title: Parkersburg Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Mary Elizabeth Curran, 37, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 27, 2021, Curran obtained a quantity of fentanyl in Columbus, Ohio, which she intended to distribute in the Parkersburg area. On that date, Curran was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement officers after it entered Wood County from Ohio. Officers suspected that Curran was hiding controlled substances on her person, and she was transported to the North Central Regional Jail for an X-ray body scan. While awaiting the body scan, Curran clogged a bathroom toilet when she attempted to flush two plastic bags containing powder. The toilet was taken apart and the bags were recovered. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed one bag contained approximately 56 grams of fentanyl and the other bag contained approximately 28.5 grams of a separate controlled substance. The lab also found Curran’s DNA on one bag, and her fingerprint on the other. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Nowles Heinrich prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-136. ###


title: Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Richard Chapman, 43, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted distribution of child pornography. Chapman must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, from about June 5, 2021, until June 30, 2022, Chapman used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to make 704 digital media files of suspected child pornography available to others. Chapman admitted that the digital media files included an image depicting a prepubescent minor female subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Chapman further admitted to possessing 91 images of child pornography on his personal electronic devices on August 11, 2022. The child pornography included several images and videos depicting infants and toddlers subjected to sexually explicit conduct. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Julie White prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-174. ###


title: Eastern Idaho Farmers Pay $500,000 to Resolve Allegations They Defrauded the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today that Merrill Hanny, Roger Burke, and Robert Sollis, three farmers in Eastern Idaho, have paid a total of $500,000 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) applications. CFAP was intended to provide direct support to farmers and ranchers to offset losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The settlement resolves allegations that Hanny, Burke, and Sollis knowingly and impermissibly included millions of pounds of potatoes on Burke’s and Sollis’ CFAP applications that were actually owned by Hanny. In this way, Burke and Hanny obtained CFAP funds that they were not eligible to receive, and Hanny was able to circumvent the $250,000 cap on CFAP funds they he could receive. “The vast majority of Idahoans who applied for CFAP funds played by the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Unfortunately, some individuals have sought to line their pockets by defrauding taxpayer-funded pandemic relief programs like USDA’s CFAP program. We will continue to use all tools at our disposal to pursue and hold such individuals accountable.” The settlement is a result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone who suspects fraud or other wrongdoing related to the pandemic should report it to the COVID-19 Pandemic Fraud Hotline at www.pandemicoversight.gov/contact/about-hotline , 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: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Idahoans are also encouraged to report COVID-19 fraud directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (208) 334-1211. The claims resolved by the settlement described above are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability. ###


title: Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of an Infant

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Benjamin Munson, age 32, of Syracuse, pled guilty in United States District Court today to all counts of a thirteen-count Indictment charging him with six counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Commission of a Felony Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender, four counts of Distribution of Child Pornography, and two counts of Possession of Child Pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Special Agent in Charge Janeen DiGuiseppi of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli made the announcement. As a part of his guilty plea, Munson, a registered sex offender, admitted that on at least six separate occasions between 2021 and 2022, while on supervised release for a 2011 federal conviction for distribution and possession of child pornography, he sexually abused an infant for the purpose of producing images and videos of his sexual exploitation of the child. He further admitted that he administered a network of approximately 20 child pornography trading groups on the internet, some of which were dedicated exclusively to trading in newly produced child pornography. Munson admitted that he distributed child pornography to those groups, including images and videos he produced of his abuse of the infant. Munson was arrested in August of 2022 after his online activities were discovered by the FBI, and the infant was located and rescued. Munson also admitted to seven violations of his conditions of his federal supervised release, including for his new criminal conduct, contact with a minor, contact with a known felon, possession of unauthorized electronic devices, and possession of child pornography. Munson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2023 before Hon. David N. Hurd in Utica, New York. For all thirteen offenses, Munson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years, and up to 560 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will also continue to be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force in cooperation with the New York State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa M. Fletcher, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Northern District of New York. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Justice Department Investigation Leads to Takedown of Darknet Cryptocurrency Mixer that Processed Over $3 Billion of Unlawful Transactions

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: The Justice Department announced today a coordinated international takedown of ChipMixer, a darknet cryptocurrency “mixing” service responsible for laundering more than $3 billion worth of cryptocurrency, between 2017 and the present, in furtherance of, among other activities, ransomware, darknet market, fraud, cryptocurrency heists and other hacking schemes. The operation involved U.S. federal law enforcement’s court-authorized seizure of two domains that directed users to the ChipMixer service and one Github account, as well as the German Federal Criminal Police’s (the Bundeskriminalamt) seizure of the ChipMixer back-end servers and more than $46 million in cryptocurrency. Coinciding with the ChipMixer takedown efforts, Minh Quốc Nguyễn, 49, of Hanoi, Vietnam, was charged today in Philadelphia with money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and identity theft, connected to the operation of ChipMixer. “This morning, working with partners at home and abroad, the Department of Justice disabled a prolific cryptocurrency mixer, which has fueled ransomware attacks, state-sponsored crypto-heists and darknet purchases across the globe,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s coordinated operation reinforces our consistent message: we will use all of our authorities to protect victims and take the fight to our adversaries. Cybercrime seeks to exploit boundaries, but the Department of Justice’s network of alliances transcends borders and enables disruption of the criminal activity that jeopardizes our global cybersecurity.” “Today's announcement demonstrates the FBI's commitment to dismantling technical infrastructure that enables cyber criminals and nation-state actors to illegally launder cryptocurrency funds,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “We will not allow cyber criminals to hide behind keyboards nor evade the consequences of their illegal actions. Countering cybercrime requires the ultimate level of collaboration between and among all law enforcement partners. The FBI will continue to elevate those partnerships and leverage all available tools to identify, apprehend and hold accountable these bad actors and put an end to their illicit activity.” According to court documents, ChipMixer – one of the most widely used mixers to launder criminally-derived funds – allowed customers to deposit bitcoin, which ChipMixer then mixed with other ChipMixer users’ bitcoin, commingling the funds in a way that made it difficult for law enforcement or regulators to trace the transactions. As detailed in the complaint, ChipMixer offered numerous features to enhance its criminal customers’ anonymity. ChipMixer had a clearnet web domain but operated primarily as a Tor hidden service, concealing the operating location of its servers to prevent seizure by law enforcement. ChipMixer serviced many customers in the United States, but did not register with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and did not collect identifying information about its customers. As alleged in the complaint, ChipMixer attracted a significant criminal clientele and became indispensable in obfuscating and laundering funds from multiple criminal schemes. Between August 2017 and March 2023, ChipMixer processed: $17 million in bitcoin for criminals connected to approximately 37 ransomware strains, including Sodinokibi, Mamba and Suncrypt; Over $700 million in bitcoin associated with wallets designated as stolen funds, including those related to heists by North Korean cyber actors from Axie Infinity’s Ronin Bridge and Harmony’s Horizon Bridge in 2022 and 2020, respectively; More than $200 million in bitcoin associated either directly or through intermediaries with darknet markets, including more than $60 million in bitcoin processed on behalf of customers of Hydra Market, the largest and longest running darknet market in the world until its April 2022 shutdown by U.S. and German law enforcement; More than $35 million in bitcoin associated either directly or through intermediaries with “fraud shops,” which are used by criminals to buy and sell stolen credit cards, hacked account credentials and data stolen through network intrusions; and Bitcoin used by the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), 85th Main Special Service Center, military unit 26165 (aka APT 28) to purchase infrastructure for the Drovorub malware, which was first disclosed in a joint cybersecurity advisory released by the FBI and National Security Agency in August 2020. Beginning in and around August 2017, as alleged in the complaint, Nguyễn created and operated the online infrastructure used by ChipMixer and promoted ChipMixer’s services online. Nguyễn registered domain names, procured hosting services and paid for the services used to run ChipMixer through the use of identity theft, pseudonyms, and anonymous email providers. In online posts, Nguyễn publicly derided efforts to curtail money laundering, posting in reference to anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) legal requirements that “AML/KYC is a sellout to the banks and governments,” advising customers “please do not use AML/KYC exchanges” and instructing them how to use ChipMixer to evade reporting requirements. “ChipMixer facilitated the laundering of cryptocurrency, specifically Bitcoin, on a vast international scale, abetting nefarious actors and criminals of all kinds in evading detection,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Platforms like ChipMixer, which are designed to conceal the sources and destinations of staggering amounts of criminal proceeds, undermine the public’s confidence in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. We thank all our partners at home and abroad for their hard work in this case. Together, we cannot and will not allow criminals’ exploitation of technology to threaten our national and economic security.” “Criminals have long sought to launder the proceeds of their illegal activity through various means,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire of the FBI Philadelphia Field Office. “Technology has changed the game, though, with a site like ChipMixer and facilitator like Nguyen enabling bad actors to do so on a grand scale with ease. In response, the FBI continues to evolve in the ways we ‘follow the money’ of illegal enterprise, employing all the tools and techniques at our disposal and drawing on our strong partnerships at home and around the globe. As a result, there’s now one less option for criminals worldwide to launder their dirty money.” “Together, with our international partners at HSI The Hague, we are firmly committed to identifying and investigating cyber criminals who pose a serious threat to our economic security by laundering billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency under the misguided anonymity of the darknet,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of Homeland Securities Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “HSI Arizona could not be more proud to work alongside every agent involved in this complex international case. We thank all our domestic and international partners for their support.” Nguyễn is charged with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, money laundering and identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. The FBI, HSI Phoenix and HSI The Hague investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is prosecuting the case. German law enforcement authorities took separate actions today under its authorities. The FBI’s Legal Attaché in Germany, the HSI office in The Hague, the HSI Cyber Crimes Center, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, EUROPOL, the Polish Cyber Police (Centralnego Biura Zwalczania Cyberprzestępczości) and Zurich State Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) provided assistance in this case. To report information about ChipMixer and its operators visit rfj.tips/Duhsup . A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Providence Man Sentenced for Fraud, Theft of Government Funds, and Identity Theft Committed While on Federal Supervised Release for Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: Mackenzy Scott, 26, began filing fraudulent applications for pandemic-related benefits on March 28, 2020, one day after the CARES Act, passed by Congress to provide economic assistance programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, became law. Scott’s fraudulent activity was discovered in February 2021 by a United States Probation Officer, during an investigation into alleged violations of the terms of Scott’s federal supervised release related to his earlier conviction for sex trafficking. Scott used his own name and the names of others to carry out the scheme in an attempt to collect COVID-related, federally-funded unemployment benefits from state agencies in ten states: North Dakota, Massachusetts, Arizona, Nevada, Kentucky, Texas, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Indiana. In each of the applications he filed, Scott made false statements about employment and/or his residence. Scott pleaded guilty on December 21, 2022, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, seven counts of wire fraud, theft of government money, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 30 months of incarceration to be followed by 3 years of federal supervised release. Scott was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $16,336. These matters and other cases of alleged criminal activity related to fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits due to the pandemic are being investigated jointly by the FBI and Rhode Island State Police, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Cases are jointly reviewed, charged, and prosecuted by a team of prosecutors to include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey A. Erickson, Denise M. Barton, G. Michael Seaman, and Rhode Island Assistant Attorney General John M. Moreira, chief of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker represented the government at today’s sentencing hearing. Rhode Islanders who believe their personal identification has been stolen and used to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits are urged to contact the Rhode Island State Police at financialcrimes@risp.gov or the FBI Providence office at (401) 272-8310. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID- 19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: Southern California Return Preparer Charged with Filing False Tax Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Riverside, California, returned an indictment, unsealed Tuesday, charging a California man with 47 counts of preparing false tax returns. According to the indictment, for tax years 2016 through 2021, Salvador Gonzalez operated a tax preparation business, Grace’s Lighthouse Resource Center, Inc., in Corona, California, and prepared individual and corporate income tax returns for clients to submit to the IRS that claimed tens of thousands of dollars in false business losses. Gonzalez also allegedly falsified additional deductions on client returns, including medical and dental expenses, unreimbursed employee expenses, and charitable contributions, knowing that the clients were not entitled to the amounts claimed. If convicted, Gonzalez faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each false return count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and AUSA Robert S. Trisotto of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Riverside Branch Office, are 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: Ho Wan Kwok, A/K/A “Miles Guo,” Arrested For Orchestrating Over $1 Billion Dollar Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a twelve-count Indictment charging HO WAN KWOK, a/k/a “Miles Guo,” a/k/a “Miles Kwok,” a/k/a “Guo Wengui,” a/k/a “Brother Seven,” a/k/a “The Principal,” and KIN MING JE, a/k/a “William Je,” with various wire fraud, securities fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering charges. JE, who is KWOK’s financier, is also charged with obstruction of justice. The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged sprawling and complex scheme by the defendants, and others, to solicit investments in various entities and programs through false statements and representations to hundreds of thousands of KWOK’s online followers. As alleged, KWOK and JE misappropriated hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulently obtained funds during the course of their conspiracy. KWOK was arrested this morning in New York, New York, and will be presented this afternoon. JE is currently at large. In addition, Mr. Williams announced that between September 2022 and March 2023, the U.S. Government seized approximately $634 million from 21 different bank accounts. The $634 million constitutes proceeds of KWOK’s alleged fraud, which the Government will seek to forfeit. Today, law enforcement also seized assets that were purchased with proceeds of KWOK’s alleged fraud, including a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roads. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Ho Wan Kwok, known to many as “Miles Guo,” led a complex conspiracy to defraud thousands of his online followers out of over $1 billion dollars. Kwok is charged with lining his pockets with the money he stole, including buying himself, and his close relatives, a 50,000 square foot mansion, a $3.5 million Ferrari, and even two $36,000 mattresses, and financing a $37 million luxury yacht. As alleged, Kwok lied to his victims and promised them outsized returns if they invested, or provided money to, GTV, his so-called Himalaya Farm Alliance, G|CLUBS, and the Himalaya Exchange. Kwok is further charged with laundering hundreds of millions of stolen funds to conceal the conspiracy’s illegal activities and continue the fraud’s operations. My office and our law enforcement partners will continue to do all that we can to protect the community from the devastating consequences of pernicious fraud schemes. If you believe you are a victim of Kwok and Je’s fraud, please contact USANYS.GuoVictims@usdoj.gov or https://forms.fbi.gov/NY_GTV . My Office and the FBI are here to help those who were harmed by this malicious fraud.” FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “The indictment today alleges the defendants were behind an elaborate scheme that defrauded thousands of individuals of over one billion dollars. Fraudulent investment scams make victims out of innocent people, ultimately harming the public’s confidence in the integrity of financial systems. The FBI continues to make investigating complex financial crimes a top priority, and anyone attempting these crimes will be made to face the consequences in the criminal justice system.” As alleged in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court and court filings: [1] From at least in or about 2018 through at least in or about March 2023, KWOK, JE, and others, conspired to defraud thousands of victims of more than approximately $1 billion. KWOK was the leader of this complex conspiracy. KWOK is an exiled Chinese businessman who has resided in the United States since in or about 2015 and garnered a substantial online following. In or about 2018, KWOK founded two purported nonprofit organizations, namely, the Rule of Law Foundation and the Rule of Law Society. KWOK used the nonprofit organizations to amass followers who were aligned with his purported policy objectives in China and who were also inclined to believe KWOK’s statements regarding investment and money-making opportunities. JE is a dual citizen of Hong Kong and the United Kingdom who principally resided in the United Kingdom. JE owned and operated numerous companies and investment vehicles central to the scheme and served as its financial architect and key money launderer. KWOK and JE’s fraud relied on at least four interrelated parts: the GTV Media Group, Inc. (“GTV”) Private Placement, the Farm Loan Program, G Club Operations, LLC (“G|CLUBS”), and the Himalaya Exchange. GTV Private Placement On or about April 21, 2020, KWOK posted a video on social media announcing the unregistered offering of GTV Media Group, Inc. (“GTV”) common stock via a private placement. GTV was touted as a wide-ranging media company. In that video, KWOK described, in substance and in part, the investment terms for the GTV Private Placement, and directed people to contact him, via a mobile messaging application, with any questions about the GTV Private Placement. The video and GTV Private Placement materials included a written “Confidential Information Memorandum” (the “PPM”). The PPM stated on the cover “Everything Is Just the Beginning!,” provided information about GTV, and contained false representations regarding how the money raised from the GTV Private Placement would be used. Between on or about April 20, 2020 and on or about June 2, 2020, approximately $452 million worth of GTV common stock was purportedly sold to more than 5,500 investors. Investors participated in the GTV Private Placement based, in part, on the belief that their money would be invested into GTV to develop and grow that business, as the PPM promised. In early June 2020, just days after the GTV Private Placement closed, KWOK and JE directed that $100 million of funds raised from the GTV Private Placement be invested in a high-risk hedge fund for the benefit of GTV’s parent company and its ultimate beneficial owner who was a close family relative of KWOK. Farm Loan Program KWOK, JE, and their co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than approximately $150 million in victim funds through the “Himalaya Farm Alliance.” The Himalaya Farm Alliance, which KWOK organized and promoted, was a collective of informal groups (each known as a “Farm”) located in various cities around the world. KWOK, JE, and others working on their behalf and at their direction, obtained these funds by making further misrepresentations to the investors in the GTV Private Placement and fraudulently soliciting further investments, this time in the form of “loans” to a Farm, and promising that such loans would be convertible into GTV common stock at a conversion rate of one share per dollar loaned. On or about July 22, 2020, in a video distributed via social media, KWOK promoted the Farm Loan Program. After launching the Farm Loan Program, KWOK continued to promote GTV and to falsely represent the value of GTV. For example, on or about August 2, 2020, in a video distributed via social media, KWOK falsely stated, in substance and part, “How much is GTV? . . . a market value of 2 billion US dollars.” In truth and in fact, and as KWOK well knew, GTV’s market value was far less. KWOK and JE misappropriated funds that were raised through the Farm Loan Program. For example: (i) approximately $2.3 million was used to cover maintenance expenses associated with an approximately 145-foot luxury yacht worth approximately $37 million, nominally owned by close family relative of KWOK and used by KWOK, which is pictured below; and (ii) approximately $10 million was transferred to personal bank accounts in the name of JE and/or JE’s spouse. G|CLUBS KWOK, JE and others known and unknown, fraudulently induced KWOK’s followers to transfer additional funds to a purported online membership club called G|CLUBS. From at least in or about October 2020 through at least in or about March 2023, KWOK, JE, and others fraudulently obtained more than approximately $250 million in victim funds through G|CLUBS. G|CLUBS claimed, on its website, to be “an exclusive, high-end membership program offering a full spectrum of services” and “a gateway to carefully curated world-class products, services and experiences.” In truth and in fact, and as KWOK and JE well knew, G|CLUBS provided nothing close to “a full spectrum of services” and “experiences” to its members. Indeed, most of the money G|CLUBS members paid did not fund the business of G|CLUBS. Rather, the defendants misappropriated a substantial portion of the victim funds using, among other things, a complex web of entities and bank accounts to do so. For example, G|CLUBS funds were used by KWOK and JE: (i) toward the purchase of KWOK’s 50,000 square foot New Jersey mansion (pictured below); (ii) to purchase various furniture and decorative items including, among other items, Chinese and Persian rugs worth approximately $978,000, a $62,000 television, and a $53,000 fireplace log cradle holder; and (iii) to purchase a custom-built Bugatti sports car for approximately $4.4 million (pictured below): Himalaya Exchange KWOK, JE, and others known and unknown, fraudulently obtained more than approximately $262 million in victim funds through the Himalaya Exchange, a purported cryptocurrency “ecosystem” accessible on the Internet. The Himalaya Exchange included a purported stablecoin called the Himalaya Dollar (“HDO” or “H Dollar”) and a trading coin called Himalaya Coin (“HCN” or “H Coin”). In videos distributed via social media, KWOK trumpeted the prospects and valuation of the Himalaya Exchange and both HCN and HDO, which he publicly described as cryptocurrencies. For example, in a video posted on the Internet on or about October 20, 2021, KWOK falsely stated: “If the H Coin is worthless, [the issuer of H coin] can sell all 20% of the gold, exchange it to you, and become your money. Or take all the value of 20% gold and ask everyone to unify it and make it yours;” and “If anyone loses money, I can say that I will compensate 100%. I give you 100%. Whoever loses money, I will bear it.” The initial coin offering of HCN and HDO occurred on or about November 1, 2021. HCN began trading at 10 cents and, within approximately two weeks, the Himalaya Exchange website claimed that each HCN purportedly was worth approximately 27 HDO (i.e., $27), which represented a 26,900% increase in value and a total value of approximately $27 billion. JE also falsely claimed to media outlets that a €3.5 million Ferrari was purchased via the Himalaya Exchange. In truth, a Himalaya Exchange employee sent the Ferrari broker an international bank wire to cover the cost of the Ferrari, while also processing a corresponding “transaction” on the Himalaya Exchange to create the false appearance that the purchase had taken place using HDO in order to show HDO was easily tradeable and to promote the Himalaya Exchange. The buyer of the Ferrari was a close relative of KWOK. U.S. Government Seizures On or about September 20, 2022 and September 21, 2022, U.S. authorities served judicially-authorized seizure warrants on several domestic banks, and subsequently seized approximately $335 million of proceeds from bank accounts held in the names of Himalaya Exchange entities and other entities associated with KWOK and JE. Within approximately two days of the first judicially authorized seizures of Himalaya Exchange-related funds, on or about September 22, 2022, JE contacted the management of a domestic bank that held Himalaya Exchange bank accounts. JE sought to implement a wire transfer, which he and a Himalaya Exchange executive claimed to the domestic bank was needed to effectuate a “redemption” from HDO to U.S. dollars for an unnamed “VIP” ( i.e. , very important client of the Himalaya Exchange). In subsequent communications with the domestic bank, JE revealed that the VIP was, in fact, JE himself. JE provided the domestic bank with documents reflecting two purported HCN sales by JE on or about September 22, 2022—totaling 46 million HDO, which JE was attempting to “convert” into $46 million. JE twice emphasized to the domestic bank’s management, in substance and in part, that the $46 million transfer needed to happen “today or it is meaningless.” U.S. Authorities subsequently seized additional funds from KWOK and JE-associated entities in October 2022 and March 2023. In total, U.S. Authorities seized more than approximately $634 million of fraud proceeds, including approximately $278 million from bank accounts held in the names of the Himalaya Exchange entities. Today, pursuant to judicially-authorized warrants, U.S. Authorities are seizing additional items from KWOK-associated properties, which KWOK and JE allegedly purchased with fraud proceeds. * * * HO WAN KWOK, a/k/a “Miles Guo,” a/k/a “Miles Kwok,” a/k/a “Guo Wengui,” a/k/a “Brother Seven,” a/k/a “The Principal,” 52, of New York, New York, and KIN MING JE, a/k/a “William Je,” 56, of London, England, are charged in an Indictment with the following offenses: Count Charge Defendant Maximum Penalty 1 Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, Securities Fraud and Money Laundering KWOK and JE 5 years in prison 2 Wire Fraud (GTV Private Placement) KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 3 Securities Fraud (GTV Private Placement) KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 4 Wire Fraud (Farm Loan Program) KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 5 Securities Fraud (Farm Loan Program) KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 6 Wire Fraud (G|CLUBS) KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 7 Securities Fraud (G|CLUBS) KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 8 Wire Fraud (Himalaya Exchange) KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 9 International Promotional Money Laundering KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 10 International Concealment Money Laundering KWOK and JE 20 years in prison 11 Unlawful Monetary Transactions KWOK and JE 10 years in prison 12 Obstruction of Justice JE 20 years in prison The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which today filed a parallel civil action against KWOK and JE, for its assistance and cooperation in this investigation. Mr. Williams also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the U.K. Metropolitan Police. If you believe you are a victim of KWOK and JE’s fraud, please find more information here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/united-states-v-ho-wan-kwok-aka-miles-guo-and-kin-ming-je-aka-william-je The case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the Office’s Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel, Juliana N. Murray, and Micah F. Fergenson are in charge of the prosecution. The allegations in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Fargo, ND, Man Pleads Guilty to Preparation of False Tax Returns

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on March 14, 2023, Thompson B. Tarr, age 43, from Fargo, ND, pled guilty in Federal Court, Fargo, ND, before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, to the offenses of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of a False and Fraudulent Return. Sentencing is scheduled for August 7, 2023. Investigation revealed that while living in Fargo, ND, Tarr prepared or assisted in the preparation of hundreds of tax returns for individuals. At the plea hearing, Tarr pled guilty to one violation of aiding and abetting the preparation of a false tax return. Tarr admitted that he claimed tax exemptions on behalf of a taxpayer who was not entitled to the exemption. IRS Criminal Investigations discovered 30 other false tax returns prepared by Tarr for 13 taxpayers, which resulted in the tax loss from false deductions and credits in the amounted of $105,474.00. “Honest taxpayers are the ones hurt by deliberate violations of federal tax laws,” Schneider said. “Protecting those taxpayers and public funds are key priorities of the United States Attorney’s Office.” “Mr. Tarr admitted to adding false information to the tax returns of his clients. That’s why it’s imperative that taxpayers review the information they submit to the IRS even when they have someone else prepare their return,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “This case shows how easy it is for dishonest return preparers to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers.” This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Greenley. # # #


title: Midland Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Meth Distribution and Firearm Charge

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MIDLAND, Texas – A Midland man was sentenced last week to 360 months in prison for possessing approximately 1,000 grams of methamphetamine and possessing a handgun in furtherance to a drug activity. According to court documents, on September 23, 2022, Midland Police officers found that Fabian Hernandez, 33, was a guest at a downtown hotel. In a search of his room, officers found over two pounds of methamphetamine and a 9mm Rock Island Armory handgun. On December 15, 2022, Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 50 grams of Methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking activity. Hernandez has remained in federal custody since his arrest on September 23, 2022. “The court imposed a substantial sentence in this case. This should be a clear message to drug traffickers that dealing drugs while possessing a firearm is a serious crime that will result in serious punishment,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “We are grateful for the collaboration between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Midland Police Department that resulted in the removal of another dealer from the streets.” “Illicit synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl continue to drive addiction and fatal poisonings in our country,” said Greg Millard, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division. “It is the top priority of the men and women of DEA to relentlessly pursue those manufacturing and distributing these poisons in our communities.” The DEA’s Midland Resident Office and the Midland Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lopez prosecuted the case. ###


title: Area man who claimed to be African prince sentenced to 20 years in prison for several fraud crimes

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man, who as part of his fraud scheme purported he was a Ghanaian prince, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to the statutory maximum of 240 months in prison. Daryl Robert Harrison, also known as Prince Daryl R. Attipoe and Prophet Daryl R. Attipoe, 44, was found guilty of 10 counts of various federal fraud crimes following a jury trial in September 2022. Harrison defrauded at least 14 victims of more than $800,000. He was convicted of mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and witness tampering. According to court documents and trial testimony, from January 2014 until September 2020, Harrison defrauded victims who thought they were investing in African trucking and mining companies. Harrison – falsely holding himself out to be a royal prince from the African national of Ghana – told investors he had direct connections with these companies, and that they could expect an investment return of 28 to 33 percent. Harrison solicited prospective investors at local Starbucks coffee shops, IHOP restaurants, Kroger grocery stores, carwashes and fitness centers. Harrison and his stepfather claimed to be ministers with Power House of Prayer Ministries, which sponsored religious services in various church facilities and private residences throughout the Greater Dayton area, Southwestern Ohio area and Parker, Colorado. Many investor victims were members of the congregation. Harrison routinely withdrew thousands of dollars in cash from the Ministries bank accounts shortly after receiving investments. Harrison and his stepfather used the investment funds to rent a house in Colorado, purchase luxury vehicles, airplane tickets, hotel accommodations and rental cars. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2020. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jaime Carazo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorneys Dwight K. Keller and Ryan A. Saunders are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: HO WAN KWOK, 豪万郭（音译）a/k/a，“MILES GUO”别称“迈乐斯郭”因策划超过 10 亿美元的欺诈阴谋而被捕

body_text: 美国纽约南区检察官 Damian Williams（达米安威廉姆斯）和联邦调查局 (“FBI”) 纽约外地办事处负责人助理主任 Michael J. Driscoll 宣布公开一份12项的起诉书，指控 HO WAN KWOK 豪万郭 （音译）， a/k/a “Miles Guo” 别称”迈乐斯郭”， a/k/a “Miles Kwok”, a/k/a 别称“郭文贵”, a/k/a 别称“七哥”, a/k/a别称“领头人”和 KIN MING JE，吉建明（音译），又名“William Je”“威廉吉”，涉及多种电汇欺诈、证券欺诈、银行欺诈和洗钱指控。 JE吉是郭的财务设计师，他同时还被控妨碍司法公正。起诉书中的指控源于被告和其他人操纵庞大而复杂的阴谋，目的是通过向数十万 KWOK 郭的在线粉丝提供虚假陈述和陈述来招揽对各种实体和项目的投资。如指控所述，KWOK郭和JE吉在串谋过程中挪用了数亿美元的欺诈所得资金。KWOK郭今天早上在纽约市，纽约州被捕，将于今天下午出庭。JE吉目前在逃。 此外，威廉姆斯先生宣布在2022年9月至2023年3月期间，美国政府从21个不同的银行账户中扣押了约6.34亿美元。这6.34亿美元构成了郭某涉嫌欺诈的收益，政府将寻求没收这些收益。今天，执法部门还从KWOK郭的财产中扣押了以下资产，这些资产是 KWOK郭 用涉嫌欺诈的收益购买的，其中包括一辆Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roads兰博基尼。 美国检察官Damian Williams达米安威廉姆斯说：“正如所指控的那样，HO WAN KWOK 豪万郭（音译），许多人称他为 “Miles Guo”迈乐斯郭”， 操纵一个复杂的阴谋，从他数千名在线追随者骗取了超过10亿美元的资金。郭被控用偷来的钱财中饱私囊，包括为自己和他的近亲购买一座50,000平方英尺的豪宅、一辆价值350万美元的法拉利，甚至还有两张价值 36,000 美元的床垫，以及出资获取一艘价值3700万美元的豪华游艇。 如指控所言，Kwok郭对他的受害者撒谎，并承诺如果他们投资或提供金钱给GTV、给所谓的喜马拉雅农场联盟，G|CLUBS俱乐部和喜马拉雅交易所，就会获得丰厚的回报。郭还被指控洗钱数亿被盗资金，以掩盖串谋从事非法行为并继续进行欺诈活动。我的办公室和我们的执法伙伴将继续竭尽全力保护社区免受恶性欺诈带来破坏性后果。如果您认为自己是 Kwok郭和Je吉的欺诈的受害者，请联系USANYS.GuoVictims@usdoj.gov或访问 http://forms.fbi.gov/NY _GTV。我的办公室和联邦调查局是来帮助那些受到这种恶意欺诈伤害的人们的。” FBI联邦调察局助理局长Michael J. Driscoll（迈克尔 J. 吉尔斯克勒）说：“今天的起诉书指控的被告是一个精心策划的计划的幕后黑手，该阴谋骗取了数千人超过10亿美元。欺诈性投资骗局使无辜者成为受害者，最终损害公众对金融体系完整性的信心。FBI联邦调察局继续将把调查复杂的金融犯罪作为首要任务，任何企图实施这些犯罪的人都将面临刑事司法系统带来后果。 ” 正如曼哈顿联邦法院开封的起诉书和法院文件中所称： [1] 从至少在2018年左右到至少在2023年3月左右，KWOK郭、JE吉和其他人共谋诈骗了数千名受害者超过约10亿美元。郭是这个复杂阴谋的领头人。 KWOK郭是一名流亡的中国商人，自2015年左右以来一直居住在美国，并在网上拥有大量追随者。大约在2018年左右，郭成立了两个据称是非营利的组织，即法治基金会和法治协会。郭利用非营利组织招聚追随者，这些追随者与他声称的在中国的政策目标一致，并且也倾向于相信郭关于投资和赚钱机会的陈述。 JE吉为香港及英国双重公民，主要居住于英国。JE吉拥有并经营为数众多的公司和对阴谋成败悠关投资工具，并担任其金融设计师和主要洗钱者。 KWOK郭和JE吉的欺诈至少依赖于四个相互关联的部分：GTV Media Group GTV 媒体团队, Inc. (“GTV”)Private Placement(GTV)私募、The Farm Loan Program 农场贷款项目、G Club Operations, LLC (“G|CLUBS”)G俱乐部操作有限公司和Himalaya Exchange喜马拉雅交换所 。 GTV私募 2020年4月21日前后，KWOK郭在社交媒体上发布了一段视频，宣布通过私募方式未注册发行 GTV Media Group, Inc.(“GTV”) 普通股。 GTV被吹捧为一家范围广泛的媒体公司。在那段视频中，KWOK 实质上和部分地描述了 GTV 私募的投资条款，并指示人们通过移动信息的应用程序与他联系，询问有关 GTV 私募的任何问题。视频和 GTV 私募材料包括书面的“机密信息备忘录”（“PPM”）。 PPM在封面上写着“一切都只是开始！”，提供了有关 GTV 的信息，并包含有关如何使用 GTV 私募筹集的资金的虚假陈述。 在 2020 年 4 月 20 日或前后至 2020 年 6 月 2 日左右，价值约 4.52 亿美元的 GTV 普通股出售给了5，000多名的投资者。投资者参与 GTV 私募的部分原因是相信他们的资金将投资于 GTV 以发展和壮大该业务，正如 PPM 所承诺的那样。 2020 年 6 月上旬，就在GTV私募结束几天后，KWOK郭和JE吉指示从GTV私募筹集的1亿美元资金投资于高风险对冲基金，以受惠于GTV的母公司及它的最终受益拥-郭某的近亲。 农场贷款 项目 KWOK郭、JE吉和他们的同谋者通过“喜马拉雅农场联盟”骗取了超过约 1.5亿美元受害人资金。由郭氏组织及推动的喜马拉雅农场联盟，是一个由分布于世界各地不同城市的（每个单元叫“农场”）的非正式团队组成。KWOK郭、JE吉和其他代表他们并在他们的指导下工作的人通过在GTV私募中进一步向投资者作出虚假陈述，并以欺诈方式招揽更多投资，这次是以向农场“贷款”的形式获得这些资金，以及承诺此类贷款可以转换为 GTV 普通股，转换率为每借出 1 美元一股。 2020 年 7 月 22 日前后，KWOK郭在通过社交媒体发布的一段视频中宣传了农场贷款项目。推出农场贷款项目后，KWOK郭继续宣传GTV并虚假陈述GTV的价值。例如，在 2020 年 8 月 2 日左右，在通过社交媒体传播的一段视频中，KWOK郭实质地和部分地虚假陈述，“GTV值多少钱？ . . .市值20亿美元。”事实上，正如 KWOK郭所了解的那样，GTV的市值要低很多。 KWOK郭和JE吉挪用了通过农场贷款项目筹集的资金。例如:(i)约230万美元用于支付与价值约3700万美元的约145英尺豪华游艇相关的维护费用,该游艇名义上由郭的近亲拥有并由郭使用，如下图所示;(ii) 约1000万美元转入JE吉和/或JE吉的配偶名下的个人银行账户。 G|俱乐部 KWOK郭、JE吉及其他已知和未知的人以欺诈手段引诱KWOK郭的追随者将额外资金转移到 一个 名叫G/俱乐部— 一个号称为在线会员的俱乐部。从至少在2020年10月左右到至少在2023年3月左右，KWOK郭、JE吉和其他人通过G|俱乐部，欺诈性地获得了超过约 2.5 亿美元的受害人资金。 G|俱乐部在其网站上号称是“提供全方位服务的独家高端会员项目”和“通往精心策划的世界级产品、服务和体验的门户”。 事实上，正如 KWOK郭和JE吉所熟知的那样，G|俱乐部并未为其会员提供任何接近于“全方位服务”和“体验”的东西。事实上，G|俱乐部会员支付的大部分钱并没有为 G|俱乐部的业务提供资金。相反，被告挪用了受害人的很大部分地资金，其中包括使用复杂的网络实体和银行账户来执行。例如，KWOK郭和JE吉使用 G/俱乐部的资金： ( i ) 用于购买 KWOK郭50,000平方英尺的新泽西豪宅（如下图）；(ii) 购买各种家具和装饰品，其中包括价值约978,000美元的中国和波斯地毯、价值62,000美元的电视和价值53,000美元的壁炉架； (iii) 以大约440万美元的价格购买一辆定制的布加迪跑车（如下图）： 喜马拉雅交易所 KWOK郭、JE吉和其他已知和未知的人通过 Himalaya Exchange喜马拉雅交易所欺诈性地获得了超过约2.62 亿美元的受害人资金，这是一个自称可以在互联网上使用的加密货币“生态系统”。喜马拉雅交易所包括一种名为 Himalaya Dollar喜马拉雅美元（“HDO”或“H Dollar”H美元）的稳定币和一种名为 Himalaya Coin喜马拉雅硬币（“HCN”或“H Coin”H硬币）的交易币。在通过社交媒体发布的视频中，KWOK郭大肆宣扬喜马拉雅交易所以及HCN（H硬币和HDO（H美元）的前景和估值，他公开将其描述为加密货币。例如，在 2021 年 10 月 20 日前后发布在互联网上的一段视频中，KWOK郭谎称：“如果 H硬币不值钱，[H硬币的发行人]可以卖掉20%的所有的黄金，换给你，并成为你的钱。或者把价值20%的黄金全部拿走，让大家统一起来，使之成为你的；” “如果有人赔钱，我可以说我会100%赔偿。我给你100%。谁亏了钱，我来承担。” HCN(H硬币)和 HDO（H美元） 的首次代币发行发生在2021年11月1日左右。HCN（H硬币）以10美分的价格开始交易，在大约两周内，喜马拉雅交易所网站声称每个HCN（H硬币）价值约27HDO（H美元）（即 27 美元），价值增长了 26,900%，总价值约为 270 亿美元。JE吉还向媒体谎称一辆价值 350万欧元的法拉利是通过喜马拉雅交易所购买的。事实上，喜马拉雅交易所的一名员工向法拉利经纪人发送了一封国际银行电汇，以支付法拉利的费用，同时还在喜马拉雅交易所处理了相应的“交易”，以制造购买是使用 HDO（H美元）进行的虚假表象，以便展示 HDO（H美元）易于交易并促进喜马拉雅交易所。法拉利的买家是郭某的近亲。 美国政府 扣押行动 在 2022年9月20日和2022年9月21日前后，美国当局向几家国内银行发出了司法授权的扣押令，随后从以喜马拉雅交易所的实体和其他与郭和吉相关的实体持有的银行账户中扣押了约 3.35 亿美元。在 2022年9月22日左右，即首次司法授权扣押 Himalaya Exchange（喜马拉雅交易所）相关资金后的大约两天内，JE吉联系了一家持有Himalaya Exchange(喜马拉雅交易所)银行账户的国内银行的管理层。 JE吉试图实施电汇，他和喜马拉雅交易所的一位高管向国内银行声称需要电汇才能为一位未具名的“VIP”（即 喜马拉雅 交易所非常重要的客户）实现从HDO（H美元）“赎回” 美元 .在随后与国内银行的沟通中，JE吉透露，VIP（重要人物）其实就是JE吉本人。 JE吉向国内银行提供的文件反映了JE吉在2022年9月22日左右进行的两笔 HCN（H硬币）销售——总计 4600 万 HDO（H美元），JE吉试图将其“转换”为4600万美元。 JE吉两次实质上和部分地向国内银行的管理层强调，4600万美元的转账需要“在今天进行，否则就毫无意义”。 美国当局随后于2022年10月和2023年3月从KWOK郭和JE吉相关联的实体扣押了额外资金。美国当局总共扣押了超过约 6.34 亿美元的欺诈收益，其中包括来自以喜马拉雅交易所实体持有的银行账户的约 2.78 亿美元。 今天，根据司法授权的逮捕令，美国当局从KWOK郭和JE吉涉嫌用欺诈所得购买的与 KWOK郭相关的财产中没收了其他物品. * * * HO WAN KWOK, 豪万郭（音译），a/k/a “Miles Guo”别称”迈乐斯郭”, a/k/a, a/k/a “郭文贵”, a/k/a “七哥”, a/k/ a “领头人”, 52 岁，来自纽约市， 纽约州，KIN MING JE(建明吉)，又名“William Je”（威廉吉），56岁，来自英国伦敦，起诉书指控以下的犯罪行为： 项数 指控 被告 最高刑罚 一 串谋从事电汇诈骗、银行诈骗、证券诈骗和洗钱 郭与杰 5年监禁 二 电汇诈骗（GTV私募） 郭与杰 20年监禁 三 证券欺诈(GTV私募) 郭与杰 20年监禁 四 电汇欺诈（农场贷款计划） 郭与杰 20年监禁 五 证券欺诈（农业贷款计划） 郭与杰 20年监禁 六 电汇欺诈 (G|俱乐部) 郭与杰 20年监禁 七 证券欺诈(G|俱乐部) 郭与杰 20年监禁 八 电汇欺诈（喜马拉雅交易所） 郭与杰 20年监禁 九 国际促销洗钱 郭与杰 20年监禁 十 国际隐瞒洗钱 郭与杰 20年监禁 十一 非法货币交易 郭与吉 10年监禁 十二 妨碍司法公正 吉 20年监禁 法定最高刑期由国会规定，此处仅供参考，因为对被告判的的任何刑期都将由法官决定。 威廉姆斯先生赞扬了联邦调查局的调查工作。威廉姆斯先生进一步感谢美国证券交易委员会在本次调查中的协助与合作，该委员会今天对KWOK郭和JE吉提出了平行民事诉讼。威廉姆斯先生还对美国法警部，司法部国际事务办公室和英国大都会警察局的协助表示感谢。 如果您认为自己是KWOK郭和JE吉欺诈的受害者，请在此处查找更多信息：http//www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/united-states-v-ho-wan-kwok-aka-miles-guo-and-kin-ming-je-aka-william-je 。 此案由该办公室刑事部的多层面欺诈和网络安全小组负责。美国助理检察官Ryan B. Finkel、Juliana N. Murray 和 Micah F. Fergenson负责起诉。 起诉书中的指控仅仅是指控，被告被假定为无罪，除非并直到被证明有罪。 [1] 正如介绍性的短句所言，起诉书的全文本以及此处对起诉书指控的描述，构成仅仅是指控，所描述每一个实情都应作为指控来对待。


title: Former Rochester, New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 68 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentantyl

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Craig Wiggin, 44, formerly of Rochester, New Hampshire was sentenced to 68 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today. According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2021, Wiggin conspired with other individuals to sell quantities of fentanyl to an individual cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and to an FBI Task Force Officer, who was acting in an undercover capacity as a drug customer. The drug sales occurred at various locations in Rochester, New Hampshire and totaled approximately 225 grams of fentanyl. “Fentanyl continues to be a major threat to the safety of New Hampshire citizens. Those individuals who choose to distribute the drug in New Hampshire will be vigorously prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Today’s sentence should put other drug traffickers who are following in Craig Wiggin’s footsteps on notice that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are working together to identify, disrupt, and remove from our communities anyone who peddles deadly fentanyl,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New Hampshire Major Offender Task Force and the New Hampshire State Police’s Narcotics Investigations Unit. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer C. Davis. ###


title: Former Leon County Corrections Officer Indicted For Distribution, Possession, And Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – James Anthony Linton, 60, of Tallahassee, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with receiving, distributing, and possessing material constituting child pornography. The indictment was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Linton made his initial appearance in federal court to face the charges this afternoon. The indictment alleges that, between November 2021, and February 2022, Linton received, distributed, and possessed material containing child pornography. The pornographic material allegedly found in Linton’s possession involved minors under the age of 12. Trial for Linton is set for May 24, 2023, at 8:15 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before the Honorable United States Chief District Judge Mark E. Walker. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Merrimack Man Sentenced to 18 Months Imprisonment for Unlicensed Firearm Dealing and Making False Statements During the Acquisition of Firearms

body_text: CONCORD, N.H. - Leith Sukkar, 23, of Merrimack New Hampshire, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on one count of unlicensed firearm dealing and two counts of making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced today. According to court documents and statements made in court, Between September 2021 and May 3, 2022, Sukkar purchased 24 firearms from four federally licensed firearms dealers in New Hampshire. Sukkar falsely represented that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms when, in fact, he was purchasing the firearms for other people. On May 3, 2022, Sukkar made a false statement during the purchase of a Glock model 29, 10mm pistol and a Glock model 43, 9mm pistol from Shooter’s Outpost, a federally licensed firearms dealer, located in Hooksett, New Hampshire. Similarly on April 27, 2022, Sukkar made a false statement during the purchase of a Taurus model G2S, 9mm pistol, from Shooter’s Outpost. Other evidence obtained during the investigation showed that he was charging $900 for firearms and accepted drugs as payment for at least one firearm. Sukkar does not have a federal license to sell or deal in firearms. After sentencing U.S. Attorney Young said, “this defendant’s deliberate actions were designed to thwart the application of firearms laws and merit the term of imprisonment he received. The defendant’s crimes facilitated crimes of violence and other crimes, including drug offenses, in New Hampshire and neighboring states.” This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Manchester Police Department Special Investigations Unit, and the New Hampshire Sate Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Ward, Anna Krasinski, and Deb Walsh. ###


title: Sterling Bancorp, Inc. to Plead Guilty to $69M Securities Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: *This press release was revised on April 12, 2023, to remove reference to uncharged third parties. **This press release was revised on July 11, 2023, to include information concerning individuals convicted in relation to this case. A Southfield, Michigan-headquartered bank holding company has agreed to plead guilty to securities fraud for filing false securities statements relating to its 2017 initial public offering (IPO) and its 2018 and 2019 annual filings. According to a signed plea agreement that will be publicly filed in court, Sterling Bancorp, Inc. (the Company) was the holding company for its wholly owned subsidiary, Sterling Bank and Trust F.S.B. (the Bank, or together with the Company, “Sterling”). Sterling – with branches located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and Southfield – completed an IPO in 2017, and the Company’s stock began trading on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol “SBT.” “For years, Sterling originated residential mortgages that were rife with fraud to pad its bottom line and then lied about these loans in its IPO and subsequent public filings, defrauding unwitting investors,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This proposed guilty plea reflects the nature and seriousness of the wrongdoing and demonstrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our public markets, holding corporations accountable for their criminal misconduct, and compensating victims for their losses.” The largest portion of the Bank’s loan portfolio was composed of residential mortgage loans. In or around 2011, the Bank established a residential mortgage loan program known as the Advantage Loan Program (ALP). Between 2011 and 2019, the Bank’s employees and agents originated at least $5 billion in ALP loans. The Bank touted the ALP’s flexible documentation requirements and fast underwriting and closing capabilities. The program required a minimum 35% down payment and charged higher rates and fees than generally were available elsewhere in the market, but it did not require submission of typical loan documentation, such as an applicant’s tax returns or payroll records. “The consequences of this type of financial fraud scheme are damaging and far-reaching,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to protecting good-faith investors and safeguarding the integrity of our markets from companies that commit securities fraud.” In the lead-up to the IPO, Sterling’s loan officers were encouraged to increase the volume of ALP loan originations to increase the Bank’s revenue through origination fees and interest payments. The Bank’s Underwriting Department maintained internal underwriting guidelines that governed the loan approval process for the ALP. The underwriting guidelines required loan officers to obtain various documents from the borrower and the borrower’s employer. In addition to collecting these documents, loan officers were supposed to calculate the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio, which was a personal-finance measure that compared the amount of debt a borrower had to the borrower’s overall income and was used to measure the borrower’s ability to manage monthly mortgage payments. Taken together, the various documents obtained from the borrower and the borrower’s employer, and related information, were critical to completing certain mortgage application forms and assessing the creditworthiness of a borrower’s application. In connection with loans originated through the ALP, the Bank’s loan officers falsified, caused to be falsified, and concealed various information from the Bank’s Underwriting Department and Quality Control Department that the loan officers believed would delay or prevent the Bank from originating loans under the ALP. The false information that the loan officers included and caused to be included in ALP applications was ultimately transmitted to, and relied upon by, the Bank’s Underwriting Department and caused the Bank to originate ALP loans and extend credit to borrowers who otherwise would not have qualified for credit from the Bank based upon the underwriting guidelines. These fraudulent loans directly increased the Bank’s revenue through fees and interest associated with the origination of the fraudulent loans. In or around October 2017 – while Sterling was artificially inflating its revenue through the ALP – Sterling went public. In connection with its IPO, Sterling’s 2017 SEC Form S-1 contained materially false and misleading statements that touted the soundness of the ALP loans. In truth, the ALP was rife with fraud. After Sterling’s IPO, the ALP fraud continued. In its 2018 and 2019 SEC Form 10-K filings, Sterling reiterated a series of materially false and misleading statements about the ALP. As a result of Sterling’s fraud, the total loss to Sterling’s non-insider victim-shareholders was nearly $70 million. “Bank holding companies that engage in fraud to deceive the public and regulators must be brought to justice for their actions,” said Inspector General Mark Bialek of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “I commend our agents and their federal law enforcement partners for their hard work and persistence, which ultimately led to today’s announcement.” “This proposed guilty plea holds Sterling accountable for its role in defrauding non-insider victim-shareholders of millions of dollars by originating fraudulent loans through its Advantage Loan Program and filing false securities statements about the Program in its IPO and subsequent annual filings,” said Acting Inspector General Tyler Smith of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG). “The FDIC-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate financial crimes that harm innocent investors and consumers and undermine the integrity of the banking sector.” “This case is another example of Postal Inspectors relentlessly pursuing any individual or entity committing securities fraud,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations. “I'm proud of the work done by all the investigators involved in this case and look forward to the continued collaborative efforts between Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners.” Under the terms of the plea agreement, which must be accepted by the court, the Company will plead guilty to one count of securities fraud. The Company will also be required to serve a term of probation through 2026, submit to enhanced reporting obligations to the department, and pay more than $27.2 million in restitution to its non-insider victim-shareholders. The department considered a range of factors outlined in the department’s Inability to Pay Guidance and determined that any payment exceeding approximately $27.2 million is reasonably likely to threaten the continued viability of the Company, which may expose the Company’s shareholders to a further risk of loss. Accordingly, to ensure that the maximum amount of the Company’s funds is paid to restitution, the department has agreed not to seek a criminal fine in this case. A number of relevant considerations contributed to the department’s criminal resolution with Sterling, including the nature and seriousness of the offense and the pervasiveness of the misconduct at the most senior levels of the Company. Sterling received credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation and engaged in extensive remedial measures, including terminating employees involved in the ALP fraud, such that through terminations and resignations, more than 100 officers and employees left the bank; completely overhauling the Bank’s senior management, including terminations of former senior management; overhauling the Bank’s residential lending department, internal audit function, compliance function, and Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering function, and creating an enterprise risk management function; permanently ending the ALP; hiring a new chairman, chief executive officer, and president; increasing the number of independent directors on the Company’s board of directors; and implementing a new business model to reduce its risk profile. As part of Sterling’s plea agreement, Sterling agreed to cooperate fully with the United States in all matters relating to the conduct covered by the plea agreement and other conduct under investigation by the United States, to self-report violations of U.S. federal criminal law, and to continue to implement a compliance and ethics program designed to effectively detect and deter violations of U.S. securities laws throughout its operations. Three individuals previously pleaded guilty in connection with the underlying ALP fraud. YiHou Han, 39, of San Francisco, California, Hao Liang “Frank” Hu, 48, of Chino Hills, California, and Amy Lu, 33, of Brea, California, have each pleaded guilty. Han pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, Hu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, and Lu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. Han and Hu each face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and Lu faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. All are awaiting sentencing. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, FDIC-OIG San Francisco, and USPIS investigated the case. Assistant Chief Cory E. Jacobs and Trial Attorney Amanda Fretto Lingwood of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov. You are also encouraged to visit our webpage for this case at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-sterling-bancorp-inc .


title: Washington Man Sentenced for Combative Behavior on Flight to Anchorage, Alaska

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – A Washington man was sentenced on March 9, 2023, for putting a flight crew in fear of being assaulted during a commercial airline flight. According to court documents, on March 1, 2023, Marc Hetsler, 43, was a passenger aboard Aleutian Flight SRY 1102 with service from Dutch Harbor, Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska. While the aircraft was in flight, Hetsler laid down in the aisle and refused to let flight crew through. He then became combative and began behaving aggressively towards the crewmember. An off-duty police officer aboard the flight stepped in to assist the flight crew. Hetsler became confrontational with the officer as well. Other passengers then assisted in subduing Hetsler who was restrained for the remainder of the flight. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation placed Hetsler into federal custody upon the plane landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Eight days after his arrest, on March 9, 2023, Hetsler pleaded guilty to an Information charging Fear Assault in the Special Aircraft Jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of 49 U.S.C. § 46506 and 18 U.S.C. § 113. He was sentenced to time served for the eight days he spent in federal custody. “The safety and security of air travel is paramount, and we will continue to prosecute offenders in order to ensure that all passengers are able to travel without fear of assault or harm,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker. “We hope that this case will serve as a warning to others who may consider committing similar acts in the future, and that it will encourage everyone to follow the rules and regulations designed to keep our skies safe and secure.” U.S. Attorney Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Taylor and Karen Vandergaw prosecuted the case.


title: Detroit-area Software Developer Sentenced to Prison for  Employment Tax Crimes

body_text: A Michigan business owner was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for failing to collect and pay over to the IRS employment taxes withheld from his employees’ wages. According to court documents and statements made in court, Yigal Ziv of West Bloomfield owned and operated Multinational Technologies, Inc. (MTI), a software development firm based in Walled Lake. Ziv was responsible for filing MTI’s quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying to the IRS payroll taxes withheld from employees’ wages. From the first quarter of 2014 through the first quarter of 2018, Ziv collected approximately $691,000 in employment taxes from MTI’s employees, but did not file employment tax returns or pay the withheld taxes to the IRS. Even after learning of the IRS’s ongoing criminal investigation in May 2018, Ziv did not file MTI’s employment tax returns from the fourth quarter of 2019 through the fourth quarter of 2020 and did not pay the IRS approximately $199,000 in payroll taxes withheld from MTI’s employees. During that same period, Ziv directed MTI to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for his personal benefit, including home mortgage payments, luxury auto lease payments and department store purchases. In total, Ziv caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,169,000. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson for the Eastern District of Michigan ordered Ziv to serve one year of supervised release and to pay a $5,000 fine and $897,271.80 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Charles Miller of IRS-Criminal Investigation Detroit Field Office made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Kenneth C. Vert and George Meggali of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Grand Jury Returns Indictments

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Michigan Man Charged with Making Threats Arvin Raj Mathur, 32, Grass Lake, Michigan, is charged with six counts of transmitting communications containing threats to injure other persons. The indictment alleges that on six occasions in February 2023, Mathur sent electronic communications threatening to injure a Wisconsin citizen, for the purpose of issuing threats and with knowledge that the communications would be viewed as threats. Mathur previously was charged with transmitting communications containing threats in a sealed complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on March 8, 2023. The complaint was unsealed following his arrest in Detroit, Michigan on Friday, March 10. Mathur made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on Saturday, March 11 and a detention hearing was held yesterday. The Court ordered that he remain in federal custody pending his arraignment in federal court in Madison, Wisconsin. The date for his arraignment in Wisconsin has not been set. If convicted, Mathur faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Corey is handling the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Bilkovic handled Mathur’s appearances in the Eastern District of Michigan. Man Charged with Conspiring to Launder Proceeds of Fraud Scheme Paul Williams Anti, 59, a citizen of Ghana, is charged with conspiring with unknown others to launder the proceeds of a wire fraud scheme. The indictment alleges that from October 13, 2020 to October 20, 2020, the fraud perpetrators used false pretenses to cause an employee of Organization A in the Western District of Wisconsin to wire transfer the organization’s funds to the conspirators, including Williams Anti. The indictment alleges that the conspirators gained unauthorized access to the work email account of an employee of Organization A, and without the employee’s knowledge, obtained copies of incoming emails containing genuine invoices sent to the organization for payment and altered the invoices to increase the amounts due and change where payment was to be directed. The indictment further alleges that the fraud perpetrators sent emails containing the altered invoices to a second employee for payment, and the second employee directed the organization’s bank to wire funds to bank accounts, including two controlled by Williams Anti, who then transferred some of the fraud proceeds to other accounts he maintained under false identities. According to the indictment, of the approximately $2.4 million fraudulently obtained from Organization A, approximately $1 million was wired to the two bank accounts controlled by Williams Anti. Williams Anti was arrested in the Southern District of New York on Monday, March 13. A date for his initial appearance in Wisconsin has not been set. If convicted, Williams Anti faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin is handling the prosecution. Two Charged with Defrauding Tribal Housing Authority In related cases charged in separate indictments, two individuals have been charged with engaging in fraud schemes to defraud the St. Croix Chippewa Housing Authority, a tribal agency of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin. The first indictment charges Karen Johnson, 55, Cumberland, Wisconsin, with three counts of wire fraud, theft from a federally funded organization, and aggravated identity theft. This indictment alleges that from November 2018 to June 2019, Johnson, while employed as a housing specialist with the St. Croix Chippewa Housing Authority, created false invoices and vouchers for work allegedly done by Individual A on behalf of the Housing Authority and then wrote checks payable to Individual A from the Housing Authority’s bank account. The indictment further alleges that Johnson endorsed each check by forging the signature of Individual A and deposited the proceeds into her personal bank account. According to the indictment, Individual A did not perform the work for the Housing Authority or create the invoices and he was unaware his identity was used in this manner. The wire fraud charges involve three Housing Authority checks totaling $12,700. The second indictment charges Duane Emery, 64, Hertel, Wisconsin, with three counts of wire fraud and one count of theft from a federally funded program. The indictment alleges that from February 2015 to June 2019, Emery, while employed as the housing director for the Housing Authority, requested a fellow employee to write checks drawn on the Housing Authority account payable to Sears, claiming that the checks constituted reimbursement for his expenses related to his employment with the Housing Authority. The indictment alleges that Emery used the funds to make payments to his personal Sears credit card account. The wire fraud charges involved three Housing Authority checks totaling $6,600. If convicted, Johnson and Emery face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count and 10 years on the theft from a federally funded program count. The aggravated identity theft count Johnson is charged with carries a mandatory two-year penalty. The charges against Johnson and Emery are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General with the full support and cooperation of the St. Croix Tribe. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Kraus is handling the prosecutions. La Crosse Man Charged with Possessing Methamphetamine for Distribution Devin A. Lewis, 37, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he possessed the methamphetamine on February 20, 2023. If convicted, Lewis faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita Marie Boor is handling the prosecution. Two Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S. In unrelated cases, two citizens of Mexico have been charged with illegally reentering the United States after having been removed. The first indictment charges Gilberto De Leon-Lopez, also known as Rolando Joel De Leon De Paz, 38, living in Rock County, Wisconsin. The indictment alleges he was found in the United States on January 13, 2023. The second indictment charges Eloy Flores-Zuniga, 38, living in Rock County. The indictment alleges that he was found in the United States on January 3, 2023. If convicted, Gilberto De Leon-Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and Eloy Flores-Zuniga faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charges against them are the result of investigations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson is handling the prosecutions.


title: Florida Man Charged with Federal Hate Crimes for Racially Motivated Attack Against Group of Black Men

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Gainesville, Florida, returned a six-count indictment charging David Emanuel, 61, with committing hate crimes for his racially motivated attack on a group of Black men who were surveying land along a public road in Cedar Key, Florida. The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that on Sept. 6, 2022, Emanuel willfully intimidated the victim, F.D.D., and attempted to injure, intimidate and interfere with him, through the use of Emanuel’s vehicle, because of F.D.D.’s race and color. Emanuel is further alleged to have willfully intimidated and interfered with, and attempted to intimidate and interfere with, five additional victims, through the use of his vehicle, because of the victims’ race and color. According to the indictment, all six victims were Black males who were surveying land owned by one of the victims at the time of the alleged offenses. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and Gainesville Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Weiss for the Northern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Texas Woman Traveling Through Alabama Found Guilty of Possessing Six Kilograms of Heroin with Intent to Distribute

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that Melissa Vasquez-Guardado, 25, from Houston, Texas, was found guilty of possession of heroin with intent to distribute. The jury reached its verdict on March 14, 2023. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on July 27, 2021, law enforcement in Butler County, Alabama, stopped a vehicle on Interstate 65. The vehicle had three occupants. The driver had difficulty providing identification and stated she did not have a driver’s license. Officers eventually identified the driver as Fidelia Barrera-Villanueva, 39, also from Houston, Texas. Vasquez-Guardado was a passenger in the vehicle, along with Barrera-Villanueva’s 15-year-old daughter. When speaking with officers, Vasquez-Guardado and Barrera-Villanueva indicated that they were on their way to Atlanta, Georgia. Barrera-Villanueva gave officers permission to search the vehicle. During the search, officers saw a pillowcase underneath a box on the floorboard behind the front passenger seat. Inside the pillowcase were six cylindrical objects wrapped in black tape containing what turned out to be a total of 5.9 kilograms of heroin. Following this conviction, Vasquez-Guardado faces a sentence 10 years to life in federal prison. Barrera-Villanueva previously pleaded guilty to possession of heroin with intent to distribute and could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison. A sentencing hearing for both Vasquez-Guardado and Barrera-Villanueva is scheduled for July 6, 2023. The DEA, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Covington County Sherriff’s Office, and the Greenville Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin P. Davidson, Justin L. Jones, and Mark E. Andreu are prosecuting the case.


title: Edwardsville Contractor Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for False Statements in Bankruptcy

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – In a U.S. District courtroom on Wednesday, a judge sentenced a man formerly from Edwardsville to 14 months in prison, a $50,000 fine, and two years’ supervised release after he pled guilty to making false statements in a 2018 bankruptcy case. Kevin Kahrig, 49, a former building contractor, concealed assets from his creditors by transferring those assets to his girlfriend-turned-spouse, Catharine Kahrig, prior to filing for bankruptcy. “Individuals who hide assets and deliberately make false statements on bankruptcy pleadings defraud their creditors and disgrace the federal court system,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “It’s a serious offense to abuse the bankruptcy system, and anyone seeking to discredit this process will be held accountable.” “To avoid paying his debt, Kevin Kahrig attempted to defraud his creditors by abusing the bankruptcy process,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “Because this type of fraud can threaten the integrity of a program designed to help honest individuals with legitimate financial crises, the FBI takes our responsibility to pursue bankruptcy fraud very seriously. This sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences associated with financial crime.” “Together with U.S. Attorney Crowe and our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue those who commit fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases for their own personal gain,” said Nancy J. Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Indiana and Central and Southern Illinois (Region 10). According to court documents, Kevin Kahrig admitted to transferring $277,850 in cash and checks to Catharine Kahrig in 2016 and then closed the bank accounts the next year. Kevin Kahrig hid those cash transfers and many of the closed accounts in his later filings with the bankruptcy court. He also took his name off a lakefront home he owned with Catharine and hid the transfer from the bankruptcy court. In addition, he sold a boat before bankruptcy and gave the $395,000 he got from the sale to Catharine Kahrig. Kevin Kahrig disclosed the boat sale to the bankruptcy court but lied about the amount he received and did not disclose that he had given the proceeds to Catharine Kahrig. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI's Springfield Field Office in collaboration with the Southern District of Illinois Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group coordinated by the U.S. Trustee for Region 10, after referral by the U.S. Trustee. The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10 is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in Peoria, Illinois, and South Bend, Indiana.


title: Fugitive Wanted in Alleged Athens Armed Fentanyl Trafficking Ring

component: Criminal - Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section

body_text: ATHENS, Ga. – Federal agents are searching for an Athens man charged in a 28-count, ten-defendant indictment alleging an armed fentanyl trafficking ring responsible for distributing multiple kilograms of fentanyl into the Athens-Clarke County community. Christopher King, 34, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, King faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and a $10,000,000 fine. Anyone with information regarding King’s whereabouts are urged to contact the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Macon, Georgia, office at 478-870-1017 or you can submit a tip anonymously by calling 1-877-WANTED-2. King and nine co-defendants are facing federal drug and gun charges after a federal grand jury returned a 28-count indictment on Oct. 11, 2022; the indictment was unsealed on Dec. 22, 2022. According to the indictment, all of the defendants allegedly conspired to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and more than 400 grams of fentanyl between Feb. 2021 and Sept. 2022. Additionally, defendants James Hill, Jasmine Jackson, Jose Camacho and Kristopher Ellison are charged with conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and more than 500 grams of cocaine. The indictment alleges fentanyl and other drug trafficking occurred at various locations in northeast Georgia, mostly in Athens: an apartment at 120 Chateau Terrace, the Fairfield Inn and Suites and the Howard Johnson’s Motel in Athens, and 3073 Hardman Morris Road in Colbert (Madison County), Georgia. During the course of the investigation, agents seized more than 3.6 kilograms of fentanyl, over one kilogram of heroin, more than 500 grams of cocaine and 313 grams of methamphetamine. Additionally, 21 firearms were seized, including three machine guns, sixteen pistols, one AK-47 rifle and one shotgun. Hundreds of rounds of ammunition and $116,567 in drug proceeds were also seized. The following eight co-defendants are charged in the indictment with King; they’ve had their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles H. Weigle and were remanded to federal custody: James Jerome Hill aka “Keith,” 40, of Athens, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of maintaining a drug involved premises and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Lanel Chambers aka “LC” aka “Lanel Rankin,” 44, of Lilburn, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl; Jose Camacho, 22, of Colbert, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of illegal possession of a machine gun and one count of maintaining a drug involved premises; Michael Arnold, 50, of Athens, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl; Kristopher Ellison aka “Soldier,” 32, of Athens, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; Antonio Young, 38, of Athens, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; Hendrex Nicely aka “Hen,” 34, of Athens, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and Favian Curry aka “Favo,” 41, of Athens, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and two counts of maintaining a drug involved premises. The following defendant is charged, had her initial appearance before the Honorable Judge Weigle and was released on bond: Jasmine Jackson, 28, of Athens, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl and one count of maintaining a drug involved premises. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison up to a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshal Service (USMS), FBI Athens Middle Georgia Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force, Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD), Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Gwinnett County Police Narcotics Unit the Georgia State Patrol (GSP). Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison 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: Convicted Drug Dealer Sentenced to 27.5 Years for Trafficking More Drugs and Laundering the Proceeds

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH – Noah Landfried was sentenced to 330 months in prison for committing drug trafficking and money laundering crimes while on federal supervised release from a prior prison sentence for drug trafficking, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Landfried, age 38 of Moon Township (Allegheny County), was sentenced by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Landfried was also ordered to serve ten years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Landfried’s prison sentence is a combination of 300 months for the drug trafficking and money laundering convictions and 30 months for the supervised release violation. Landfried was convicted at the conclusion of a jury trial in December 2021. He was convicted at Count 1/conspiracy to distribute a Schedule I or II controlled substance, including at least 5 kilograms of cocaine, between 40 and 400 grams of fentanyl, and between 100 and 1,000 grams of heroin; at Count 2/conspiracy to launder drug trafficking proceeds; and at Count 8/possession with intent to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl. The conduct occurred in 2017 and 2018. Landfried was early released in 2017 from his prior federal prison sentence for international marijuana trafficking. Landfried’s prior sentence was retroactively reduced by nearly 200 months as a result of an across-the-board reduction of the sentencing guidelines for convicted federal drug dealers. Following his release in 2017, he re-established a direct connection to a Mexican source of supply and received tractor-trailer shipments of kilograms of cocaine that were transported across the U.S./Mexico border. Landfried supplemented his cocaine trafficking by distributing thousands of oxycodone pills and large quantities of fentanyl and heroin, in addition to the K2/synthetic cannabinoids he was surreptitiously trafficking into prisons. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca L. Silinski and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General led the multi-agency investigation that also included the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Pittsburgh Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Munhall Police Department, the Robinson Township Police Department, the McKees Rocks Police Department, the Stowe Township Police Department, the Etna Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been sentenced in federal court to 63 months’ imprisonment followed by 10 years’ supervised release on his conviction of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. U.S. District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Desair McCray, age 22. According to information presented at the change of plea hearing and in the indictment, on or about March 11, 2020, McCray knowingly possessed images and videos containing child sex abuse material. Specifically, the Court was informed that a search warrant was executed at McCray’s residence after a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity received links created by an individual associated with that residence. A forensic examination of McCray’s iPad and cellular telephone recovered during that search showed that he possessed almost 200 video files and 23 images containing child sexual abuse material. McCray also admitted to law enforcement that he sent links containing child sexual abuse material to other individuals online. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigations and other members of the Western Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McCray. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Woman who Embezzled $2.2 Million from her Employer Admits to Bank Fraud, Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: A Bixby woman pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday for committing bank fraud when she embezzled nearly $2.2 million from her employer over a period of nine years, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. She further admitted to failing to pay taxes on the embezzled “income” in 2020. Christine Fletcher pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion . As part of her plea agreement, Fletcher will pay at least $2,188,870 in restitution to her former employer and $62,067 to the IRS for unpaid taxes in 2020. A federal judge will sentence Fletcher and determine the final restitution amounts at a later date. Fletcher worked for a company and various other entities owned by her employer for approximately 38 years. She was entrusted to manage her employer’s various Bank of Oklahoma Financial (BOKF) and Trust Company of Oklahoma bank accounts. She was also entrusted with preparing and providing financial statements and related information to the company’s tax preparer. In her plea agreement, Fletcher admitted that from December 2012 to approximately May 2021, she embezzled funds for her own personal gain from her employer in the approximate amount of $2, 188,870. To avoid being detected, she routinely made unauthorized transfers between and among various BOKF and Trust Company of Oklahoma accounts before misappropriating the funds for her own personal use. One of the many ways she fraudulently moved money, included making unauthorized transfers from some accounts into a specific individual’s account. From there, Fletcher prepared forged checks bearing the individual’s name and made the checks payable to herself or on her own behalf. Fletcher also admitted to routinely paying her credit card bills with the unauthorized and forged checks. Additionally, she admitted that for tax year 2020, she failed to report income she had obtained illegally in the amount of $289,810, thus failing to pay over $62,067 in taxes to the United States Treasury. The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Thomas E. Buscemi are prosecuting the case.