title: Omaha Company and Company President Plead Guilty to Covid Related Crimes

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced today that Quin Global, an entity incorporated in Nebraska, entered pleas of guilty to mail fraud and selling an unregistered pesticide. Matthew Petersen, age 39, of Omaha, Nebraska, the President of Quin Global, entered a plea of guilty to selling an unregistered pesticide. Both Quin Global and Petersen entered the pleas of guilty at hearings on March 19, 2024, in front of Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. Chief Judge Rossiter scheduled Petersen’s sentencing hearing for July 19, 2024, at 10:00 AM and Quin Global’s sentencing hearing for July 19, 2024, at 10:30 AM. For the mail fraud count, Quin Global faces a maximum possible penalty of 5 years’ probation and a minimum of 1 year probation, a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or loss (whichever is higher), and a mandatory special assessment of $400 per count. For the sale of the unregistered pesticide, Quin Global faces a maximum possible penalty of 5 years’ probation, a fine of $200,000 or twice the gross gain or loss (whichever is higher), and a mandatory special assessment of $125. Petersen faces a maximum of 1 year in prison, a $50,000 fine, a year term of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), 7 U.S.C. § 136 et seq. , regulates the distribution, sale, and use of all pesticides in the United States, including antimicrobial pesticides. Antimicrobial pesticides are substances used to destroy or suppress the growth of harmful microorganisms – such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – on inanimate objects and surfaces. All pesticides distributed or sold in the United States must be registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”). Registrants of antimicrobial pesticide products that claim to control microbes that pose a threat to public health must additionally submit efficacy data to support these public health claims. Quin Global is located in Omaha, Nebraska and is a manufacturer of adhesive and tool systems. Matthew Petersen is the President of Quin Global. In March 2020, Quin Global began efforts to expand its business by manufacturing and selling pesticides. Quin Global initially contacted a company formerly known as Lonza, Inc. seeking to become a supplemental distributor of Lonza Inc.’s product Formulation HWS-64. Lonza, Inc. informed Quin Global that it would take months to enter into a legally permissible agreement. In response, Quin Global purchased the product from, Buckeye International, a supplemental distributor of Lonza, Inc. The product Quin Global purchased from Buckeye International was being marketed as Buckeye Sanicare Lemon Quat. Quin Global began diluting and repackaging this product into its own proprietary pressurized canister and application systems. Quin Global sold this diluted product as a Quin Global product named Ramsol-RS1 which it marketed as being “EPA-approved” and as being effective against the COVID virus. The product being sold by Quin Global was not “EPA-approved” nor was it registered with the EPA pursuant to FIFRA since Quin Global never sought registration for the product. In April 2020, Quin Global consulted a regulatory consultant, Delta Analytical, regarding the feasibility of registering Ramsol-RS1 product, which Quin Global was already manufacturing and distributing. Quin Global was informed of the requirements and did not seek to comply with the required EPA FIFRA registration requirements. From April 2020 through July 2020, Quin Global distributed Ramsol-RS1 to 73 of its distributors in the United States of America and Canada. These distributors then supplied the product to their own retail customers. Quin Global received numerous inquiries from customers about the product’s validity and efficacy. Quin Global repeatedly assured their customers that its product would be effective against viruses and cited to the EPA registration for the Lonza/Buckeye product. Lonza’s Formulation HWS-64 was listed on the EPA’s List N in March of 2020 as being approved for use against SARS-CoV-2 with the instructions that the product be utilized in accordance with directions for use against Adenovirus Type 7. Similarly, Buckeye Sanicare Lemon Quat was also listed on the EPA’s List N for use against SARS-CoV-2 at a specified concentration. For most of its accepted disinfection uses it is to be diluted at a 1/64 concentration, or 2 ounces per gallon of water. For Adenovirus Type 7 it is to be used at a higher concentration dilution of 8 ounces per gallon of water. On or about April 24, 2020, Quin Global shipped 72 22-liter containers and 20 7-L containers of Ramsol-RS1 from Omaha, Nebraska to a downstream distributor, Chemical Concepts Inc., in Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania, using R&L carriers, a commercial interstate carrier. In June 2020, investigators with the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division conducted undercover purchases of 7-liter canisters of Ramsol-RS1 from Chemical Concepts and Panther East in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Chemical Concepts and Panther East are downstream distributors for Quin Global. The two 7-Liter canisters of Ramsol-RS1 that were purchased from Chemical Concepts and Panther East were sent to the EPA National Enforcement Investigation Center (NEIC) for further testing. The NEIC found Quin Global’s product to be significantly diluted, with active ingredients being diluted more than 100 times than the product should be if diluted at 8 ounces per gallon. The Ramsol-RS1 product was also diluted well beyond what it should have been if diluted at 2 oz per gallon of water with active ingredients being diluted more than 25 times what they should have been. Ramsol-RS1 was diluted to a point well beyond efficacy against viruses and, specifically, the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Between April 2020 and July 2020, Quin Global, advertising this product as being EPA approved and as being effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, sold approximately $1.4 million worth of Ramsol-RS1 and $185,000 in related equipment. Specifically, Quin Global sold 1,148 7-liter containers and 3,363 22-liter containers. Quin Global stopped sales after being confronted by the EPA. This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division.


title: Former Maury County Corrections Officer Sentenced for Obstructing Federal Civil Rights Investigation into Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with an Inmate

component: Civil Rights - Criminal Section

body_text: NASHVILLE – A former corrections officer with the Maury County, Tennessee, Jail, James Stewart Justice, was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release. A federal jury previously convicted Justice of falsifying a record in a federal civil rights investigation for a report he wrote in response to allegations that he had sexually abused an inmate in his custody. “Corrections officers are entrusted with immense power over the inmates in their care. The vast majority of them carry out their important jobs with honor and integrity,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “This prosecution, and the sentence imposed last week, however, should serve as a reminder that we will not hesitate to hold corrections officers accountable when they violate the law and the public trust.” “This defendant abused his authority as a corrections officer to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Law enforcement officers who oversee our jails and prisons have a responsibility to protect people in their custody. Officers must treat allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and document them carefully. We will continue holding officers accountable when they abuse their position of power to cover up their unlawful conduct.” “This sentence is the result of relentless efforts by the FBI to bring to justice corrections personnel who abuse their position of trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure the physical safety and civil rights of all individuals and ensure that any public servant who abuses their authority is held accountable.” According to court documents, the defendant, formerly known as James Stewart Thomas, wrote an official report for the Maury County Jail in response to allegations that he had sexually abused an inmate he had guarded in a hospital room while the inmate recovered from major surgery. In his report, Justice falsely claimed that he had reported to two Maury County Jail supervisors that an inmate had made sexual advances toward him while the inmate was in his custody at the hospital, falsely claimed that those two Maury County Jail supervisors both advised him not to write a report about the inmate’s alleged sexual advances and omitted a claim he later made to criminal investigators that he had a sexual relationship with the inmate after the inmate’s release from custody. The FBI Memphis Field Office, Nashville Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Former energy company president convicted in $5.5M illegal kickback conspiracy and commodities insider trading scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - The former president of a Texas energy company has pleaded guilty to an illegal kickback scheme and a commodities insider trading scheme involving natural gas futures contracts. Matthew Clark, 56, Needville, entered his plea March 15, admitting he conspired with others to direct his employer’s trades to Classic Energy LLC in exchange for illegal kickbacks. Specifically, Clark accepted more than $5.5 million in illegal kickbacks, which were generated from commission fees his employer paid to Classic Energy. Classic Energy is a brokerage firm Matthew Webb, 54, Tiki Island, owned and operated. “Matthew Clark made millions trading in natural gas commodities, but unlike most Houston traders, he made his money illegally through the use of kickback schemes involving associates, relatives and his employer’s proprietary insider information,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “The natural gas futures contract market is an integral part of Houston’s economy, and to preserve the integrity of that system, it is important that commodity traders who buy and sell those contracts not engage in illegal and unfair practices. That’s why my office is committed to holding those accountable, like Clark, who use kickbacks and inside information to enrich themselves at the expense of the public’s trust in the U.S. markets.” “Matthew Clark steered his company’s commodities trading business to a broker in exchange for over $5.5 million in illegal kickbacks. He also misappropriated confidential information about his company’s planned commodities trades and used that information to enrich himself and his co-conspirators,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “When corporate insiders engage in insider trading and other deceptive trade practices for their own financial gain, they don’t just harm the company—they undermine the integrity of our financial markets. This groundbreaking investigation was the first to result in criminal convictions for commodities insider trading. It will not be the last.” Clark also misappropriated his employer’s material nonpublic information and engaged in prohibited commodities transactions. Webb, through Classic Energy, brokered Clark’s natural gas futures trades with counterparties who were identified in advance of executing the trades. The predetermined counterparties included John Ed James, 54, Katy, and Peter Miller, 49, Puerto Rico. Clark, Webb, James and Miller then shared the net profits generated from these illegal prearranged trades. “The FBI and its partners will continue to relentlessly pursue those who engage in illegal kickback schemes,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This plea should make it known to others that participate in illicit activity that threatens the integrity of our financial systems that there are consequences to your actions.” Clark pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, one count of prohibited commodities transaction and one count of commodities insider trading. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 24 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the honest services wire fraud conspiracy count and 10 years in prison on each of the prohibited commodities transaction and insider trading counts. Webb pleaded guilty in June 2021 to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud and to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act, while James admitted in February 2021 to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud. Miller entered his plea in February 2022 to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud. Miller is set for sentencing June 20, while Webb and James are scheduled for July 1. In two other related cases, Marcus Schultz, 44, Houston, and Lee Tippett, 64, of Jacksonville, Florida, were convicted in July 2020 and August 2021, respectively. Schultz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act. Tippett entered his plea to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and honest services wire fraud and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Murphy is prosecuting the case along with Assistant Chief Leslie S. Garthwaite and Trial Attorneys Della Sentilles and David Hamstra of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.


title: Former President of Energy Company Pleads Guilty to $5.5M Illegal Kickback Conspiracy and Commodities Insider Trading Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The former president of a Texas energy company pleaded guilty last week to an illegal kickback scheme and a commodities insider trading scheme involving natural gas futures contracts. According to court documents, Matthew Clark, 56, of Needville, Texas, conspired with others to direct his employer’s trades to Classic Energy LLC, a brokerage firm owned and operated by Matthew Webb, 54, of Tiki Island, Texas, in exchange for illegal kickbacks. Specifically, Clark accepted more than $5.5 million in illegal kickbacks, which were generated from commission fees paid by his employer to Classic Energy. “Matthew Clark steered his company’s commodities trading business to a broker in exchange for over $5.5 million in illegal kickbacks. He also misappropriated confidential information about his company’s planned commodities trades and used that information to enrich himself and his co-conspirators,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “When corporate insiders engage in insider trading and other deceptive trade practices for their own financial gain, they don’t just harm the company — they undermine the integrity of our financial markets. This groundbreaking investigation was the first to result in criminal convictions for commodities insider trading. It will not be the last.” “Matthew Clark made millions trading in natural gas commodities, but unlike most Houston traders, he made his money illegally through the use of kickback schemes involving associates, relatives, and his employer’s proprietary insider information,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “The natural gas futures contract market is an integral part of Houston’s economy, and to preserve the integrity of that system, it is important that commodity traders who buy and sell those contracts not engage in illegal and unfair practices. That’s why my office is committed to holding those accountable, like Clark, who use kickbacks and inside information to enrich themselves at the expense of the public’s trust in the U.S. markets.” Clark also misappropriated his employer’s material nonpublic information and engaged in prohibited commodities transactions. Webb, through Classic Energy, brokered Clark’s natural gas futures trades with counterparties who were identified in advance of executing the trades. The predetermined counterparties included John Ed James, 54, of Katy, Texas, and Peter Miller, 49, of Puerto Rico. Clark, Webb, James, and Miller then shared the net profits generated from these illegal prearranged trades. “The FBI and its partners will continue to relentlessly pursue those who engage in illegal kickback schemes,” said Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This plea should make it known to others that participate in illicit activity that threatens the integrity of our financial systems that there are consequences to your actions.” “The FBI Houston Field Office is proud to have spearheaded this first-of-its-kind criminal commodities insider trading case,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Securities and commodities fraud may be a non-violent crime but it’s certainly not victimless – it damages the public’s confidence in the U.S. markets and stacks the deck against fair traders and investors.” Clark pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, one count of prohibited commodities transaction, and one count of commodities insider trading. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the honest services wire fraud conspiracy count and 10 years in prison on each of the prohibited commodities transaction and insider trading counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Webb pleaded guilty in June 2021 to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud and to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act; James pleaded guilty in February 2021 to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and wire fraud; and Miller pleaded guilty in February 2022 to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud. Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20. Webb and James are scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. In two other related cases, Marcus Schultz, 44, of Houston, and Lee Tippett, 64, of Jacksonville, Florida, pleaded guilty in July 2020 and August 2021, respectively. Schultz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to violate various provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act, and Tippett pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and honest services wire fraud. Tippett was sentenced on Feb. 20 to two years and nine months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Schultz is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. The FBI Houston Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant Chief Leslie S. Garthwaite and Trial Attorneys Della Sentilles and David Hamstra of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grace Murphy for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.


title: Atlanta man sentenced to prison for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 small-business relief funding

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: An Atlanta man who provided phony documentation to receive small business pandemic relief payments has been sentenced to prison and ordered to repay the funding. Kemar Clarke Jr., 28, of Atlanta, has been sentenced to eight months in prison and ordered to pay $41,665 in restitution, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Clarke to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. “When Congress approved relief funding for small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, far too many people saw it as an opportunity to cash in at the expense of deserving business owners,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We are committed to holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.” The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized the Small Business Administration to provide and/or guarantee loans to keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic’s financial challenges. One of the programs provided forgivable loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). As described in court documents and testimony, agents from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division at Fort Stewart determined that a paralegal specialist serving in the U.S. Army at Hunter Army Airfield had fraudulently obtained a PPP loan for a non-existent barber shop. The investigation also determined that the soldier, after receiving $20,832 in PPP funding, then paid an $8,000 kickback to Clarke for submitting the application on his behalf. The investigation also determined that Clarke also had fraudulently obtained PPP funding for $20,832 – the maximum amount available to a sole proprietor. The restitution amount reflects the total PPP payouts. “Unscrupulous actors engaged in PPP fraud have pilfered taxpayer dollars and undermined public trust in government programs.” said Steven Ausfeldt, Special Agent in Charge of Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Southeast Field Office. “We will continue to aggressively pursue fraudsters who try to defraud the U.S. Army and hold them accountable for exploiting government programs for their own profit.” The case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Josephson and David H. Estes. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Former Tennessee County Corrections Officer Sentenced for Obstructing Federal Civil Rights Investigation into Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with an Inmate

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former corrections officer with the Maury County, Tennessee, Jail, James Stewart Justice, was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release. A federal jury previously convicted Justice of falsifying a record in a federal civil rights investigation for a report he wrote in response to allegations that he had sexually abused an inmate in his custody. “This defendant abused his authority as a corrections officer to cover up allegations of sexual misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Law enforcement officers who oversee our jails and prisons have a responsibility to protect people in their custody. Officers must treat allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and document them carefully. We will continue holding officers accountable when they abuse their position of power to cover up their unlawful conduct.” “Corrections officers are entrusted with immense power over the inmates in their care. The vast majority of them carry out their important jobs with honor and integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “This prosecution, and the sentence imposed last week, however, should serve as a reminder that we will not hesitate to hold corrections officers accountable when they violate the law and the public trust.” “This sentence is the result of relentless efforts by the FBI to bring to justice corrections personnel who abuse their position of trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to ensure the physical safety and civil rights of all individuals and ensure that any public servant who abuses their authority is held accountable.” According to court documents, the defendant, formerly known as James Stewart Thomas, wrote an official report for the Maury County Jail in response to allegations that he had sexually abused an inmate he had guarded in a hospital room while the inmate recovered from major surgery. In his report, Justice falsely claimed that he had reported to two Maury County Jail supervisors that an inmate had made sexual advances toward him while the inmate was in his custody at the hospital, falsely claimed that those two Maury County Jail supervisors both advised him not to write a report about the inmate’s alleged sexual advances and omitted a claim he later made to criminal investigators that he had a sexual relationship with the inmate after the inmate’s release from custody. The FBI Memphis Field Office, Nashville Resident Agency investigated the case. Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda J. Klopf for the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.


title: Final Defendant in 2020 Drive-by-Shooting of Court Security Officers Sentenced to Life in Prison

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Robert Alvin Justus Jr., 34, of Millbrae, California, was sentenced on Friday to life in prison for his role in the May 29, 2020, drive-by shooting at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, California, that resulted in the murder of Protective Services Officer (PSO) Dave Patrick Underwood and the attempted murder of a second PSO. In 2022, Justus’s co-defendant, Steven Carrillo, was sentenced to 41 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his role in the crimes. “With this sentence, the Justice Department has ensured that both of the defendants responsible for brutally murdering a law enforcement officer and seriously wounding another are held accountable for their heinous crimes,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Law enforcement officers serve their communities at great risk to themselves, and anyone who targets these brave men and women will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.” According to court documents, Justus was convicted by a jury of aiding and abetting the murder and attempted murder following a two-week trial. The evidence established that Justus was the driver of the vehicle from which Steven Carrillo, 35, of Santa Cruz, fired the gunshots that killed Officer Underwood and wounded the second officer. On May 29, 2020, at approximately 9:27 p.m., Justus parked a white Ford Econoline van directly across the street from the federal courthouse building in Oakland on Jefferson Street. The van was on the southeast corner in the spot closest to the intersection with an unobstructed view of the guard post where Officer Underwood and his partner that evening stood guard to protect the building and its occupants. At approximately 9:44 p.m., the exterior lights of the van turned on and Justus drove the van north on Jefferson Street toward the guard post. The passenger-side sliding door opened, and Carrillo fired numerous rounds from an AR-style rifle toward the guard post, killing Officer Underwood and seriously injuring his partner. The image below shows the shooting in progress as Justus drove the white van across the intersection is from a courthouse security camera and was in evidence at trial. From a courthouse security camera, the image shows the shooting in progress as Justus drove the white van across the intersection. The trial ending in Justus’s conviction contained ominous evidence of the leadup to participation in the drive-by shooting. For example, Justus and Carrillo shared an allegiance to an anti-government movement called Boogaloo. In February 2020, Justus commented on Facebook that he had a “bloodlust for police,” and in April 2020, he corresponded with an armed anti-government militia group he was interested in joining. On May 27, 2020, Justus posted an image depicting a police officer being shot in the head with a caption reading “Speak to cops in a language they understand.” In addition, on the day before the shooting, Carrillo posted a video of a mob attacking police cruisers and commented, “[T]his needs to be nationwide. It’s a great opportunity to target the specialty soup bois” – a Boogaloo slang term for federal agents. Justus responded to Carrillo’s post that same day, writing “Let’s boogie.” The trial evidence demonstrated that, on the day of the shooting, Carrillo and Justus planned to capitalize on protests being planned in Oakland in response to the death of George Floyd. They hoped their attack would spark further anti-government violence. Carrillo and Justus met in a parking lot in San Leandro before the two circled the downtown area in Oakland several times. In the hour leading up to the shooting, Justus exited the van twice to scout the area on foot and locate targets. Investigators from the FBI, Oakland Police Department and other agencies located security video footage from numerous locations throughout Oakland showing Justus’s movements on both occasions when he left the white van but returned before the shooting. After the shooting, Justus drove Carrillo back to Millbrae and the two separated. The incident set off an eight-day manhunt. During this time, Justus destroyed digital and physical evidence connecting him to the shooting, continued to post anti-law enforcement content on Facebook and corresponded with Carrillo about meeting in the future. Eventually, Carrillo was captured at his residence in Ben Lomond, California, but not before Carrillo killed a Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputy and injured another. Several days later, Justus became aware that he was under investigation and travelled to the Federal Building in San Francisco where he met with the FBI and admitted to his involvement in the shooting. On Feb. 11, 2022, Carrillo pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the May 29, 2020, shooting – use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death and attempted murder of a person assisting an officer of the U.S. government. On June 3, 2022, Judge Gonzalez Rogers sentenced Carrillo to serve 41 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his role in the crimes. Carrillo also received a life sentence in Santa Cruz County Superior Court in connection with his murder of the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputy. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Protective Service, and U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case, with assistance from the Oakland Police Department and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan U. Lee and John C. Bostic for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: Four Men Sentenced for $18M Global Investment Fraud Scheme

body_text: Four men were sentenced last week for participating in an eight-year investment fraud and money laundering scheme that defrauded over a dozen victims around the world out of more than $18 million. John C. Nock, 55, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, founder of The Brittingham Group, was sentenced on March 14 to 20 years and 10 months in prison; Brian Brittsan, 67, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced on March 14 to 10 years in prison; Kevin Griffith, 68, of Orem, Utah, was sentenced on March 15 to 12 years and six months in prison; and Alexander Ituma, 57, of Lehi, Utah, was sentenced on March 15 to eight years and four months in prison. “For nearly a decade, the defendants brazenly and repeatedly lied to investors, defrauding them out of more than $18 million and laundering the proceeds of their crime through a complex web of bank accounts around the world,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants have now been held to account for their crimes. The sentences imposed last week reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to rooting out investment fraud and protecting Americans’ financial security.” According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, between at least 2013 and 2021, Nock, Brittsan, Griffith, and Ituma conspired to engage in an investment fraud scheme through The Brittingham Group, a purported investment firm that claimed to have access to exclusive investment opportunities, including deals involving the monetization of foreign bank guarantees. Together, the four defendants falsely represented the nature of their investment offerings and made guarantees to victims regarding the safety and security of their funds. The defendants also promised victims outsized returns, to be paid in a short period of time, which the defendants could not and did not ever produce. To promote and conceal the conspiracy, Nock and Brittsan directed victims to send their money to bank accounts that Griffith, Ituma, and other co-conspirators controlled, and created fake documents to send to victims to make the investment appear legitimate and to be progressing. Once the money was in the hands of the co-conspirators, the defendants transferred victim money through a complex web of worldwide bank accounts. “For years, the defendants’ blatant and egregious investment fraud scheme used false promises to bilk investors out of millions of dollars of their hard-earned money,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “IRS-CI is proud of their joint efforts with the Justice Department and the FBI to hold Nock, Brittsan, Griffith, and Ituma accountable for their greed. The women and men of IRS-CI will continue to band together with their law enforcement partners to pursue those who commit financial crimes and steal from trusting individuals.” “The victims in this case were promised lucrative investment opportunities, but what they got was a conspiracy of lies and fraud,” said Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “These defendants stole more than $18 million from over a dozen victims through a years-long fraud scheme, and the sentences they received last week will help hold them accountable for their crimes.” In August 2023, the defendants were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, multiple counts of wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Nock was also convicted of money laundering for using victim funds to pay a prior debt unrelated to The Brittingham Group. IRS-CI and the FBI investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas provided invaluable assistance. Trial Attorneys Philip Trout, Vasanth Sridharan, and Sara A. Hallmark of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.


title: Kansas car dealer indicted for rolling back odometers

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN.– A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas businessman with 27 counts of criminal misconduct connected to altering vehicle odometers. According to court documents, Adam Newbrey, 31, of Derby operated three used car dealerships in Wichita including Ideal Motors, Midwest Wholesale, and Prestige Motors. In 2020 and 2021, Newbrey allegedly purchased used vehicles in Kansas and Oklahoma, altered the odometers, and then used fraudulent documents to obtain titles from the Kansas Department of Revenue reflecting the falsified odometer readings. He is also accused of using the titles with the mispresented mileage to defraud customers who purchased vehicles. Newbrey is charged with: • one count of conspiracy to commit odometer fraud, • nine counts of odometer tampering, • seven counts of mail fraud, • nine counts of aggravated identity theft, and • one count of wire fraud. The defendant made his initial court appearance March 15, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks Severson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. The Kansas Department of Revenue – Office of Special Investigations and the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deb Barnett is prosecuting the case. 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: Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms, drug charges

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Newly returned indictments in the Southern District of Georgia include felony charges for illegal firearms possession and drug distribution, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges. “Illegally possessed firearms continue to present a challenge for law enforcement agencies, including the increasing threat from guns illegally modified for fully automatic fire,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will target these illegal weapons and remove them to make our streets safer.” The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns. Those indicted during the March term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include: Jacorey Rivers , 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Possession of a Machinegun; and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 or More Grams of Fentanyl; Christopher Michael Owens , a/k/a “Lambo,” 41, Robert Michael Waltz , a/k/a “Hurricane,” both of Hinesville, Ga., and Juan Carlos Rosado Morla , 27, of Gainesville, Ga., charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses. Owens and Waltz are charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine; Waltz and Morla are charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine, and Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Cocaine; Owens is charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and Morla is charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Marijuana and 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Garland D. Williams , 55, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime; James Timothy Johnson , 30, of Waycross, Ga., charged with Possession of a Machinegun; and, Christopher Jeramy Blair , 44, of Pembroke, Ga., charged with Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include: Chester Morgan , 53, of Savannah, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Morgan in May 2023 after finding a co-worker’s stolen pistol in his vehicle. Wesley Rosenberg , 25, of Ludowici, Ga., was sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to Engaging in the Firearms Business Without a License. An ATF investigation determined Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers. Isaac C. Brown , 40, of Guyton, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Georgia Ports Authority police conducting enhanced screenings at the Garden City Terminal found a pistol inside Brown’s truck in March 2023. Joshua Bowser , 29, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found Bowser in possession of a semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine while serving an arrest warrant related to a shooting in Savannah’s City Market. Kenneth Oliver Riley , 60, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers found a revolver in Riley’s pocket during a shooting investigation. Brian Wesley Dean, 45, of Bloomingdale, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Pooler police officers found a pistol in Dean’s possession during a traffic stop. Jose Miguel Marrero , 27, and his mother Jacqueline Christmas , 50, both of Statesboro, Ga., each await sentencing after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. An ATF investigation determined that Marrero and Christmas purchased multiple handguns from a Bulloch County gun store, falsely claiming that Marrero was the buyer of the guns when they were actually purchased by and delivered to Christmas’ brother-in-law in New York. The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473


title: Pennsylvania Resident Sentenced to Statutory Maximum of 30 Years in Prison for Shooting Death of Oconee County Man

body_text: ATHENS, Ga. – A Pennsylvania resident convicted of federal charges resulting from the lengthy investigation into the shooting death of an Oconee County, Georgia, man was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 30 years in prison for his crimes in federal court today. Ahkil Nasir Crumpton aka “Crump,” 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 240 months in prison for interference with commerce by attempted robbery and 120 months in prison for false statement during the purchase of a firearm for a total of 360 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman “Tripp” Self, III on March 18. Crumpton was found guilty by a federal jury of all counts on Oct. 25, 2023. The defendant is not eligible for parole. Crumpton is facing state charges for murder and other offenses in Georgia. “Ahkil Crumpton’s violent crime ended Elijah Wood’s young life and has been the cause of immeasurable pain to many people in the Oconee County community and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Local, state and federal agencies have worked tirelessly to seek justice on behalf of Elijah. Our hope is the conclusion of the federal case offers some peace for all those who have been affected by this tragedy.” “Crumpton’s crime was senseless, tragic and irreversible,” said Robert Gibbs, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Athens office. “This sentencing reflects the commitment of the FBI to working with our law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable to greatest extent the law allows. We hope that Elijah Wood’s family can find some sense of healing and justice in this sentence.” “NIBIN is proven technology used to link the criminal use of firearms with the person who pulled the trigger,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “In this case, NIBIN allowed investigators to successfully connect both shootings to the defendant. Working alongside our local, state and federal partners, ATF is committed to using every resource at our disposal to reduce violent crime and hold violent offenders accountable.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Crumpton was alone when he entered the RaceTrac gas station and convenience store on Macon Highway in Watkinsville, Georgia, on March 19, 2021, where Elijah Wood was working as the store clerk, filling in for a sick coworker. Crumpton’s face was covered, and he was wearing dark clothing and football gloves. There was another customer in the store; Crumpton is seen on surveillance video exiting and then returning at 1:15 a.m. Upon his return, Crumpton approached Wood, who was standing behind the counter at the cash register. Crumpton pointed a Glock 19 pistol with a weapon mounted light at Wood, firing one round at close range towards Wood, striking him in the chest. Wood’s girlfriend testified at trial that she was on a FaceTime call with Wood at the time. Crumpton ran out of the store without taking any money or merchandise. Wood died at the scene. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) located one 9mm shell casing from the counter between two of the cash registers. Four months later, on July 17, 2021, Crumpton was seen exiting the South Street Diner at 140 South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 3:18 a.m. to retrieve a Glock 43 pistol from a vehicle and was approached by Anthony Jones. Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the encounter between Jones and Crumpton. Jones brandished a silver handgun and pointed it at Crumpton, then appeared to grab the car keys out of Crumpton’s left hand. Jones forcefully removed the Glock 43 pistol from Crumpton’s right pocket while simultaneously holding him at gunpoint. When Jones turned around following the robbery and began to run away, Crumpton pulled a Glock 19 pistol from his waistband and fired 13 gunshots that ultimately struck and killed Jones. The spent 9mm shell casings ejected from Crumpton’s handgun were collected by law enforcement and later submitted to ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) for comparison testing. The analysis confirmed that the firearm used in the RaceTrac murder in Oconee County, Georgia, was the same firearm used in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shooting. On the morning of March 16, 2022, FBI and ATF agents arrested Crumpton in Philadelphia on a murder warrant issued out of the Superior Court of Oconee County, Georgia. Crumpton jumped out of his bedroom window to escape arrest, but he was taken into custody by FBI SWAT following a chase. Inside Crumpton’s bedroom, agents located the Glock 19 pistol in his backpack that was confirmed in ballistics testing to be the one used in the shooting deaths of Elijah Wood in Oconee County and Anthony Jones in Philadelphia. In addition, agents found items of clothing worn by Crumpton in both shooting deaths and a loaded AR-15 rifle. Crumpton was a former member of the University of Georgia (UGA) football team, where he played wide receiver during the 2017 and 2018 season and attended UGA as a student from the fall of 2017 to the spring of 2021, although he did not graduate. At the time of Elijah Wood’s murder, Crumpton resided at an apartment in Watkinsville, Georgia, less than two miles from the RaceTrac, with his teammate Juwan Taylor. Taylor testified at trial that Crumpton came to their apartment after the shooting holding the pistol and was visibly upset saying, “I didn’t mean to do it – I just wanted the money, I just shot him at the store, at the store.” Crumpton explained further that when he lifted the gun up, it “just went off.” Taylor said he was frightened for his own safety and did not tell anyone. In July 2021, Crumpton returned to live in his hometown of Philadelphia. Co-defendant James North Armstrong, 35, of Commerce, Georgia, testified that Crumpton was a client of his at his tattoo studio. Armstrong testified that Crumpton asked him to purchase a gun for him. Armstrong admitted that he illegally purchased the Glock 19 for Crumpton on Feb. 8, 2021, at the Franklin Gun Shop in Athens, Georgia, by falsely claiming to be the buyer on the Firearms Transaction Record-Form 4473 when Crumpton was the actual buyer. It is a federal offense to lie on Form 4473. Armstrong pleaded guilty to one count of false statement during the purchase of a firearm on Oct. 3, 2023, and faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for Armstrong is March 20. Crumpton was originally indicted on four federal charges (for more information, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/federal-murder-attempted-robbery-firearms-charges-filed-shooting-death-oconee-county ). The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in United States v. Taylor, handed down a month and ten days after Crumpton’s federal indictment, found that attempted Hobbs Act robbery was not a crime of violence. Therefore, Counts Two and Three in Crumpton’s original indictment were dismissed prior to trial. This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, please visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin . The case was investigated by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, GBI, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Morrison and Daniel Peach prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: U.S. Attorney Dena J. King Leads Panel Discussion With Student Government Representatives On Youth Violence Prevention and Intervention

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Forty-eight student government representatives from high schools in North Carolina’s westernmost counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians gathered today at the Cherokee High School on the Qualla Boundary for the 2024 Western North Carolina Student Council Spring Conference (WNC Conference). The annual conference is an opportunity for high school student leaders to exchange ideas and information on important topics that impact their schools, network with other student body representatives, and collaborate on how to engage their campus communities. WNC Conference organizers invited U.S. Attorney Dena J. King again this year to lead a panel on youth violence disruption, prevention and intervention. During the panel discussion, U.S. Attorney King shared information on the contributing factors of youth violence and encouraged students to trade ideas with their peers on how to prevent and stop incidents of violence in their schools. U.S. Attorney King also stressed the important role student governments play in facilitating solutions that can reduce acts of violence and enhance safe learning. Over the course of the panel, students had an opportunity to ask questions and share their perspectives on the causes and circumstances that may lead to youth violence and offered possible remedies to help reduce violence on school grounds. “Student council members are elected to be the students’ voice within their schools and represent the interests, concerns and needs of their peers,” said U.S. Attorney King. “As student leaders, they are also tasked with raising issues that may impact academic achievement and prevent students from thriving in their classrooms. I encourage all students attending the conference to network with each other, share their experiences, and facilitate ideas that can be implemented in their own high schools.” U.S. Attorney King also stressed the importance of developing effective communication and leadership skills, increasing student involvement within the community, and facilitating positive interactions with law enforcement. U.S. Attorney King noted, “Today’s event is an opportunity to connect with student leaders, encourage them to make the right choices and develop skills and ideas that will be beneficial to their schools and the students they represent. Helping young people understand the root causes of violence, listening to their input, and sharing perspectives on how to increase safety in their schools can make our broader communities better and safer and strengthen the ties between law enforcement and the youth population we seek to nurture, serve and protect.”


title: Justice Department Finds University Failed to Address Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Student Athletes in Maryland

body_text: The Justice Department announced today the results of its investigation into allegations that a former head coach of the Swimming and Diving Team at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) sexually harassed male student-athletes and discriminated against female student-athletes. The department notified UMBC that its failure to respond to known allegations of sex discrimination violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and that UMBC’s failures allowed the former head coach to exploit his power over student-athletes, prey on student-athletes’ vulnerabilities and engage in egregious and ongoing abuse spanning many years. “We will not tolerate sexual harassment and abuse of student-athletes on college campuses in our country. Too many school officials and administrators knew something for UMBC to have done nothing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold our nation’s colleges and universities to their promise to educate students free from sexual harassment and discrimination — our young people deserve nothing less. We will continue to stand with the survivors of sexual harassment and ensure that schools take actions necessary to protect students from this kind of degrading and painful discrimination and abuse.” Among other things, the department’s investigation found that, as early as 2015 and continuing through 2020, UMBC was on notice of and failed to respond adequately to allegations that the former head coach filmed students while showering and sexually touched male student-athletes on the pool deck, in the locker room and in the bathroom of the university’s aquatic center. The department also found that, from 2016 through 2020, the Athletics Department failed to report several incidents of dating violence by male student-athletes against female teammates. Athletics staff and male swimming and diving teammates also made degrading comments about female student-athletes’ bodies and the head coach asked invasive questions about their sexual relationships. Attorneys from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland conducted the investigation, with UMBC’s full cooperation. Individuals with information related to the department’s findings are encouraged to contact the Justice Department at Community.UMBC@usdoj.gov . The enforcement of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities operated by recipients of federal financial assistance, is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: Honduran National Sentenced  to 14 Months Imprisonment  for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that HUGO BRIAN FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS (“ FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS ”), age 27, was sentenced on March 12, 2024 by United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion to 14 months imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). Additionally, the court sentenced FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS to 1 year of supervised release and the payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court documents, FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS reentered the United States after being previously deported on April 26, 2019. On or about April 1, 2023, FUENTES-EGUIGURENS , was found to be unlawfully present in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana based on an Immigration Alien Query. Federal authorities placed an immigration detainer on FUENTES-EGUIGURENS after his arrest by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office on March 31, 2023. Records revealed that FUENTES-EGUIGURENS has been arrested for numerous crimes, and had convictions for simple escape, and resisting an officer. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Kokomo Woman Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling Over $400,000 from Employer

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Bethany Olmsted, 43, of Kokomo, Indiana, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud. According to court documents, on or about November 29, 2017, Olmsted was hired as controller for Company A, a private business, and five other investment companies partially owned by Company A’s owner. As these companies’ controller, Olmsted managed the bookkeeping, tax reporting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and day-to-day finances for each business. Olmsted’s duties included tracking and categorizing all the companies’ receipts and spending using accounting software. She also had the authority to write company checks to pay legitimate business expenses. Starting on November 29, 2018, Olmsted began writing checks from the investment companies’ bank accounts to herself and depositing them into her personal bank account. To conceal her thefts, Olmsted falsely categorized these payments to herself as payments to legitimate businesses or vendors such as for “Mowing & Landscaping.” Similarly, she categorized checks written to herself as payments to “Fortune Companies Inc.” for “Repairs & Maintenance.” In addition, she transferred money from Company A’s bank account to the other companies’ bank accounts to hide the thefts. When confronted by company officials about the theft of company funds, Olmsted repeatedly lied about the extent of the thefts and her efforts to avoid detection by altering the companies’ books. Between November 2018 and September 2021, Olmsted fraudulently wrote approximately 520 checks from the companies to herself, stealing $413,531. Olmsted used the stolen funds to purchase spa treatments, jewelry, clothes, and dinners at high-end steakhouses. “For almost three years, this defendant repaid the trust of her employers with deceit and theft, helping herself to nearly half a million dollars and cooking the books to hide the evidence,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Fraud and embezzlement can have devastating effects on the victim individuals and companies. The federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that those who commit financial crimes will pay a serious price. I commend the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our federal prosecutor for their efforts to investigate these crimes and hold the defendant accountable.” “I am proud of our postal inspectors’ abilities to identify and untangle intricate fraud schemes, and grateful to our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office for their work in bringing justice to individuals who take advantage of their positions of trust for financial gain,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge for the Detroit Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James R. Sweeney II. Judge Sweeney also ordered that Olmsted be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 2 years following her release from federal prison and pay $413,531.98 in restitution to the victim businesses. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Honduran National Pleads Guilty to  Illegal Re-Entry of Removed Alien and Illegal Use of a Social Security Number

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that ALAN RONEY MATUTE-MENDOZA , a/k/a “Allan M. Matute,” a/k/a “Alan Mendoza,” a/k/a “Jonathan Ramos Mendoza,” age 37, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on March 12, 2024 to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), and illegal use of a Social Security Number, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). According to court records, MATUTE-MENDOZA reentered the United States after being previously deported on June 19, 2017. For this offense, MATUTE-MENDOZA faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Additionally, on or about June 25, 2021, MATUTE-MENDOZA was found to be illegally using a social security number that was not his. For this offense, MATUTE-MENDOZA faces up to five (5) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Operator of Florida Labor Staffing Companies Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Tax and Immigration Charges

component: Tax Division

body_text: The operator of several Key West, Florida, labor staffing companies – including PSEB Specialty Service Inc., Perfect Service Excellent Benefits Services Inc., Starline Hospitality Inc., Norbert Janitorial Service Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. – was sentenced today to four years in prison for tax and immigration-related crimes. According to court documents and statements made in court, at various times between January 2011 and January 2021, Petr Sutka and others helped run a series of labor staffing companies that facilitated the employment in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere of non-resident aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. These labor staffing companies did not withhold federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare taxes from these workers’ wages and did not report the wages to the IRS. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez for the Southern District of Florida ordered Sutka to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,551,423.84 in restitution to the United States. Sutka’s co-conspirators, Vasil Khatiashvili and Zdenek Strnad, are scheduled to be sentenced on April 22. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Nicholas J. Schilling Jr., Matthew C. Hicks and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.


title: Slidell Man Charged with Making  False Statements to The United States Small Business Administration

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DEAN MEILLEUR , age 57, a resident of Slidell, La., was charged on March 13, 2024, with making or using false writings or documents to the United States Small Business Adminstration (SBA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3). According to the charging document, MEILLEUR , to obtain Economic Impact Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), submitted false writings and documents to the SBA. In his EIDL applications, among other things, MEILLEUR falsely represented that he was the owner of a trucking business formed in 2017 and that he was eligible for EIDL funds. As a result of these false submissions, MEILLEUR obtained $147,400 from SBA. MEILLEUR faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. 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 . For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . U.S. Attorney Evans commended the Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their work on this case. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: KC Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing large quantities of methamphetamine to distribute following the seizure of 700 kilograms of methamphetamine that was hidden in a box trailer and disguised as spray foam insulation. Nora Linda Ochoa-Chavez, 44, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of aiding and abetting the possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Co-defendant Rafael Valencia-Galaviz, 43, also a citizen of Mexico residing at the same residence, pleaded guilty on May 24, 2023, to the same charge. Valencia-Galaviz also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Special agents from Homeland Security Investigations contacted the co-defendants at their residence on Oct. 20, 2021, following the large seizure of methamphetamine that was identified at a Laredo, Texas, port of entry and subsequently seized in Kansas City, Kan. Valencia-Galaviz was renting a room with his girlfriend in Ochoa-Chavez’s residence. Federal agents located Valencia-Galaviz in a bedroom, where they found a Smith & Wesson .40-caliber firearm under a mattress, two vacuum-sealed packages that contained nearly a kilogram of marijuana, and a backpack that contained an undetermined amount of cash. HSI agents also found a Remington .22-caliber rifle with no visible serial number and a Springfield Armory 9mm firearm in the upstairs loft area. Agents also searched Ochoa-Chavez’s Dodge Caravan, which was parked in the rear of her residence. They found a total of 68 gallon-sized zipper style bags that contained a total of 66.8 kilograms of methamphetamine. Agents also found a Taurus .380-caliber firearm, a US Auto Weapons 5.56-caliber rifle with a loaded 60-round drum magazine, two Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 rifles, a Heckler and Koch .22-caliber rifle, and an Intratec 9mm handgun. Valencia-Galaviz told investigators he picked up 50 kilograms of methamphetamine two or three days prior to his arrest, and there were approximately 18 kilograms in the van that were left over from an 80-kilogram load he had picked up approximately two to three weeks prior to his arrest. Prior to this search and arrest, on July 12, 2021, investigators established surveillance on a tractor trailer parked at a truck stop in Olathe, Kansas. Ochoa-Chavez met with the driver of the tractor trailer and handed him a brown paper bag that contained $30,000 in cash. When agents seized the tractor trailer and searched it, they found approximately 700 kilograms of methamphetamine that was hidden within and disguised as spray foam insulation for the box trailer. Under federal statutes, Ochoa-Chavez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. Valencia-Galaviz is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Colombian-Based Alien Smuggling Coordinator Indicted for Smuggling Colombian Nationals into the United States

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Greiby Melissa Barcelo-Velasquez, a national of Colombia, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on charges of Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States and Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit. Federal agents have identified well over 100 individuals utilizing Barcelo-Velasquez’s organization to be successfully smuggled into the United States in Arizona. Since approximately June 2023, Barcelo-Velasquez owned and operated the Baul Travel SAS travel agency in Colombia. In late 2023, United States Border Patrol Sector Intelligence and Homeland Security Investigations began investigating Barcelo-Velasquez after arresting numerous Colombian nationals who identified her as their smuggling coordinator. Barcelo-Velasquez would meet with the Colombian nationals in Colombia, require them to pay a fee, and then informed them they would travel to Mexico under the false pretense they were vacationing in the country. They were also informed they would need to pay additional fees to her associates in U.S. currency at the Cancun International Airport and in Hermosillo, Mexico to facilitate their travel. Once in Hermosillo, the Colombian nationals were taken to stash houses near the border between Mexico and the United States. These stash houses would also contain others who were seeking to enter the United States illegally. From the stash houses they were transported, many times by armed gunmen, to the border where they illegally crossed into the United States. Conspiracy to Encourage and Induce an Alien to Unlawfully Enter the United States carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States for Profit carries at least a three-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol Sector Intelligence Unit and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-00392-PHX-JJT RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-034_Barcelo-Velasquez # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to Cohost the Third Annual Spring Enforcers Summit

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will cohost the third annual Spring Enforcers Summit on Monday, April 8. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division and FTC Chair Lina M. Khan, as well as senior staff from both agencies, will gather with international competition enforcers and state attorneys general to discuss enforcement priorities and strategies for effective coordination. The morning plenary sessions will be livestreamed to the public on the FTC’s website. The agencies will meet in the afternoon for closed-door in-person discussions between international enforcers and state attorneys general on common issues. The Enforcers Summit agenda will be posted to the Antitrust Division’s website prior to the event. A link to view the summit’s open virtual session will be posted to the FTC’s website the day of the event.


title: U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey Announces Policies Underlying Whistleblower Pilot Program

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Today, United States Attorney Ismail Ramsey publicly announced the release of new policies underlying the Northern District of California (NDCA) Whistleblower Pilot Program. The recently-announced NDCA Whistleblower Pilot Program (attached and published here ) is designed to proactively uncover criminal conduct in the District. U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the pilot program on March 7, 2024, as part of her keynote address to the American Bar Association’s 39th National Institute on White Collar Crime in San Francisco, California. During the keynote address, Deputy A.G. Monaco observed that the program complements the Department of Justice’s Voluntary Self Disclosure (VSD) programs—programs that encourage companies to take responsibility for misconduct within their organizations. The Whistleblower Pilot Program is, “in essence, [a] voluntary self-disclosure program[ ] for individuals.” Like the VSD program, the new Whistleblower Pilot Program rewards self-disclosure, in part by “offering non-prosecution agreements to certain categories of at-fault individuals who self-disclose wrongdoing . . . .” United States Attorney Ramsey said: “Our District’s new Whistleblower Program creates a strong incentive for wrongdoers to come forward, report crimes, and cooperate with us in several critical areas – fraud, public corruption, and theft of trade secrets. In exchange for the self-disclosure of unknown federal crimes and for ongoing cooperation against other individuals, qualifying whistleblowers can receive a promise from this Office not to prosecute them. Our message to companies and individuals alike is straightforward: If you know a crime has been committed, you have a limited window to come forward and receive leniency. If you choose not to come forward, someone else will, and then you will face prosecution and punishment. To get on the right side of the law and take advantage of this program, email us using the instructions on our website .” The Whistleblower Pilot Program encourages early and voluntary self-disclosure of criminal conduct by individual participants in certain non-violent offenses. In exchange for self-disclosure and cooperation against others involved in the criminal conduct, the Office of the United States Attorney in the NDCA will enter into a non-prosecution agreement where certain specified conditions are met, including, importantly, the condition that the Government was not previously aware of the criminal conduct that is the subject of the disclosure. By providing clarity on the requirements and the benefits of such self-disclosure, the published policies incentivize individuals and their counsel to provide actionable and timely information. That will, in turn, help bring more misconduct to light and better protect the communities within the District. As with all internal policies of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this program provides guidance to prosecutors. Nothing in these policies creates any substantive or procedural rights, privileges, or benefits enforceable in any administrative, civil, or criminal matter by prospective or actual witnesses or parties. It remains at all times in the sole discretion of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine whether an individual has satisfied each of the conditions necessary for the Office to enter into a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for the individual’s cooperation, and, where the Office has determined that any of those conditions are not met, it remains at all times in the sole discretion of the Office to determine whether to extend a non-prosecution agreement in exchange for the individual’s cooperation.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Not Paying Employment Taxes

body_text: A Florida man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for failing to pay over taxes that he withheld from his employees’ paychecks. According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Timothy Meade, of Fort Myers, Florida, operated a prison phone call service under several business names. From 2011 through 2021, he withheld taxes from his employees’ paychecks but did not pay over to the IRS the full amount of the taxes he withheld. He also did not pay the business’ portion of his employees’ Social Security and Medicare taxes. The IRS attempted to collect the taxes, but Meade changed the call service’s names and bank accounts to thwart the IRS’ collection efforts. In total, Meade caused a tax loss of $971,130 to the IRS. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Sheri Polster Chappell for the Middle District of Florida ordered Meade to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $971,130 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Lani Rosado-Espinal of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan and Curtis Weidler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yolande Viacava for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Owner Of Bay Area Real Estate Company Charged With Wire Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO - A federal grand jury in San Francisco indicted Vikram Srinivasan, charging him with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with an alleged fraudulent real estate investment scheme, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. The indictment was filed February 29, 2024, and unsealed earlier today. According to the indictment, Srinivasan, 31, of Fremont, operated, controlled, and at least partially owned Paragon Holdings, LLC, a San Francisco Bay Area-based company that he used to facilitate the fraud. Specifically, the indictment describes how in August of 2019, a victim (identified in the indictment only as “R.K.”) provided money to an individual for the purchase of real estate in San Francisco and, after fearing the invested money had been fraudulently obtained, eventually met with Srinivasan. Srinivasan represented to the victim that he (Srinivasan) could salvage the prior real estate deal. According to the indictment, rather than salvage the deal, Srinivasan made things worse. For example, Srinivasan claimed he could retrieve the victim’s money; however, rather than retrieve the money, Srinivasan allegedly transferred at least some of it to an account in his own name and used the transferred money for his own purposes. Further, the indictment describes how Srinivasan represented that the victim’s money was held by certain escrow companies, when, in fact, it was not. Srinivasan allegedly provided false and fraudulent documentation in support of these representations. In addition, Srinivasan allegedly solicited additional funds from the victim, promising to use the money for the purchase of additional real estate in Pleasant Hill. Srinivasan represented that he would use Paragon to facilitate the transaction. The indictment alleges the victim provided Srinivasan approximately $125,000 based on this and related misrepresentations. For example, the indictment alleges Srinivasan again allegedly provided fraudulent documentation that suggested there was a sale of the property from a seller through a real estate agent to Srinivasan, as Paragon. This sale of the property did not occur. Rather than use the money for the real estate transaction, Srinivasan transferred some of it to an account in his own name and used it for his own purposes. The indictment also alleges that Srinivasan unlawfully used means of identification of at least two other victims during and in relation to his fraud (identified in the indictment only as “B.R.” and “A.S.”). In sum, the indictment charges Srinivasan with one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and two counts of aggravated identity theft, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. If convicted of wire fraud, Srinivasan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000 (or twice the value of the gain or loss from the scheme), plus restitution, if appropriate. In addition, if Srinivasan is convicted of aggravated identity theft, each count carries a mandatory two years in prison which would be consecutive to any prison term imposed for the wire fraud count. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Srinivasan made his initial appearance this morning before Chief Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. His next scheduled appearance is scheduled for March 20, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Ryu for further proceeding including a further bail review. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert David Rees is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Katie Turner and Kay Konopaske. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Illegal sale of monkey over Craigslist sends Houston woman to prison

body_text: HOUSTON – A 21-year-old woman has been sentenced for selling wildlife, including a spider monkey, in violation of the Lacey Act, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Savannah Nicole Valdez pleaded guilty Feb. 8, 2023. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Valdez to serve 15 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. The court considered that Valdez was previously sentenced to two years of supervised release for smuggling a monkey into the United States and high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint. The court revoked her supervised release in that case, and she received another month to run consecutively with this prison term. “When Savannah Valdez sold a Mexican spider monkey, she contributed to endangering a species,” said Hamdani. “As the court heard today, those who traffic in infant spider monkeys shoot the mothers first and then pull the infants from their mother’s dead bodies before throwing them into cages for transport. Valdez’s actions helped sustain an illicit market that encouraged the needless death and suffering of endangered animals. Thankfully, now she will have to spend time in a cage of her making - a prison cell.” In summer 2023, authorities discovered several advertisements posted to Craigslist offering exotic birds for sale including keel-billed toucans and yellow-headed amazon parrots. These are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. Law enforcement identified the personal cell phone number of Valdez during the initial investigation. They found the contact number listed for the animals was, in fact, the same. The subsequent undercover operation involved the sale of two keel-billed toucans and a Mexican spider monkey. On July 28, 2023, her mother arrived at Memorial City Mall in Houston to deliver the toucans and accepted $3,000 as payment. Her mother would later admit her daughter had arranged the sale. On Aug. 1, 2023, Valdez then coordinated the sale of a Mexican spider monkey for $8,500. She had her sister deliver it on her behalf. The animals have been transferred to zoos within Texas. Valdez as permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility in the near future. The Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Schammel prosecuted the case.


title: Terrebonne Parish Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DIOGO HERNANDEZ , age 19, a resident of Bourg, La., was sentenced on March 14, 2024 to twelve (12) months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. HERNANDEZ previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C) and 846. According to court documents, HERNANDEZ was arrested on July 27, 2022, when he conspired with his co-defendant, Anthony Monreal-Fabela, to possess with intent to distribute cocaine that had been smuggled into the Port of New Orleans via container ship. This case was investigated by the United States Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Final Defendant in 2020 Drive-by-Shooting of Court Security Officers Sentenced to Life in Prison

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Robert Alvin Justus, Jr. was sentenced today to life in prison for his role in the May 29, 2020, drive-by shooting at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, Calif., that resulted in the murder of Protective Services Officer (“PSO”) Dave Patrick Underwood and the attempted murder of a second PSO. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge, after Justus was convicted by a jury of aiding and abetting the murder and attempted murder following a two-week trial. In 2022, Justus’s co-defendant Steven Carrillo, was sentenced to serve 41 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his role in the crimes. “With this sentence, the Justice Department has ensured that both of the defendants responsible for brutally murdering a law enforcement officer and seriously wounding another are held accountable for their heinous crimes,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Law enforcement officers serve their communities at great risk to themselves, and anyone who targets these brave men and women will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.” “The defendant and Mr. Carrillo tried to destabilize our government by attacking the courts, killing one protective services officer and wounding another as they guarded the federal courthouse,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “The loss of Mr. Underwood to his family, friends, and the community is incalculable, and the wounding of the second officer has permanently altered his life and that of his family. Today's sentence punishes this heinous conduct and signals any like-minded individuals who would attack those guarding our courts and other public institutions that we will find and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” "Justus and Carrillo ambushed two federal protective service officers in fulfillment of a conspiracy fueled by extremist beliefs. Now they will both spend the rest of their lives in prison,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. “The senseless murder of Officer Underwood and the serious injury done to Officer Mifkovic cannot be undone, but these two subjects have been held accountable. We will continue to stand with our partners to investigate politically motivated acts of violence and keep the American people safe.” “ATF is pleased to hear today’s sentence,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Every day members of law enforcement put their lives on the line in the pursuit of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the public. This was a senseless crime that resulted in the tragic loss of Protective Services Officer Underwood. While, this verdict does not bring him back, we hope that his family and our community as a whole can find comfort in knowing that this violent offender will spend the rest of his life in jail.” The evidence at trial established that Justus, 34, of Millbrae, was the driver of the vehicle from which Steven Carrillo, 35, of Santa Cruz fired the gunshots that killed Officer Underwood and wounded the second officer. On May 29, 2020, at approximately 9:27 p.m., Justus parked a white Ford Econoline van directly across the street from the federal courthouse building in Oakland on Jefferson Street. The van was on the southeast corner in the spot closest to the intersection with an unobstructed view of the guard post where Officer Underwood and his partner that evening stood guard to protect the building and its occupants. At approximately 9:44 p.m., the exterior lights of the van turned on and Justus drove the van north on Jefferson Street toward the guard post. The passenger-side sliding door opened, and Carrillo fired numerous rounds from an AR-style rifle toward the guard post, killing Officer Underwood and seriously injuring his partner. The image below showing the shooting in progress as Justus drove the white van across the intersection is from a courthouse security camera and was in evidence at trial. From a courthouse security camera, the image shows the shooting in progress as Justus drove the white van across the intersection. The trial ending in Justus’s conviction contained ominous evidence of the leadup to participation in the drive-by shooting. For example, Justus and Carrillo shared an allegiance to a anti-government movement called Boogaloo. In February of 2020, Justus commented on Facebook that he had a “bloodlust for police,” and in April 2020, he corresponded with an armed anti-government militia group he was interested in joining. On May 27, 2020, Justus posted an image depicting a police officer being shot in the head with a caption reading “Speak to cops in a language they understand.” In addition, on the day before the shooting, Carrillo posted a video of a mob attacking police cruisers and commented, “[T]his needs to be nationwide. It’s a great opportunity to target the specialty soup bois”—a Boogaloo slang term for federal agents. Justus responded to Carrillo’s post that same day, writing “Let’s boogie.” The trial evidence demonstrated that on the day of the shooting Carrillo and Justus planned to capitalize on protests being planned in Oakland in response to the death of George Floyd. They hoped their attack would spark further anti-government violence. Carrillo and Justus met in a parking lot in San Leandro before the two circled the downtown area in Oakland several times. In the hour leading up to the shooting, Justus exited the van twice to scout the area on foot and locate targets. Investigators from the FBI, OPD and other agencies located security video footage from numerous locations throughout Oakland showing Justus’s movements on both occasions when he left the white van but returned before the shooting. After the shooting, Justus drove Carrillo back to Millbrae and the two separated. The incident set off an eight-day manhunt. During this time, Justus destroyed digital and physical evidence connecting him to the shooting, continued to post anti-law enforcement content on Facebook, and corresponded with Carrillo about meeting in the future. Eventually, Carrillo was captured at his residence in Ben Lomond, Calif., -- but not before Carrillo killed a Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputy and injured another. Several days later, Justus became aware that he was under investigation and travelled to the Federal Building in San Francisco where he met with the FBI and admitted to his involvement in the shooting. The jury convicted Justus of Aiding and Abetting the Murder of a Federal Employee and Aiding and Abetting the Attempted Murder of a Federal Employee, both in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114(3), 1111, 2. Pursuant to today’s sentence, Justus will serve the rest of his life in prison pursuant to the aiding and abetting murder charge and a twenty-year concurrent sentence pursuant to the aiding and abetting attempted murder charge. On February 11, 2022, Carrillo pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the May 29, 2020, shooting—use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j)(1) and 2, and attempted murder of a person assisting an officer of the United States Government, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114(3), 1111. On June 3, 2022, Judge Gonzalez Rogers sentenced Carrillo to serve 41 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his role in the crimes. Carrillo also received a life sentence in Santa Cruz County Superior Court in connection with his murder of the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputy. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FPS, and the U.S. Marshal Service investigated the case, with assistance from the Oakland Police Department and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan U. Lee and John C. Bostic are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, Yenni Weinberg, and Lynette Dixon.


title: Puerto Rico Police Officer and Two Other Individuals Charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 17, 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Zachary Quiñones-Bon, Jouseph Quiñones-Andino and Alexander Martínez-Andino for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine, which they attempted to smuggle in luggage through the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(a)(1). W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. The FBI and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau are investigating the case. According to the government’s allegations in a criminal complaint filed in the case, on March 17, 2024, the three defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU). In addition, Quiñones-Bon is charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Quiñones-Bon, a PRPB police officer assigned to work at the airport, utilized his credentials and uniform to access one of the terminals at the airport with pieces of luggage full of cocaine. Once inside the terminal, Quiñones-Bon (in police uniform and armed with his police-issued firearm) handed off the luggage to Quiñones-Andino and Martínez-Andino, who then took the luggage to a bathroom and unloaded the contents into different bags. Quiñones-Andino and Martínez-Andino then attempted to board a domestic flight headed to the State of Florida. The luggage containing approximately 67 kilograms of cocaine was seized and the three individuals were arrested. Assistant U.S. Attorneys César Rivera and Jonathan Gottfried of the Violent Crimes Section are in charge of the prosecution of the case. Special Agent Jonathan Vega of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the case agent of the investigation. If convicted on the drug trafficking conspiracy, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Quiñones-Bon also faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years to life imprisonment on the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This investigation is part of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) and the Airport Investigations and Tactical Team (AirTAT). The specific mission of the CCSF is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle large scale international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations importing and further transshipping controlled substances, and related money laundering activities. CCSF signatory agencies include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. AirTAT is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) co-located multi-agency initiative created to identify, locate, disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute Domestic and Transnational Criminal Organizations (DTCOs) and its operatives using the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (LMMIA), the Fernando Luis Rivas Dominicci Airport (FLRDA), and airport peripherals as platforms to smuggle narcotics, weapons, human cargo, counterfeit documents, illicit proceeds, and other contraband through these critical airport infrastructures. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###