Burlington E. Nieuenkirk, age 46, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty today to illegally possessing three loaded firearms as a felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. made the announcement. Nieuenkirk admitted that on April 30, 2020, he knowingly possessed three loaded pistols, one of which had been reported stolen, at a residence in Green Island, New York. A prior felony conviction for robbery prevented Nieuenkirk from legally possessing the firearms in New York. Nieuenkirk faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on December 11, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. This case was investigated by ATF and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office with assistance provided by the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Fulton County Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery Conspiracy and Firearms Charges

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Luke Kenna, a/k/a. “Lt,” age 44, of Gloversville, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to commit bank robbery and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Kenna admitted that between November 14 and November 27, 2022, he agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, New York, with two co-conspirators, Michael Brown, Jr. a.k.a. “Russ,” and Brian Tierney a.k.a. “Wodanaz.” Kenna, as part of that conspiracy, conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery, and Brown drove to New York to conduct surveillance of the bank with Kenna. Kenna also admitted that he possessed a rifle on November 6, 2022, after previously being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. The charges remain pending against Tierney, who has been arrested and detained pending a trial currently scheduled for October 30, 2023. The charges in his indictment are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Brown pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank robbery on June 23, 2023. Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on November 3, 2023. Sentencing for Kenna is scheduled for December 15, 2023, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Kenna faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. This case was investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes FBI Special Agents, and federal, state, and local investigators, including from the New York State Police. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.


title: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Wu Feng Zhang, age 54, a citizen of China residing in the Town of Colonie, New York, pled guilty today to transporting stolen property across state lines. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. Zheng admitted that between June and December 2022, he stole merchandise from home improvement stores in states including Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and New York, and transported those stolen items to his residence in Colonie. On January 11, 2023, HSI searched his residence and found about $100,000 in merchandise stolen from home improvement and other stores. At sentencing on December 15, 2023, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, Zhang faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. HSI, with assistance from Colonie Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.


title: Foreign National Sentenced to Nearly 22 Years in Prison for Mailing Ricin to President of the United States in 2020

body_text: WASHINGTON – Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier, 56, a dual citizen of Canada and France, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison for sending threatening letters containing homemade ricin (a toxin), in September 2020, to the White House and then-President Donald J. Trump, as well as to eight Texas State law enforcement officials. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr., of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. Ferrier pleaded guilty on January 25, 2023, to prohibitions with respect to biological weapons in two separate criminal cases before the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. One case was brought in the District of Columbia, and the other was brought in the Southern District of Texas and transferred to the District of Columbia for purposes of plea and sentencing. According to court documents, Ferrier admitted that she made ricin at her residence in Quebec, Canada, in September 2020. Ricin toxin is a deadly poison made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House. She also added it to envelopes she sent to eight Texas State law enforcement officials. Ferrier had been detained in the State of Texas for around ten weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and other weapons, and arrested her. Ferrier has remained in custody. In addition to the nearly 22-year term of imprisonment, Ferrier was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. The Court will also issue an order of judicial removal requiring that Ferrier be removed from the United States at the end of her term of imprisonment. The investigation was handled by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and San Antonio Field Office. Assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Friedman, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Assistant United States Attorneys Rob Jones, David Coronado, and David Lindenmuth, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and Trial Attorneys David Smith and Joseph Kaster, of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section.


title: Former D.C. Government Employee Indicted on Charges of Fraudulently Claiming District Residency to Obtain Benefits

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: Defendant Collected District Medicaid, Food Stamp, and Public Charter School Tuition, While Living in Virginia WASHINGTON – Michia Pardlow, 30, now residing in Washington, D.C., was indicted yesterday on 39 counts of fraud and other charges stemming from her false claims of District of Columbia residency, from 2016 to 2020, to obtain D.C. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid benefits, and free tuition for her two children to attend a D.C. Public Charter School. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia, and Brian Schwalb, Attorney General for the District of Columbia. This matter was initially discovered by the D.C. Department of Human Services and promptly referred to the D.C. Office of the Inspector General for investigation. Pardlow was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of first degree fraud, first degree theft, false statements, and forgery. Ms. Pardlow is to be arraigned on August 23, 2023, at a hearing before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld. The majority of the indicted charges are felony offenses, carrying a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. According to court documents in the case, Pardlow was a resident of Arlington, Virginia, from 2016 into 2020. The charging documents allege that she submitted signed applications, residency verification forms, and other documents to the District of Columbia’s Department of Human Services and Public Charter School Board claiming and verifying District residency. The charging documents also allege that in November 2017, she forged a residency verification letter. As a result, the documents allege, Pardlow was able to obtain District benefits to which she was not entitled. Non-District residents are ineligible to receive District SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits. Non-District residents who enroll their dependents in D.C. schools must apply as a non-resident and pay non-resident tuition. Court documents allege that she received more than $149,000 in fraudulent benefits. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General and is being jointly prosecuted by the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Public Corruption Section of the D.C. Office of the Attorney General. In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves, Inspector General Lucas, and Attorney General Schwalb commended the work of those investigating the case from the Office of Inspector General, including Special Agent Robert Partington. They acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Crystal Waddy. Finally, they commended the work of the late Bayly Leighton, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney detailed from the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, who initially investigated the case, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Simmons, who is investigating and prosecuting the case.


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Aggravated Assault and Other Charges for Disfiguring Woman With Boiling Liquid

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tesfay Teshale, 51, of Springfield, Virginia, was found guilty yesterday by a jury, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of aggravated assault while armed, malicious disfigurement while armed, and assault with a dangerous weapon for an assault that included pouring boiling liquid on the female victim, resulting in second-degree burns on her body, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for October 27, 2023. The defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for his crimes. The defendant and the victim had dated. According to the government’s evidence, when the victim decided to break off the relationship, the defendant stalked, harassed, and assaulted her because he could not handle the rejection. On June 14, 2019, the defendant cornered the victim, punched her multiple times in the face, knocked her down, and, while she was down, poured an urn of boiling liquid onto her. The defendant then left her there, bleeding, badly burned, and in extreme pain. The victim managed to call for help and District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel transported her to the hospital where she was treated for contusions, abrasions, and bruises to her face, as well as second-degree burns. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Yang, Zachary Horton, Cara Gardner, Emma McArthur, Chimnomnso Kalu, Nick Coleman, and Dan Lenerz, Paralegal Specialists ReShawn Johnson, Arielle Okpara, and Veronica Yale, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Cynthia Muhammad, Victim/Witness Advocate Rodgers Dickerson, Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Victim/Witness Services Coordinators Katina Adams-Washington, Tonya Jones, and Basizette Stribling, and interns Adam Russell, Izzy Metee, and Louis Villacci. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shakinah Douglas and Richard Kelley, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Ogoshi Brothers Plead Not Guilty During Arraignment

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Nigerian defendants extradited to United States after being indicted for being part of an international sexual extortion ring, causing death of Marquette teen MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, of Lagos, Nigeria, were arraigned on charges accusing them of sexually extorting numerous young men and teenage boys in the Western District of Michigan and across the United States. Samuel Ogoshi was also arraigned on a charge alleging that this sexual exploitation resulted in the suicide of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, of Marquette, Michigan. The Ogoshis pleaded not guilty after being formally advised of the charges against them during today’s arraignment. A detention hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 2023. “Today’s hearing is another step forward in the judicial process following the successful extradition of the Ogoshi brothers from Nigeria to the United States on last Sunday,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “My office is fully prepared to present the facts of the case during a fair trial.” On August 13, 2023, the Ogoshis were extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution after being indicted in November 2022 for sexual extortion. In November 2022, Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi were charged in a four-count indictment: Count 1 charges Samuel Ogoshi with Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Resulting in Death in association with the death of Jordan DeMay. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a statutory mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison. Count 2 charges both men with Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit Minors by causing the minors to produce child pornographic images that the defendants then used to blackmail the minors. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. Count 3 charges both men with Conspiracy to Distribute Child Pornography for sending the child pornography images to the minors, as well as their families and friends. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. Count 4 charges both men with Conspiracy to Commit Stalking Through the Internet for engaging in this sextortion scheme as it relates to both minors and young adults. The charge has a maximum penalty of five years in prison. All charges have provisions for fines, restitution, and supervised release after their release from prison. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Mekaru and Davin Reust, and investigated by the FBI, the Marquette Sheriff’s Department, and the Michigan State Police Cybercrimes Unit in Marquette with the cooperation and assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State provided critical assistance in seeking the extradition of the defendants. The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. For more information, below are the previous press releases and indictment. Two Nigerian Men Extradited to The United States After Being Indicted for International Sexual Extortion Ring Three Nigerian Men Awaiting Extradition for Committing Sexual Extortion Indictment # # #


title: Trip Set Gang Member Sentenced for His Role in a Firearms Conspiracy

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Duop Kek Yiel, a 29-year-old member of the Trip Set gang in Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 16, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 96 months’ imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and for the specific act of possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Yiel will begin an eight-year term of supervised release. Yiel was charged with possessing firearms beginning on or about January 3, 2021 and continuing to on or about September 18, 2022 that were connected to shootings done with other gang members and with possessing stolen, prohibited weapons, such as a stolen AK-47 that was recovered from a vehicle involved in a shooting and had Yiel’s fingerprints on it. Among the conduct tying Yiel to the conspiracy were a traffic stop in 2021 in which he and four other Trip Set members were in the vehicle. Officers located a loaded handgun. Several days before the stop, Yiel posted a video of himself with the handgun. During the time of the conspiracy, he posted numerous other videos of himself possessing firearms and large quantities of marijuana. Further, chats were recovered discussing him selling marijuana. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Mexican Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogue

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Orlando Castro-Gutierrez, 29, of Mexico, was sentenced today, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Castro-Gutierrez to 76 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue. After completing his sentence, Castro-Gutierrez will be placed on supervised release for 4 years. Castro-Gutierrez faces deportation from the United States following the service of his sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. On March 7, 2022, a Nebraska State Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle driven by co-defendant Alejandro Berrelleza-Bojorquez on Interstate 80 in Dawson County for speeding. Orlando Castro-Gutierrez was the passenger. The trooper smelled marijuana odor emanating from the vehicle, and the vehicle was searched. In the trunk, law enforcement found 10 triple-wrapped bags under clothing. Those bags contained about 10,000 pills. Law enforcement also found in the trunk 15 zip-lock baggies in a paper sack that contained about 15,000 pills. The vehicle was towed, and both men were arrested. Upon further search after the tow, law enforcement found a 1 kilogram-sized brick in a box in the trunk. Sample pills from the 10 wrapped bags were tested at the state lab, and the lab confirmed that they contained fentanyl. The pills in those ten wrapped bags weighed over one kilogram. Sample pills from the 15 zip-lock baggies were tested at the lab, and the lab determined they contained para-fluorofentanyl, a schedule I substance and analogue of fentanyl. The pills from those 15 baggies weighed about one and a half kilograms. The brick was tested at the lab as well, and the lab confirmed it contained fentanyl. Berrelleza-Bojorquez was sentenced on April 14, 2023, and received the same sentence. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to Four Years for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Justin D. Liekhus, 31, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 15, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to four years’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography. Liekhus was also sentenced to a ten-year term of supervised release to be served after he completes his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Liekhus pleaded guilty to his offense on May 17, 2023. Investigators with the Nebraska State Patrol received information from Dropbox, Inc. that certain user accounts had been storing child pornography. The IP address associated with those accounts tied back to Liekhus’s residence in Lincoln. On October 6, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Liekhus’s residence during which a laptop and a memory card were found. The laptop and a memory card contained multiple videos depicting minors, including prepubescent minors, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. During an interview with a Nebraska State Patrol investigator, Liekhus admitted the devices which contained the child pornography were his, and that he had been downloading child pornography. The investigation was conducted by the Nebraska State Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations and this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Lubbock Man Sentenced to 25 Years in the Eastern District of Texas for Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas - A Lubbock man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Javier Guerra, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant. According to information presented in court, between 2017 and 2018, law enforcement officers seized 10 kilograms of cocaine and $1,664,620 in U.S. currency from drug traffickers. An investigation into the drug trafficking revealed the drugs were being imported from Mexico and transported from the Rio Grande Valley to St. Louis, Missouri; Danville, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Meyers, Florida; and other areas. The investigation also revealed Mark Calzadias, Michael Calzadias, and Thomas Calzadias were the main sources of supply. It was determined that Guerra often ordered two shipments of cocaine per month for distribution in the Lubbock area. Those shipments contained from seven to 15 kilograms of cocaine each, with Guerra paying approximately $30,000 for each kilogram. Guerra maintained a storage unit in Lubbock where he kept the cocaine until distribution. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas and Lubbock and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez. ###


title: Idabel Resident Sentenced For Second Degree Murder

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Stewart Wayne Coffman, age 60, of Idabel, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for one count of second degree murder and 120 months in prison for one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Idabel Police Department, and the Idabel Fire Department. On June 16, 2022, a federal jury convicted Coffman of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. According to the trial testimony, on the night of October 5, 2017, Coffman beat the victim to death with a metal pipe. The victim’s body was discovered by Idabel firefighters two days later when they responded to a house fire at Coffman’s residence. The crimes occurred in McCurtain County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Stewart Wayne Coffman’s attempts to evade justice for his brutal crime are ended,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Coffman’s conviction and sentencing in federal court are additional proof that combatting violent crime in Indian Country remains a priority of this office.” The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Coffman will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.


title: Ada Resident Enters Plea To Federal Drug And Firearm Charges

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timothy Ray Brown, age 40, of Ada, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Department. The Indictment alleged that on March 10, 2022, Brown knowingly and intentionally possessed a quantity of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and knowingly possessed a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, United States Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Brown was remanded to custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Henryetta Resident Convicted Of Child Abuse

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Zion Alexander Canard, age 24, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, was found guilty of one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country following a federal bench trial. The non-jury trial consisted of the presentation of evidence on August 14, 2023, and concluded with the guilty verdict. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on September 12, 2022, Canard abused an infant, resulting in cuts, bruises, and a brain hemorrhage. The crime occurred in Hughes County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Glenpool Police Department. The Honorable Keith Starrett, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by appointment, presided over the trial in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Canard was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.


title: Two Pinterest Directors Resign from Nextdoor Board of Directors in Response to Justice Department’s Ongoing Enforcement Efforts Against Interlocking Directorates

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that two directors of Pinterest Inc. (Pinterest) have resigned their positions on the Board of Directors of Nextdoor Holdings Inc. (Nextdoor) in response to the Antitrust Division’s ongoing enforcement efforts around Section 8 of the Clayton Act. The division's enforcement initiative has led to fifteen interlocking director resignations from eleven boards. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to protect competition by preventing interlocking directorates that we believe violate Section 8 of the Clayton Act,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Andrew Forman of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Enforcement involving interlocking directorates will continue to be one of the top priorities of the Antitrust Division.” Section 8, which Congress made a per se violation of the antitrust laws, prohibits directors and officers from serving simultaneously on the boards of competitors, subject to limited exceptions. In response to the division’s Section 8 enforcement efforts, two directors who served on the boards of both Nextdoor and Pinterest resigned from the board of Nextdoor effective Aug. 1, without the directors or either company admitting liability. Nextdoor is a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Francisco. It is a large social network that connects users, businesses and other neighborhood stakeholders. Pinterest is a Delaware corporation headquartered in San Francisco. It is a leading social network and image sharing service. Anyone with information about potential interlocking directorates or any other potential violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov .


title: Hickory, N.C. Woman Is Charged With Embezzling More Than $900,000 From Employer

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury sitting in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment, charging Michelle Wilshire, 48, of Hickory, N.C., with multiple counts of wire fraud, tax fraud, and money laundering, for allegedly embezzling more than $900,000 from her employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office, and Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte. According to allegations in the indictment, from 2016 to 2021, Wilshire was employed by a family-owned business located in Conover, N.C., identified in court documents as Company A. During the relevant time, Wilshire was in charge of Company A’s Comdata account – a third-party payment processing and debit card issuing service – which Company A used for fleet management and payment services for its drivers. The indictment alleges that Wilshire executed a scheme to defraud her employer by issuing multiple Comdata prepaid debit cards in her name and in the names of other individuals, including former employees, fictitious employees, and current employees who were not aware the cards existed. Wilshire allegedly caused Comdata to load funds onto the prepaid debit cards, which the defendant then withdrew via ATM cash withdrawals. Between November 2017, and July 2021, Wilshire allegedly withdrew more than $528,000 from prepaid Comdata debit cards. In addition to the debit card scheme, Wilshire allegedly embezzled Company A’s funds by using Comdata’s Comchek and Comchek Mobile services to issue checks in the defendant’s name and to make multiple wire transfers into Wilshire’s personal bank account, totaling over $315,000. Wilshire also allegedly caused more than $58,000 of Company A’s funds to be transferred through Comdata into the bank account of a former company employee. According to allegations in the indictment, Wilshire also prepared and filed individual income tax returns for tax years 2017 through 2021, which did not include the additional funds Wilshire received through her embezzlement scheme. Wilshire is charged with six counts of wire fraud, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count; five counts of making and subscribing a false tax return, which carry a statutory maximum term of one year in prison per count; and two counts of money laundering which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. Wilshire’s initial court appearance in Charlotte has been scheduled for Tuesday, August 29, 2023, at 10:15 a.m. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked IRS-CI and USPIS for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Savage and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Pittsburgh Resident Pleaded Guilty and Was Sentenced for Conviction of Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA- A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 30 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release on his conviction of possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Christopher Pelzer, 33, formerly of Pittsburgh, PA. According to information presented to the court, Pelzer knowingly possessed 11 images and 13 videos containing child sexual abuse material, some of which depicted sadistic and masochistic conduct involving minors as young as 5 to 7 years old. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Colville noted the seriousness of the offense and its impact on minor victims. Judge Colville further ordered Pelzer to pay a $5000 special assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and a $1000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Homeland Security for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pelzer. 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.justice.gov/psc.


title: Mobridge Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Mobridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 14, 2023. Dana Aman, age 54, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a $1,000 fine, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Aman was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2022. He pleaded guilty on May 4, 2023. The conviction stemmed from an investigation that began when postal inspectors in South Dakota were notified that an international package had been intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The package originated in Navi Mumbai, India, and was addressed to Aman in Mobridge. The parcel was found to contain 50 boxes of silver blister packs containing orange pills, but labeled “Tapentadol Tablets 100 mg” for a total of 5,000 tablets. Tapentadol is a Schedule II controlled substance. During the course of the investigation Aman admitted that he would receive multiple pill packages, containing thousands of pills, from the source in India and then repackage and mail the pills to various individuals across the United States. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspector and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan N. Dilges prosecuted the case. Aman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.