title: Portland Man Faces 10+ Years to Life for Enticement of a Minor, Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to enticing a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material. According to court records, in December 2022, Joshua Decker , 36, met the 16-year-old victim in an online chat forum and began regularly communicating with them despite knowing the victim was a minor. In April 2023, the conversations became graphic and sexual, and Decker discussed traveling to meet the victim. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims of crime and is limiting identifying information, including gender and location, to protect the minor victim’s privacy. In July 2023, the Portland Police Department executed a search warrant on Decker’s vehicle and person, recovering a tablet. Examination of the tablet revealed child sexual abuse material. Decker was convicted in Androscoggin County Criminal Court in 2018 for possession of sexually explicit material of a minor under 12. Decker faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the enticement charge and 10–20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the possession of child pornography charge. Any sentence would be followed by five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Department. Online enticement is increasing: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an alarming 300% increase in online enticement reports between 2020 and 2023. “Online enticement” involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This type of victimization takes place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. Learn more about online enticement, including red flags and risk factors, at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/onlineenticement . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project iGuardian program available to Maine communities: The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) program Project iGuardian is focused on keeping children and teens safe from online predators through education and awareness. The in-person educational outreach effort was created to share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity. Schools, parent groups, and other community groups interested in bringing the program to their community can find more information at: https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect/training . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Grand Island Man Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining Farm Loans and Bankruptcy Fraud

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Daniel Butt, 39, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2024 in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for making a false statement on a loan application and bankruptcy fraud. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Butt to five years of probation. Butt will also have to serve eight weekends in jail. Butt has also been ordered to pay $192,758.61 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency. Between 2016 and 2018, Daniel Butt obtained two loans from the Farm Services Agency (FSA), part of the United States Department of Agriculture. To obtain the loans, he lied about owning cattle as collateral, and he agreed to use the loan for farming expenses. The matter came to the attention of law enforcement when, during bankruptcy proceedings, Butt denied ever having owned cattle. Investigators learned that Butt had multiple financial accounts. He had been spending the loan money on other farming-related debts, car payments, personal expenses, and ATM withdrawals. Butt wrote bad checks to the FSA and he never paid FSA all of the money he earned from farming as was required by the terms of the loan. He avoided repayment obligations by selling grain in his father’s and brother’s names, then lied to the creditors under oath in bankruptcy court when he denied having done this. He borrowed from many individuals but failed to pay them back. When he filed for bankruptcy, he tried to get the outstanding loan debt to the Department of Agriculture discharged. This case was investigated by United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. Dax Roberson, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General said, “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, OIG special agents, and our investigative partners for their hard work on this investigation. When the integrity of the United States Department of Agriculture’s farm loan programs is violated by criminal conduct, the Office of Inspector General will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of Stolen Mail, Use of Access Devices and Identity Theft

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Michael B. Emmanuel, 37, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession of stolen mail, unauthorized use of access devices and aggravated identity theft. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Emmanuel to 41 months’ imprisonment for the stolen mail and access device offenses, to run concurrently, and a mandatory consecutive 24 months for the aggravated identity theft offense. There is no parole in the federal system. After Emmanuel's release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Emmanuel must also pay $32,972.71 in restitution. Starting in about November 2022, residents west of Omaha reported a rash of thefts from their mailboxes, followed by fraudulent accounts being set up or attempted to be set up in their names. During traffic stops and residence searches in January to March 2023, stolen mail, credit and debit cards, identification documents, altered checks and other ID-theft related items were found in the possession of Emmanuel and his co-defendant, Maximino Vallecillo, who was sentenced previously in connection with the same case. Video from area merchants showed Emmanuel, sometimes accompanied by Vallecillo, conducting transactions with debit or credit cards stolen from mailbox theft victims. Emmanuel also set up a bank account using the name of another person and attempted to negotiate altered checks through that account. Investigators identified approximately $68,428 worth of altered checks and attempted transactions that resulted in actual loss of approximately $32,972.71. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and United States Postal Inspection Service.


title: Winnebago Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to Domestic Partner

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Amarro T. Loera, 27, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a domestic or dating partner. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Loera to 21 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Loera’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On July 9, 2023, Loera assaulted his domestic and dating partner by hitting and strangling her. The victim suffered bruising to her neck, was bleeding from her face, and had an eye that was swollen shut from the assault. The offense occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation and involved a felony assault, giving rise to federal jurisdiction for the offense. This case was investigated by the FBI.


title: Former Used-Car Dealer Convicted of $3 Million Fraud Scheme

body_text: GAINESVILLE, Ga. - Mitchell Simpson, who orchestrated a $3 million scheme to defraud companies that provided floor-plan financing to his used-car dealership, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud. “This defendant abused the trust of the companies that loaned him money to operate his car dealership,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will continue to prosecute individuals motivated by greed who use illegal practices to deceive unsuspecting businesses.” “Simpson deceived the lenders who placed their trust in him and now he will be held accountable for his greed,” said Mitchell Jackson, Senior Supervisory Special Agent, of FBI Atlanta’s Gainesville Office. “As this conviction demonstrates, the FBI will not tolerate anyone who fraudulently steals or takes money that they did not earn.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: From early 2012 through early 2019, Simpson operated Mitch Simpson Motors, a used car dealership in Cleveland, Georgia. Three floor-plan lenders, Dealer Financial Holdings LLC, Americash Advance, Inc., and Floorplan Xpress, LLC-OK, each provided Simpson with a revolving line of credit, also known as floor-plan financing, so that Simpson could purchase an inventory of vehicles to re-sell to customers. Each line of credit was governed by a written contract, also known as a floor-plan financing agreement. Simpson was required to abide by the terms and conditions of the agreements, and he was required to provide the floor-plan lenders with complete and truthful information concerning all matters related to the agreements. When Simpson wanted to borrow money to purchase a vehicle to add to his dealership’s inventory, he would contact one of the floor-plan lenders and provide that lender with a description of the vehicle, including the vehicle identification number, and the amount of the loan requested. If the vehicle was subject to any other liens or security interests, Simpson was required to disclose that fact to the floor-plan lender. If Simpson led the lender to believe that the vehicle was not subject to any other liens or security interests, the lender would transfer the requested funds to Simpson’s custody and control. In return for the loan, the dealership would grant the floor-plan lender a purchase-money security interest in the vehicle. Simpson was required to keep the vehicle free from all other liens and security interests until sold. Simpson defrauded the floor-plan lenders by using a single vehicle as collateral for more than one floor-plan loan, which is a deceptive and illegal practice referred to in the used-car industry as double floor-planning and triple floor-planning –a practice expressly prohibited by the floor-plan financing agreements. To hide the double and triple floor-planning, Simpson made false and misleading statements and omitted material facts in his communications with the floor-plan lenders. Also, whenever Simpson sold a vehicle in which one of the floor-plan lenders held a security interest, Simpson was required to hold the proceeds from the sale of that vehicle in trust for the secured lender and promptly pay the secured lender all amounts due under the applicable floor-plan financing agreement. But Simpson did not always pay the floor-plan lenders, as required. In addition, he played a shell game with vehicle titles and did not always provide truthful information to lenders concerning the location of vehicles and concerning whether vehicles had been sold. This is an illegal practice referred to in the used-car industry as operating “out of trust,” which was expressly prohibited by the floor-plan financing agreements. Simpson’s fraudulent scheme resulted in a loss of more than $3 million to the floor-plan lenders. Sentencing for Mitchell C. Simpson, 56, of Cornelia, Georgia, is scheduled for October 8, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones in Gainesville, Georgia. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Russell Phillips and David A. O’Neal are prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Providence Businesswoman Indicted in Alleged  $10 Million Fraud Schemes Targeting Seniors and Others

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island woman who is alleged to have created and executed direct-mail sweepstakes schemes that defrauded seniors and other vulnerable individuals in Rhode Island and in dozens of states across the country out of an estimated $10 million dollars, has been indicted by a federal grand jury and arraigned on conspiracy and fraud charges, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Meagan E. Shine, 47, of Warwick, charged by way of indictment on June 17, 2024, with four counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Providence and released on unsecured bond. “Preying on the hopes of elderly and vulnerable victims for profit, and using fraudulent mailings to persuade them to part with their hard-earned money takes a terrible toll- financially and mentally,” remarked U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. “Working with our partners at the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, the Postal Inspection Service, and federal, state, and local law enforcement, we are determined to ensure that those who seek to profit from fraud are held accountable.” “Mass mail fraud schemes defraud elderly and vulnerable consumers out of millions of dollars every year,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and its law enforcement partners are committed to vigorously pursuing all individuals who prey on vulnerable and elderly victims through these types of fraudulent schemes.” It is alleged in charging documents that Shine utilized the U.S. Mail to engage in predatory fraud schemes that duped the elderly and other vulnerable individuals into sending payments, usually between $20 and $30 dollars, using mailings that falsely stated or suggested that recipients were entitled to cash prizes, valuable items, or other premiums. Many victims reported being contacted multiple times and sending multiple payments. The scheme was allegedly perpetrated through businesses Shine created and operated in Rhode Island, including Lucky Dog, LLC, d/b/a Premium Ops & Incentives, and Destiny Merchandise, LLC, d/b/a Independent Catalog Services. It is alleged that deceptive solicitations conveyed a false impression that recipients had been individually pre-selected or verified and entitled to claim a large amount of money in a lottery or entitled to receive a valuable item. In the mailings, often-time personalized with the name of the recipient to bolster their apparent authenticity, recipients were instructed to send money, frequently by a deadline, to a PO Box in Providence for the “processing” or “handling” of their purported winnings. The mailings were printed on official-looking or certificate paper, frequently carried what appeared to be the seals of governments or government agencies, and frequently contained other language and details designed to make them appear official or legitimate, including bar codes, document control numbers, printing that appears to be rubber stamped, such as the phrase “authorized document,” highlighted text, bank-check style typeface and formatting, as well as identification and other codes. In reality, apart from the name and address of the recipient, it is alleged that the mailings were all identical form mailings. The solicitations used selectively emphasized text and graphics to create a false overall impression that the recipients were receiving notices that they were already winners of substantial awards. In reality, not only did recipients not win any prize, but that the mailers did nothing to verify that the recipients were or are eligible for such a prize. An investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office revealed that sweepstakes solicitations were sent to recipients in forty-one states. The investigation conservatively estimated that the number of responses and payments received in response to the solicitations at nearly 50,000 per year. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Denise M. Barton and Peter I. Roklan, as well Trial Attorneys Charles B. Dunn, Ann F. Entwistle, and Colin W. Trundle from the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch. The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island. ### indictment.pdf


title: Vice President of Kansas Company Pleads Guilty to Crimes Related to Scheme to Illegally Export U.S. Avionics Equipment to Russia and Russian End Users

body_text: Douglas Edward Robertson, 56, of Olathe, Kansas, the former vice president of KanRus Trading Company Inc., pleaded guilty today for his role in a years-long conspiracy to circumvent U.S. export laws by filing false export forms with the U.S. government and, after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, continuing to sell and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce. “Robertson, by his own admission, conspired to sell advanced U.S. avionics equipment to Russian customers in violation of U.S. law,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. “The Justice Department will not tolerate those who seek to undermine the effectiveness of export controls that protect critical U.S. technology and deter Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.” “Robertson’s guilty plea is reflective of the strong evidence gathered against him by federal investigators and the solid case presented by federal prosecutors,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “Our nation is both proud and grateful to these men and women at the Department of Justice who seek to protect the United States and our national security interests from adversaries both foreign and domestic.” “Those who seek to profit by illegally selling sophisticated U.S. technology to our adversaries are putting the national security of our country at risk and that cannot be tolerated,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “It is appalling that the defendant schemed to smuggle avionics equipment to customers overseas including Russia, a nation engaged in a long-running military conflict with Ukraine. The FBI will work with our partners to stop the illegal flow of sensitive U.S. equipment and technology to foreign adversaries.” “You might think that smuggling sensitive U.S.-origin technology to Russia, including to their Federal Security Service (FSB), means we’re not in Kansas anymore. Unfortunately, in this case, we were,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew A. Axelrod. “We will continue to hold individuals everywhere, including those at the highest rungs of the corporate ladder, accountable when they violate our laws by lying on forms and transshipping items through third countries.” According to court documents, as part of his guilty plea, Robertson admitted that between 2020 and when he was arrested in March 2023, he conspired with others – including co-defendants Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky of Lawrence, Kansas, and Oleg Chistyakov, aka Olegs Čitsjakovs, of Riga, Latvia, – to smuggle U.S.-origin avionics equipment to end users in Russia, as well as Russian end users in other foreign countries by, among other actions, knowingly filing false export forms and failing to file required export forms with the U.S. government. In these forms, Robertson and his conspirators lied about the exports’ value, end users, and end destinations. Robertson further admitted that on at least one occasion in 2021, he, Buyanovsky, and Chistyakov smuggled a repaired Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) to the FSB by removing the FSB sticker from the device before sending the device to a U.S. company to be repaired and then exporting the TCAS back to the FSB in Russia. At the time, the FSB was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for its interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Robertson further admitted that after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the U.S. government tightened export controls concerning Russia, he, co-defendants Buyanovsky and Chistyakov, and other conspirators continued to purchase and export U.S.-origin avionics equipment to customers in Russia and took numerous steps to hide their illegal activity from law enforcement, including by lying to U.S. suppliers about the intended end users; shipping goods through intermediary companies in Armenia, Laos, the United Arab Emirates, and Cyprus; continuing to file false export forms with the U.S. government; and using foreign bank accounts in countries other than Russia, such as Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, and the Czech Republic, to promote their illegal export activity. On Dec. 6, 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce added many of the entities and individuals involved in KanRus and Robertson’s illegal export scheme to the Commerce Department’s Entity List as part of the U.S. government’s interagency efforts to dismantle Russian procurement networks designed to circumvent U.S. export controls and sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Entity List imposes specific license requirements on all listed individuals and entities. In December 2023, Buyanovsky, the former President and owner of KanRus, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and money laundering and consented to the forfeiture of over $450,000 worth of avionics equipment and accessories, and a $50,000 personal forfeiture judgment. On March 19, Chistyakov, a former KanRus broker, was arrested in Riga, Latvia, for his role in the illegal smuggling scheme. Chistyakov remains detained in Latvia pending extradition proceedings. As a result of today’s guilty plea, Robertson faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 20 years in prison for each of the two Export Control Reform Act counts, and 20 years in prison for the money laundering count. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 3. The FBI and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case. The Latvian authorities are assisting the investigation. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs is providing valuable assistance. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.


title: Texas Man Sentenced To 120 Months For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Jeremy Alexander Martinez, 33, has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor. Martinez entered a guilty plea to this offense on February 20, 2024. According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, in June of 2023, a minor child’s mother went through the minor child’s phone and discovered sexually explicit images that the minor was sending to an unknown person via email. Based on the email exchange, the mother believed the unknown person to be an adult male. FBI Mobile began their investigation, and ultimately identified Jeremy Martinez as the unknown male to whom the minor child victim was sending the images. The minor child had met Martinez on a social media application and then they began communicating via email. When the child’s mother discovered the images, she gave consent for the FBI to take over her daughter’s account. FBI agents continued conversing with Martinez. During the course of this conversation, Martinez detailed several explicit sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the child, while confirming he knew her age. Martinez was located in San Antonio, Texas. He was interviewed and admitted to the conversations. Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a 120-month sentence of incarceration and a lifetime term of supervised release upon his discharge from prison. Chief Judge Beaverstock further ordered that Martinez pay $100 in a special assessment. Martinez will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released from prison and is to have no contact with minors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources


title: Final Defendant Sentenced in Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Darnell Thomas, Jr. 32, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to 240 months, for conspiracy to distribute 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl, 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, and heroin, and distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to his plea agreement, between October and December 2022, Thomas conspired with his co-defendants, Melvin Coffey, 31, and Jaden Bradshaw, 23, to distribute fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, and heroin. Specifically, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to purchase multiple ounces of the controlled substances, on five different occasions in Fayette and Madison Counties. For each of the five occasions, Thomas admitted to either personally conducting the drug sales or directing his co-defendants to do so, on his behalf. As part of his guilty plea, Thomas also acknowledged that he had previously been convicted of trafficking heroin and cocaine in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Coffey was previously sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Bradshaw was sentenced to 24 months, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Under federal law, Thomas and his co-defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon Thomas’ release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 8 years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Commander Kalan Perdue, Gateway High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF and Gateway HIDTA Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Orlando Man Found Guilty Of Conspiring To Distribute Fentanyl That Resulted In Death

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Joel David Fonseca Flores (42, Orlando) guilty of conspiring to distribute fentanyl that resulted in death. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2024. Fonseca Flores and his co-conspirator, Misty Lynn Parady, were charged by superseding indictment on August 16, 2023. Count one of the superseding indictment charged Fonseca Flores and Parady with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, resulting in N.K.’s death, as described above. Count two charged Fonseca Flores and Parady with aiding and abetting in the possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and cocaine. Count three charged Flores with knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Fonseca Flores pleaded guilty to counts two and three of the superseding indictment on June 3, 2024. According to evidence presented at trial, Fonseca Flores and Parady sold fake “M30” pills laced with fentanyl to the victim, N.K. Between April 2020 and April 2022, Fonseca Flores and Parady sold N.K. what she, at first, believed to be oxycodone. After some time, N.K. realized that the pills she was buying from them contained fentanyl. Specifically, on October 31, 2021, N.K. warned Parady by text message that N.K. had tested positive for fentanyl. Parady relayed that information to Fonseca Flores. Then, again on March 31, 2022, within days of purchasing “M30” pills from Fonseca Flores, N.K. sent a text message to Parady containing an image of her drug test, showing that N.K. had tested negative for oxycodone and positive for fentanyl. Despite these and other warnings, Fonseca Flores and Parady continued to supply N.K. with the counterfeit fentanyl pills, and N.K. ultimately died from a fentanyl overdose on April 4, 2022. Parady pleaded guilty to a superseding information on May 24, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2024. Pursuant to the superseding indictment, Fonseca Flores must also forfeit all firearms and ammunition involved in or used in the charged offenses, including, but not limited to a Ruger 9mm pistol and associated ammunition. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Orlando Police Department Overdose Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kara M. Wick and Stephanie McNeff. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Sioux Falls Man and Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement and Theft from Indian Tribal Organization

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Robert A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced two persons from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who were convicted of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization. The sentencings took place on July 1, 2024. April Ferguson, age 46, was sentenced to five months in federal prison and an additional five months of home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release, restitution of $36,077 for the Ideal Lakota Community, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Steven Casto, age 41, was sentenced to two years of probation, restitution of $5,922 for the Ideal Lakota Community, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Ferguson and Casto were indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2023. Ferguson and Casto pleaded guilty on March 18, 2024. Ferguson and Casto both previously lived within the Ideal Lakota Community, an organized political subdivision of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, established and governed by its Constitution and bylaws. Article V of the Rosebud Constitution explains the duties and responsibilities of the community chairperson and other officers, including how monies are to be expended for the benefit of community members. Between March 1, 2020 and June 1, 2021, Ferguson, acting in her capacity as the elected chairperson of the Ideal Lakota Community, fraudulently embezzled and stole money and assets from the community. Ferguson was dating Casto during part of this time. As chairperson, Ferguson had access to community treasury accounts. In December 2020, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe issued a large check to the Ideal Lakota Community. Ferguson and Casto linked a CashApp account to the Ideal Lakota Community’s bank account and conducted numerous transactions that were not for the benefit of the community members. Transactions included purchases from Amazon, Apple, Playstation Network, gas stations, restaurants, department stores, and grocery stores. Ferguson and Casto either directly benefited from the expenditures or allowed others to benefit from the funds rightfully belonging to the Ideal Lakota Community. This case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities. The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating agencies include: the FBI; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. For additional information about the Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400. To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case. Ferguson was ordered to self surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service on July 15, 2024 to serve her custody sentence.


title: St. Francis Man Sentenced for Prohibited Possession of a Firearm

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a St. Francis, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on July 1, 2024. Tyson Quigley, a/k/a Tyson Stands, age 35, was sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Quigley was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He was found guilty following a three-day jury trial in April of 2024. The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on January 1, 2023, near St. Francis within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, law enforcement was searching for Quigley based on an alleged home invasion that occurred that morning in St. Francis. Quigley was subsequently located in a parked vehicle at a residence near St. Francis. A .40 caliber pistol was found in the vehicle where he was sitting. Quigley has three prior felony convictions. In 2013, he was convicted of Domestic Assault of a Pregnant Woman in Platte County, Nebraska. In 2018, he was convicted of Felon in Possession of a Firearm in United States District Court for the District of South Dakota. In 2019, he was convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine in Madison County, Nebraska. As a result of these convictions, it is illegal for Quigley to possess firearms or ammunition. Quigley will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Quigley was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Worcester Man Sentenced to More Thank Six Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug-Related Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Worcester man who was previously charged with unlawfully possessing a machinegun was sentenced on June 28, 2024 for drug charges. Jose Rivera, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 75 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2024, Rivera pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun, receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment for a felony, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. During a search of Rivera’s residence on March 7, 2023, three Glock switches – including one attached to a loaded Glock .40 caliber firearm were recovered. Glock switches convert semi-automatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machineguns and are considered machineguns under federal law. Three large capacity magazines, including a 50-round drum magazine and boxes of ammunition were also seized. Rivera also possessed cocaine intended for distribution as well as a scale, tray, and small plastic baggies, and $9,000 in cash. Rivera received the Glock .40 caliber firearm on or after Oct. 9, 2021, while he was under indictment in state court for felonies punishable by a term of imprisonment of over a year. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Assault and Murder a United States Judge and Federal Law Enforcement Officer

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE—Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced today that a Jackson, Mississippi, man has pleaded guilty to one count of threatening to assault and murder a United States judge and one count of threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer. Joshua Matthew Goodin, 40, entered this guilty plea on Monday, July 1, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Christy D. Comstock. United States District Judge Stephen R. Bough, Western District of Missouri, will sentence Goodin at a later date. Threatening a federal official is punishable by not more than 10 years imprisonment, not more than three years of supervised release, and a fine of not more than $250,000. The investigation into Goodin revealed that on or about July 5, 2022, while an inmate at the Washington County Detention Facility in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Goodin sent two letters to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Jackson, Mississippi. In the letter, Goodin stated in part, “I swear I’m going to kill you all, I’m gonna blow your f****** office up. …Your (sic) gonna die I promise nothing or no one will stop me.” An investigation further revealed that Goodin sent a second letter stating in part, “I’m Joshua Goodin I was recently in Federal Court on a gun charge. The b**** ass d.a. (name redacted) , he talked real bad about me. For that he will pay with his life, him and the judge don’t understand who I really am.” Goodin was indicted on July 25, 2023. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Former Maryland Resident Sentenced in Theft of More than $350,000 in COVID-19 Relief Funds

body_text: WASHINGTON – Zhong Jie Chen, 47, formerly of Randolph, Maryland, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for misappropriating $354,520 of COVID-19 relief funds that he was supposed to use to operate his restaurants during the pandemic. Chen used the funds to engage in day trading. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. Chen, who now lives in New Jersey, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on February 28, 2024, to wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper ordered Chen to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $369,087 in restitution. In court documents, Chen admitted that, while he was a Maryland resident, he was the sole owner of two Shanghai Tokyo Café restaurants, one in the District’s Columbia Heights neighborhood, and the other in College Park, MD. Between May 2020 and July 2021, he applied for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans for the two eateries. The Paycheck Protection Program was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the U.S. government’s Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. Once the PPP loan applications were approved, businesses received loan proceeds from third-party lenders. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA also offered EIDL loans to certain entities, including small business owners. These loans were provided directly from the SBA and were low-interest, fixed-rate, long term loans. Both PPP loans and EIDL loans could only be used for specified purposes. Between May 2020 and July 2021, Chen’s two restaurants received PPP and EIDL loans totaling approximately $964,843. On loan applications, Chen acknowledged understanding how the loans could be used and that if he knowingly used funds for unauthorized purposes, he could be held legally liable by the federal government, and potentially charged with fraud. Chen admitted that he falsely certified that all loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes even though he knew and intended that he would misappropriate some loan proceeds to a personal investment account to allow him to engage in day trading. He admitted that he misappropriated $354,520 of loan proceeds and used those funds to engage in day trading through his Robinhood and TD Ameritrade accounts. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kondi Kleinman and Ryan Sellinger, who were assisted by paralegal specialists Sonalika Chaturvedi and Michon Tart. 24cr0050


title: Illegal Possession of Firearm and Meth Lands Norman Man in Federal Prison for 25 Years

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – DUSTIN LANCE POWELL , 48, of Norman, has been sentenced to serve 300 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On May 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Indictment against Powell, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. According to public record, in March 2023, Powell was found to be possessing several firearms, as well as over 500 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl. On November 28, 2023, Powell pleaded guilty and admitted to illegally possessing a firearm after his previous felony convictions and illegally possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the substance. On June 28, 2024, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Powell to serve 300 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Wyrick noted his possession of ten firearms in this case, including a Heavy Counter Assault Rifle, as well as the extent and nature of Powell’s criminal history. Public record further reflects that Powell has several previous felony convictions, including attempting to elude a police officer in Grady County District Court case number CF-2004-41, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of paraphernalia in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-200-338, and malicious injury to property in Cleveland County District Court case number CF-2007-955. This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Norman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gridley prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Honduran Man Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Erlin Maradiaga-Flores (31, Honduras) today pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Maradiaga-Flores faces a penalty of two years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, E-Verify is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The SSA and USCIS check submitted information against the records of actual persons who are authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers and requires documents such as a Social Security number and photo identification of a prospective employee. From at least 2022 through May 2024, Maradiaga-Flores used another person’s means of identification in order to defeat the E-Verify system and to commit the felony offenses of misuse of a Social Security number and false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.


title: Charlotte Businessman Pleads Guilty To Tax Offense

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Peter Anthony Thomas, 63, formerly of Charlotte and now a resident of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today to failing to account for and pay over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the trust fund taxes due and owing on behalf of the employees of PT Media, LLC for the quarter ending June 30, 2021, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI) joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to plea documents and today’s court proceedings, Thomas was the owner of Club One CLT, LLC, Sports ONE, Inc., Sports ONE CLT LLC, and PT Media, LLC, (collectively “the Charlotte businesses”) which operated as sports-themed bar/restaurant/lounges in Charlotte. Thomas also owned several other bars, restaurants, and lounges in Florida and Maryland, including Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC. Thomas exercised control over the Charlotte businesses’ financial and business affairs and was responsible for collecting trust fund taxes and accounting for employment taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS and paying over to the IRS the employment taxes for the Charlotte businesses’ employees. Between 2017 and 2022, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses to collect more than $640,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In addition, between 2021 and 2023, Thomas caused Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC to collect more than $1.1 million in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In total, between 2017 and 2023, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach LLC, and Bar One Baltimore LLC to fail to pay over more than $2.5 million in employment taxes, including more than $1,740,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees. Court documents show that instead of paying the trust fund taxes that were due on behalf of the Charlotte businesses, Thomas used the trust fund taxes for other purposes, including cash withdrawals, travel, real estate purchases, and retail purchases. Thomas also caused more than $2.9 million to be transferred between the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach, LLC, and Bar One Baltimore, LLC. Thomas was released on bond following his plea hearing. The tax charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.


title: Sussex County Man Charged with Multimillion-Dollar COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, man was indicted today for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Nikenson Jean Mathurin, aka “Nik Mathurin,” aka “Jean Mathurin”, 44, of Sparta, New Jersey, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Mathurin was previously charged by complaint in relation to the same scheme. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From April 2020 through November 2022, Mathurin participated in a scheme to defraud a lender and the Small Business Administration to obtain federal COVID-19 emergency relief money by submitting several fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications on behalf of several purported businesses. Mathurin’s fraudulent applications included false information concerning, among other things, the applicant entities’ average monthly payroll, gross revenue, and number of employees, and fake supporting tax documents. As a result of his fraudulent applications, Mathurin unlawfully obtained millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 emergency relief money. Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the of the Northeast Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the indictment. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Stark and Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark and Trial Attorney David D. Hamstra of the U.S Department of Justice’s Fraud Section. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. mathurin.indictment.pdf


title: Ohio Man Sentenced for Trafficking Counterfeit Goods

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: Shane Burdue, 46, of Toledo, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary trafficking in counterfeit goods. He was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and pay $4,081.50 in restitution to the Coalition to Advance Protection of Sports Logos (CAPS). Burdue began receiving international shipments, which included counterfeit goods, in July 2014 according to court documents. Between 2014 and 2023 more than 800 international shipments, mostly from China, were destined for various addresses associated with Burdue in Toledo. Several of these shipments, which contained counterfeit goods, were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He also received numerous Cease-and-Desist letters from CAPS, which is an alliance that coordinates trademark protection and enforcement matters for collegiate and national sports teams. Despite the parcel seizures and receipt of Cease-and-Desist letters from CAPS, Burdue continued to sell counterfeit merchandise at different physical locations in Toledo, as well as online through the social media platform Facebook. Several of his Facebook accounts were deactivated when it was discovered he was dealing in counterfeit goods. Each time an account was deactivated, Burdue would create a new account to resume selling counterfeit goods through Facebook. In May 2023, authorities seized hundreds of items of counterfeit sports merchandise from his business, “Shane's Man Cave,” during a search warrant execution in Toledo. Items seized included counterfeit caps, jerseys and footwear which totaled more than $29,000 in Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. The counterfeit merchandise violated intellectual property rights from Nike, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League. According to the “ 2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy,” counterfeit goods can pose safety hazards for both consumers and workers due to a lack of regulatory oversight. The counterfeit trade has also been linked to child labor, forced labor, and other criminal activity. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Kansas School District  Regarding School Discipline, Law Enforcement and Seclusion and Restraint

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement to resolve the department’s investigation into race and disability discrimination in Wichita Public Schools, Kansas’ largest school district. Under the settlement, the district will revise practices to prevent discrimination in discipline and referrals of students to law enforcement, end the use of seclusion, reform its restraint practices and improve services to students with disabilities in certain schools and classrooms. The department’s investigation revealed, among other things, that the district’s Black students were disciplined more frequently and more severely than white students who engaged in similar conduct and had similar backgrounds and disciplinary histories. This pattern was most evident when it came to subjective offenses such as insubordination, and was especially stark when it came to discipline of Black girls, whose behavior was repeatedly characterized using stereotypical terms like “attitude” or “drama.” In addition, the investigation concluded that the district inappropriately and repeatedly secluded and restrained students with disabilities and relegated those with the greatest behavioral needs to inferior facilities with inadequate services and support. “Black students inside our nation’s public schools should not have to face discipline or a referral to law enforcement because of their race. And students with disabilities should not have to experience the trauma of seclusion or improper restraint,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Schools in our communities should not be a place of fear or mistrust. This agreement upholds our core principles of ending the school to prison pipeline and protecting our most vulnerable students against all forms of discrimination and segregation.” The school district fully cooperated with the investigation, which was conducted under Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The department’s review uncovered discriminatory treatment of Black students in the administration of discipline at multiple schools, with Black girls facing especially high levels of exclusion for perceived insubordination and for dress code violations at certain middle schools. The department’s investigation also found evidence of racial discrimination in referrals to law enforcement and a pattern of security officers responding to routine discipline matters and escalating those incidents, resulting in the unnecessary referral of Black students to law enforcement for routine or minor misbehavior. In addition, the department’s investigation concluded that the district inappropriately and repeatedly secluded and restrained students with disabilities, including for punitive reasons or in response to noncompliance with school rules and staff directives. During the period covered by the investigation, students with disabilities received more than 98% of the district’s roughly 3,000 restraints and seclusions. At least 44 students experienced 20 or more restraints and seclusions during the period covered by the investigation and one student was restrained or secluded at least 144 times, including 99 seclusions lasting over 15 hours in total. In the district’s schools and classrooms for students with disabilities — where the vast majority of seclusions and restraints occurred — the district either lacked student behavior interventions or failed to implement them and ensure their effectiveness. When the department visited the district’s special schools for students with behavioral disabilities, it found inferior facilities devoid of furniture, educational equipment and the kinds of decor commonly found in schools, and staff who could not meet the needs of students. Under the agreement, the district will, among other steps: Develop a district-wide code of conduct, standardize dress code policies and create a behavior intervention protocol to ensure the nondiscriminatory administration of discipline and prohibit unnecessary exclusion of students from the school environment; Create a system of district-level monitoring of schools’ administration of discipline to ensure nondiscrimination; Ensure that school security and law enforcement only become involved in student misbehavior in appropriate circumstances and thereby avoid criminalizing routine school discipline matters; Eliminate the use of seclusion; Restrain students only when their behavior poses an imminent danger of serious physical harm to the student or another person, properly document all restraints and provide students who are restrained or secluded with required interventions; Ensure that only professionals with the requisite expertise and training run and staff specialized schools for students with disabilities; Provide counseling and compensatory education to students who have been repeatedly secluded; and Create an office to monitor the district’s restraint practices (and seclusion until it is eliminated) to ensure compliance with the agreement and assist district staff in providing required interventions and supports. Today is the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Enforcement of Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect students from race discrimination in school is a priority of the Civil Rights Division. In addition, this agreement is the most recent in a series of settlements under Title II of the ADA to address and prevent unlawful seclusion and restraint of students with disabilities in public schools. To learn more about the section’s work under the ADA to combat improper seclusion in schools, visit www.justice.gov/schoolseclusion . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ . View the cover letter sent to Wichita Public Schools in English here . View the cover letter sent to Wichita Public Schools in Spanish here . View the summary of the settlement agreement in English here . View the summary of the settlement agreement in Spanish here .


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un Distrito Escolar de Kansas con respecto a la disciplina escolar, la aplicación de la ley y el aislamiento y la restricción

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un acuerdo de conciliación para resolver la investigación del Departamento de la discriminación por motivos de raza y discapacidad en las escuelas públicas de Wichita, el distrito escolar más grande de Kansas. En virtud del acuerdo, el distrito revisará las prácticas para evitar la discriminación en la disciplina y las derivaciones de estudiantes a las fuerzas del orden público, finalizará el uso del aislamiento, reformará sus prácticas de restricción y mejorará los servicios a los estudiantes con discapacidades en ciertas escuelas y aulas. La investigación del Departamento reveló, entre otras cosas, que los estudiantes negros del distrito fueron sancionados con más frecuencia y más severidad que los estudiantes blancos que incurrieron en conductas similares y tenían antecedentes e historiales disciplinarios similares. Este patrón fue más evidente cuando se trataba de infracciones subjetivas como la insubordinación, y fue especialmente marcado cuando se trataba de disciplina de niñas negras, cuyo comportamiento se caracterizó repetidamente utilizando términos estereotípicos como «mala actitud» o «drama». Además, la investigación concluyó que el distrito aislaba y restringía de forma inapropiada y repetida a estudiantes con discapacidades y relegaba a aquellos con las mayores necesidades conductuales a instalaciones inferiores con servicios y apoyo inadecuados. «Los estudiantes negros dentro de las escuelas públicas de nuestra nación no deberían tener que enfrentarse a medidas disciplinarias o una derivación a las fuerzas del orden público debido a su raza. Y los estudiantes con discapacidades no deberían experimentar el trauma del aislamiento o la restricción indebida», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Las escuelas en nuestras comunidades no deben ser un lugar de miedo o desconfianza. Este acuerdo mantiene nuestros principios fundamentales de poner fin al flujo de la escuela a la prisión y proteger a nuestros estudiantes más vulnerables de todas las formas de discriminación y segregación». El distrito escolar cooperó plenamente con la investigación, que se llevó a cabo en virtud de los Títulos IV y VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, el Título II de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Sección 504 de la ley de Rehabilitación. La revisión del Departamento reveló un trato discriminatorio de los estudiantes negros en la administración de la disciplina en múltiples escuelas, y que las niñas negras se enfrentan a niveles especialmente altos de aislamiento por insubordinación percibida y por infracciones del código de vestimenta en ciertas escuelas secundarias. Por otra parte, la investigación del Departamento también halló pruebas de discriminación racial en las derivaciones a las fuerzas del orden público y un patrón de agentes de seguridad que respondían a asuntos disciplinarios rutinarios y aumentaban las hostilidades en esos incidentes, lo que resultó en la derivación innecesaria de estudiantes negros a las fuerzas del orden público por mala conducta rutinaria o menor. Además, la investigación del Departamento concluyó que el distrito aislaba y restringía, de forma inapropiada y repetida, a estudiantes con discapacidades, incluso por motivos punitivos o en respuesta al incumplimiento de las normas escolares y las directivas del personal. Durante el período cubierto por la investigación, los estudiantes con discapacidades recibieron más del 98 % de las aproximadamente 3,000 restricciones y aislamientos del distrito. Al menos 44 estudiantes fueron aislados o restringidos 20 veces o más durante el período cubierto por la investigación y un estudiante fue restringido o aislado al menos 144 veces, incluidas 99 incidentes de aislamiento que duraron más de 15 horas en total. En las escuelas y aulas del distrito para estudiantes con discapacidades, donde se produjo la gran mayoría de los incidentes de aislamiento y restricción, el distrito carecía de intervenciones conductuales para los estudiantes o no las implementó y no aseguró su eficacia. Cuando el Departamento visitó las escuelas especiales del distrito para estudiantes con discapacidades conductuales, encontró instalaciones inferiores sin muebles, equipos educativos y los tipos de decoración que típicamente se encuentran en las escuelas, y personal que no podía satisfacer las necesidades de los estudiantes. En virtud del acuerdo, el distrito, entre otras medidas: Desarrollará un código de conducta en todo el distrito, estandarizará las políticas del código de vestimenta y creará un protocolo de intervención conductual para garantizar la administración antidiscriminatoria de medidas disciplinarias y prohibir la exclusión innecesaria de estudiantes del entorno escolar; Creará un sistema de supervisión a nivel de distrito de la administración disciplinaria de las escuelas para garantizar que no haya discriminación; Garantizará que la seguridad escolar y las fuerzas del orden público solo se vean involucradas en la mala conducta estudiantil en las circunstancias apropiadas, así evitando la penalización de asuntos de disciplina escolar rutinaria; Eliminará el uso del aislamiento; Restringirá a los estudiantes solo cuando su comportamiento represente un peligro inminente de daño físico grave para el estudiante u otra persona, documentará adecuadamente todos los incidentes de restricción y proporcionará las intervenciones requeridas a los estudiantes que estén restringidos o aislados; Garantizará que solo los profesionales con la experiencia y la formación necesarias dirijan y doten de personal a escuelas especializadas para estudiantes con discapacidades; Proporcionará asesoramiento y educación compensatoria a los estudiantes que han sido aislados repetidamente; y Creará una oficina para supervisar las prácticas de restricción del distrito (y el aislamiento hasta su eliminación) para garantizar el cumplimiento con el acuerdo y ayudar al personal del distrito a proporcionar las intervenciones y apoyos necesarios. Hoy es el 60º aniversario de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964. La aplicación de los Títulos IV y VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles con el fin de proteger a los estudiantes de la discriminación racial en la escuela es una prioridad de la División de Derechos Civiles. Además, este acuerdo es el más reciente de una serie de acuerdos en virtud del Título II de la ADA para abordar y prevenir el aislamiento y la restricción ilegales de estudiantes con discapacidades en escuelas públicas. Para obtener más información sobre el trabajo de la Sección en virtud de la ADA para combatir el aislamiento indebido en las escuelas, visite www.justice.gov/schoolseclusion . Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt , e información adicional sobre el trabajo de la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas está disponible en www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Los miembros del público pueden informarnos de posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/ .


title: Men Who Robbed 8 USPS Letter Carriers Plead Guilty

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: The men responsible for eight mail carrier robberies have entered guilty pleas, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Jerrad Coleman, 18, and Louis Dixon, 18, were charged via criminal complaint in April. Mr. Dixon pleaded guilty on June 26 to robbery of property of the United States and conspiracy to rob and unlawfully possess property of the United States; Mr. Coleman pleaded guilty to the same charges on July 2. “The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will never cease placing employee safety as one of our top priorities,” said Inspector in Charge Kai Pickens, Fort Worth Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Let this serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to harm and traumatize our employees: The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will utilize every resource to find you and bring you to justice. I appreciate our partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as the Arlington Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, and Frisco Police Department, which assisted with the investigation into Mr. Coleman and Mr. Dixon.” According to court documents, the men trawled the streets of DFW looking for U.S. Postal Service letter carriers to rob in hopes of obtaining an Arrow Key, a master key used by letter carriers to gather mail deposited in blue collection boxes. Unauthorized possession of these keys, prized by mail thieves, allows individuals to illicitly access mailboxes to steal victim mail, checks, credit cards, bank account information, and other sensitive information. Over the course of about four months, the men conspired to commit robberies against U.S. Postal Service Letter Carriers, including those on Jan. 17 in Fort Worth, Jan. 18 in Fort Worth, Jan. 25 in Dallas, Jan. 29 in Dallas, March 15 in Fort Worth, March 28 in Arlington, April 4 in Frisco, and April 17 in Fort Worth. After robbing the mail carriers, often at gunpoint, the men fled in getaway vehicles. They then unlawfully used, sold, or disposed of the Arrow Keys. Both men now face up to 15 years in federal prison. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with the help of the Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Frisco Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting


title: New Haven Gang Member Admits Role in Murder

body_text: QUAYMAR SUGGS, 20, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a racketeering offense related to his participation in a violent New Haven street gang and the murder of an associate of a rival gang in May 2021. Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson. According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020. The investigation revealed that Suggs and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Suggs pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on May 19, 2021, he shot and killed an associate of a rival gang. Suggs also admitted that in 2021, he and other Exit 8 members broke into a Connecticut state trooper’s car and stole the trooper’s duty bag. At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Suggs faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Suggs has been detained since March 24, 2023. This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn . Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secured Agreement With Town of Glen Alpine To Ensure Compliance With The Americans With Disabilities Act

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that the Town of Glen Alpine has remedied several violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to its Town Hall building. The resolution is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to ensure that civic institutions comply with the ADA. The United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are responsible for enforcing the ADA, which prohibits the failure to make reasonable modifications where those modifications are necessary to make services available to individuals with disabilities. Under Title II of the ADA and its regulations, state and local governments are required to remove barriers for individuals with disabilities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation following a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming that the Town of Glen Alpine violated the ADA by failing to provide reasonable accommodations to permit access to its Town Hall for residents with disabilities. The Town of Glen Alpine cooperated with the investigation and has resolved the ADA violations in accordance with the law, regulations, and the 2010 ADA Standards of Accessible Design. The modifications include: (1) an accessible parking space at the front of the town hall adjacent to a ramp and an accessible sign mounted at least 60” from the ground; (2) the town hall now has a smooth and unobstructed ramp with ADA compliant handrails on each side; (3) there is a doorbell at the accessible entrance; (4) the interior route from the accessible entrance is clear and unobstructed; (5) insulation was added to the exposed pipes in each bathroom; and (6) the Town added Braille signage to the conference room where its meetings are held. In addition, new ADA compliant ramps were also added to the stage and gazebo bringing them into ADA compliance among other modifications. “My office is committed to enforcing the ADA and protecting all civil rights in this District,” said U.S. Attorney King, who also leads the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights. “Individuals with disabilities have a right to equal access to government services and should not be deprived from accessing those services due to lack of reasonable modifications. I want to thank the citizen who brought this matter to our attention, and I am pleased that the Town of Glen Alpine also prioritizes the needs of its residents and compliance with federal law. With these remedies, each resident and visitor can fully enjoy and utilize the services of the town, especially on the 4 th of July.” Individuals who believe they have been victims of discrimination may file an ADA complaint online at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/ . Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY). This matter was handled by Investigators Cathleen Hollowell and Neil Power and Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) Jon Warren, Julia Wood, and Janice Powers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. AUSA Powers also serves as the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil/Civil Rights Coordinator.


title: Convicted child abuser sent to prison for distributing child pornography on Facebook

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: GALVESTON, Texas - A 34-year-old Texas City resident has been sentenced for distributing and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Anthony Joseph Kiamar pleaded guilty Nov. 20, 2023. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered Kiamar to serve 180 and 120 months for the distribution and possession convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 180-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard excerpts of a victim impact statement detailing the ongoing harm the dissemination of these child pornography images and videos caused. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the seriousness of the crime and Kiamar’s history and characteristics. Kiamar was further ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Kiamar will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. The investigation began after authorities discovered Kiamar had been distributing child pornography in 2019 using the Facebook Messenger platform. Prior to seizing his electronic devices, law enforcement also found he had engaged in an indecent assault against a minor victim. He was convicted of those offenses. As part of the federal investigation, authorities conducted a forensic examination of his devices and uncovered 27 images and 44 videos of child pornography, some depicting all forms of sexual abuse of children. Several of the identified victims were as young as three. Kiamar will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Metro Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Sylmar Man Arrested for Allegedly Using Instagram to Advertise and Distribute Child Sexual Abuse Material and to Commit Sextortion

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man was arrested today on a three-count federal grand jury indictment alleging he used Instagram to advertise sexually explicit images of high school girls without their permission, to distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and to further threaten victims who objected to his behavior. Alejandro Garcia Aranda, 23, of Sylmar, is charged with one count of advertisement of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count transmitting threatening communications with intent to extort. Aranda’s arraignment is scheduled for this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on June 27, in April and May of 2020, Aranda used the Instagram handle “valleyhoezzz818” with the self-proclaimed goal of “[e]xposing all valley hoes with their @’s” to target local girls who attended schools in the San Fernando Valley. Using Cash App, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle, Aranda allegedly received payments from customers who wanted to obtain sexually explicit content of the victims that he had advertised and offered to sell on the Instagram account. After receiving and confirming payment, using the Instagram account, Aranda then allegedly sent a direct message to customers and provided a link to a zip file containing the sexually explicit photographs of his victims. When victims discovered that sexually explicit materials depicting them were being advertised and disseminated by Aranda and requested that he stop and remove them, Aranda allegedly attempted to extract further additional sexually explicit material from them, including by threatening to post additional photographs. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted of all charges, Aranda would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the child pornography advertisement count, a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and up to 20 years in federal prison for the child pornography distribution count, and up to two years in federal prison on the threats count. The FBI is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu, Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review, is prosecuting this case.


title: New Mexico Man is the Fifth Defendant Sentenced in a Grandparent Scam that Targeted Kentucky Victims and Others

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A New Mexico man was sentenced last week to 1 year and 6 months in federal prison for his role in a sweeping “grandparent scam” that targeted victims in Kentucky and across the United States through Canadian-based call centers. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service made the announcement. According to court documents, callers would convince senior victims that their grandchild or other family member had an emergency, usually a car accident, and urgently needed money from the victim. Co-conspirators posing as “couriers” would then collect cash from victims at home and others would launder the criminal proceeds, both through traditional banks and cryptocurrency exchanges. The charged wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy spanned from August 2020 to May 2021 and impacted hundreds of victims across the United States—including in Kentucky—who lost over $3 million in total. Robert Louis Sanchez , 57, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced last week to 1 year and 6 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in April, for his role both as a courier and sometimes as the “safehouse” who would guard cash that was taken from victims. Four other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas and have been sentenced in the case. Jairo Ostia Roberts , 44, who traveled from Panama to the United States to act as a courier in the scheme, was sentenced on March 9, 2023, to 6 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release, for wire fraud conspiracy. Roberts was removed to Panama upon his release from U.S. Bureau of Prisons custody. Panama Abel Diaz Adames , 39, who also traveled from Panama to the United States to act as a courier in the scheme, was sentenced on April 4, 2024, to 1 year and 4 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for wire fraud conspiracy. Christopher Courcoulacos , 46, a Canadian citizen who had been residing in Panama, was considered a “manager or supervisor” within the conspiracy, and was sentenced on November 9, 2023, to 6 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for wire fraud conspiracy. Mark Anthony Phillips , 44, of Ruskin, Florida, was sentenced on May 2, 2024, to 6 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy charged in the Western District of Kentucky, as well as pleading guilty to five additional money laundering counts, originally charged in the Western District of New York, which were transferred to Kentucky for guilty pleas and sentencing. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the IRS-CI and USSS with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne E. Keel prosecuted the case. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. The Department of Justice’s mission of its Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. Kentucky’s task force is comprised of investigators, prosecutors, and others at the local, state, and federal level with a common objective of protecting seniors across Kentucky. ###


title: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Lannie Earl Shaffer, 33, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 31, 2023, Shaffer possessed a Taurus model 605 .357-caliber revolver in Sissonville. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Shaffer admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for transferring and receiving stolen property in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 5, 2015. Shaffer is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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. 2:23-cr-181. ###


title: Drug Dealer Sentenced to a Decade in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who sold fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine base to a decade in prison. Byron Green, 29, pleaded guilty in March to eight felony counts: a fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine distribution charge, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. Green admitted that he was once part of the Guy Goolsby drug trafficking organization, which brought large quantities of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to the St. Louis and Kansas City areas from Mexico via Texas and Florida. Green was a lower-level distributor within the organization. After Goolsby and his associates were charged and arrested , Green continued to obtain drugs from other members of the conspiracy and distributed fentanyl and meth from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration identified homes in St. Louis and St. Charles counties that Green was using. During a May 11, 2023, court-approved search of the St. Louis County home, investigators recovered plastic bags containing more than 1,200 fentanyl capsules, two ounces of cocaine base, two pounds of meth, five ounces of pure fentanyl, $33,255 cash, four pistols and diamond-encrusted jewelry bought with drug proceeds: a “Big B” necklace, a bracelet and a Rolex watch. In the St. Charles County home, they found more fentanyl in powder and capsule form, pill presses used to make pills and 12 blenders used to mix drugs. Green is one of more than three dozen people who were convicted based on investigations associated with the Goolsby drug trafficking organization. Over 120 pounds of cocaine, fentanyl, and meth, $2 million in drug proceeds and payments and dozens of firearms were seized by law enforcement during the broader investigation. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the United States Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Mantovani and Geoffrey S. Ogden prosecuted the case. This prosecution 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 .


title: Missouri Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Possession

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU –U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man caught with over 3,000 images containing child sexual abuse material to five years in prison. Jason M. Miller, 45, of Perryville, in Perry County, Missouri, was identified by a Missouri State Highway Patrol investigation as someone who was sharing child sexual abuse online. On Sept. 3, 2022, two files were identified, which led to the discovery of more child sexual abuse material. Investigators traced the computer to Millers’ address, and after a court-approved search of his home, Miller confessed to downloading and viewing child pornography. He said he had been doing so since he was a teenager and was addicted to it. More than 3,000 images containing child sexual abuse material were eventually found on his electronic devices. Miller pleaded guilty in April to one count of possession of child pornography. The Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .