title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Communication

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 9, 2023, SHAUN CHAPMAN (“ CHAPMAN ”), age 38, pleaded guilty to mailing a threatening communication, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 876(c). According to court documents, CHAPMAN mailed a letter to the Robert Nixon Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that contained threats to the President and Vice-President of the United States, Supreme Court justices, and Department of Justice employees. A U.S. Secret Service investigation revealed that the letter was mailed from the Orleans Justice Center where CHAPMAN was incarcerated on unrelated charges. CHAPMAN faces a maximum term of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to a three (3) year term of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Mexican National Charged With Illegally Transporting Undocumented Aliens

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Olidier Roblero-Perez (34, Mexico) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with transporting undocumented aliens for the purpose of furthering their illegal presence in the United States. If convicted, Roblero-Perez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. According to the complaint, deputies from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) encountered Roblero-Perez at a motel in St. Augustine while investigating an incident in which Virjilio Aguilar-Mendez, an undocumented alien from Guatemala, violently struggled with officers who were attempting to arrest him, and which resulted in the death of an SJSO deputy from a medical issue. Aguilar-Mendez was later charged with aggravated manslaughter of an officer and resisting an officer with violence. Investigators determined that Roblero-Perez had transported Aguilar-Mendez and two other undocumented aliens, both from Mexico, from southwest Florida to St. Johns County to work at a farm in the area. He also transported them between the motel and the farm each day. He also paid for their motel room with cash. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) later learned that Roblero-Perez and the two undocumented aliens from Mexico were staying at a motel in Moultrie, Georgia, and that Roblero-Perez had transported them there. Roblero-Perez transported the aliens between the motel and a farm each day for work, collected and distributed their pay in cash, and paid for their motel room with cash. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and United States Border Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.


title: Tucson Man Convicted of Second-Degree Murder for Killing Deputy United States Marshal

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Ryan Schlesinger, 31, of Tucson, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of second-degree murder of a federal officer. Second-degree murder is a homicide committed with malice aforethought, which means deliberately and intentionally, or recklessly with extreme disregard for human life. Second-degree murder is a class A felony punishable by up to life in prison. Schlesinger also was convicted of three counts of attempted murder of a federal officer, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison; four counts of assault of a federal officer, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison; and five counts of discharging a firearm during the commission of a violent offense, a felony punishable by not less than 10 years, and up to life, in prison. The guilty verdicts came after a 13-day trial before United States District Judge Raner C. Collins. Schlesinger’s sentencing is set for January 22, 2024. On November 29, 2018, deputies with the United States Marshals Arizona Wanted Violent Offender Task Force attempted to serve a felony arrest warrant on Schlesinger for allegedly stalking a Tucson Police Department (TPD) sergeant. Schlesinger refused to exit his residence and opened fire on the deputies who were outside his window. Deputy U.S. Marshal Chase White was shot twice in the upper torso and died a short time later. Prior to the murder, Schlesinger had been in a yearlong dispute with TPD. Schlesinger sent multiple threatening emails, went to a TPD officer’s parents’ home, and attempted to arrest a TPD sergeant. Despite being under multiple active injunctions against harassment, Schlesinger possessed three firearms in violation of those court-issued injunctions. The evidence showed that Schlesinger sent a final threatening email to TPD hours before the murder. While the Task Force attempted to execute the arrest warrant, Schlesinger outfitted himself in body armor. After murdering Deputy White and committing the other crimes of which he was convicted, Schlesinger ultimately surrendered to TPD, wearing the body armor and a ballistic helmet. Deputy White was 41 years old. He is survived by his wife and four children. He was also a lieutenant colonel with the United States Air Force Reserve. Deputy White was the first Deputy U.S. Marshal killed in the line of duty in Tucson in 66 years. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah B. Houston and Jane L. Westby, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-18-02719-TUC-RCC RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-178_Schlesinger # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Hartford Man Admits Trafficking Cocaine and Heroin

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HIDELBRANDO QUINONES, also known as “Gordo,” 48, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to a narcotics distribution offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2023, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Quinones. Quinones was arrested on March 1, 2023. On that date, a court-authorized search of his Standish Street residence revealed approximately 200 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of crack cocaine, and 100 grams of heroin, and various items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Quinones pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for February 6, 2024. Quinones is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.


title: Fayette County Man Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin Mixture

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Lexington, Ky., man, Allante Ramone Brown, 27, was sentenced to 99 months in federal prison and 5 years supervised release on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a fentanyl and heroin mixture. According to Brown’s plea agreement, on November 3, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Brown. Law enforcement searched Brown’s vehicle and found 97.7 grams of a fentanyl and heroin mixture and $1,670 in cash, both amounts being consistent with drug distribution amounts. Brown has two prior felony convictions for Robbery Second Degree and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Brown had been released from prison just 12 days before his arrested on this charge. Brown was also on federal supervised release at the time of the commission of this offense. Under federal law, Brown must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP), and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Eleven Individuals Involved in International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Organization Indicted

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: CLEVELAND – Federal, state, local, and international law enforcement officials today announced that 11 individuals were charged for their roles in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that involved the importation of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and synthetic cannabinoids into the United States, and the distribution of those drugs in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, and elsewhere domestically. Several charged defendants were arrested earlier this morning and transported to federal court in Cleveland, while the others are in custody elsewhere, including Italy. This announcement is made by United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko, DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene, and Ohio Director of Public Safety Andy Wilson. “From the confines of the Ohio Penitentiary, Brian Lumbus led an international and interstate drug trafficking organization that brought fentanyl and other, more potent synthetic drugs from overseas factories to the streets of our region,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “Several others, both in the United States and outside it, acted in concert with Lumbus to do what he physically could not: obtain, assemble, and repackage those drugs, then mail or deliver them to other conspirators for further distribution. As this indictment reflects, the United States Attorney’s Office will continue its collaborative efforts with federal, state, local, and international partners to identify, target, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations, whether the suppliers of such poisons are in the Northern District of Ohio or a continent away. I thank our partners at DEA, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and the Italian government for their tireless efforts to identify and apprehend significant players in the illegal drug trade.” “As alleged in today’s indictment, the defendants orchestrated an international conspiracy to peddle fentanyl and other deadly drugs across the Ohio Valley, with complete disregard for the lives of their victims,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Alongside our law enforcement partners across the country and around the world, the Justice Department will relentlessly pursue all those who seek to profit from poisoning Americans—including when they try to exploit international boundaries and digital currencies to disguise their illicit trade.” “Brian Lumbus led an elaborate drug trafficking network that imported dangerous synthetic drugs and other substances from foreign-based suppliers to then distribute to customers throughout the region” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville Greene. “The outstanding assistance and support DEA received from our foreign and domestic counterparts led to the successful apprehension of Lumbus and his co-conspirators. Today’s actions send a clear message that law enforcement will work locally, and even across international borders, to seek justice against criminal organizations." “Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Public Safety are extremely proud of the work done by the investigative team in this case,” said Director Andy Wilson, “This investigation is an excellent example of the great work that can be done when you have seamless cooperation between state, federal and international partners. The work done by this investigative team will truly make Ohio a safer place for our friends, our families, and our children.” The following defendants are charged in the 34-count indictment: Brian Lumbus, Jr., AKA B, 43, of Cleveland, Ohio, Giancarlo Miserotti, AKA Karl, 51, of Italy, Brianna Lumbus, 22, of Cleveland, Ohio, Kayla S. Goudlock, 25, of North Royalton, Ohio, Jennifer Robinson, 38, of Tennessee, Latasha Harris, 40, of Toledo, Ohio, Dominique Hammond, 37, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wanda Ward, 46, of Johnson City, Tennessee, Marchello Lumbus, AKA Chello, 42, of Cleveland, Ohio, Jessica Cochran, 28, of Lorain, Ohio, Braisia Lumbus, 23, of Cleveland, Ohio. The defendants were all charged in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, six defendants were charged with substantive possession with intent to distribute controlled substances offenses. Nine defendants were charged with interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and eight were charged in an international money laundering conspiracy. Finally, nine of the defendants were charged with using a communications facility to facilitate a felony drug offense. According to the indictment, between as early as April 28, 2016, and continuing through November 1, 2023, the defendants did knowingly and intentionally conspire with each other to distribute and possess with the intention to distribute mixtures and substances containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance; as well as Isotonitazene, Metonitazene, Alpha-PiHP, and ADB-BUTINACA, all Schedule I synthetic opioid or cannabinoid controlled substances. While incarcerated in an Ohio state prison, Brian Lumbus, Jr., orchestrated the operation, ordering significant quantities of these drugs from Giancarlo Miserotti, an Italian citizen and resident. Miserotti arranged for kilogram quantities of these controlled substances to be exported from several foreign countries first to Italy, then to the United States, for redistribution by conspiracy members. Investigators with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction discovered evidence of the criminal activity of this group in the institution and they immediately alerted the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the DEA for further investigation. It was determined that U.S.-based conspirators received the foreign shipments, cut and mixed the drugs, and redistributed them. Other members of the conspiracy used Bitcoin cryptocurrency to pay Miserotti for the drugs. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The investigation preceding the indictments was conducted by the DEA, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Egan and Robert J. Kolansky. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.


title: Mechanicsburg Man Charged For Threatening To Kill A United States Congressman

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Lee Ingalls, Jr., age 61, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was charged in a one count criminal complaint with the interstate transmission of threatening communications. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, it is alleged that on November 6, 2023, Ingalls left two threatening voicemail messages on the main congressional office answering system in Washington, D.C. It is also alleged that in both voicemail messages Ingalls specifically threatened to kill a specifically identified United States Congressman. It was determined Ingalls made the calls from his cell phone while Ingalls was in Mechanicsburg. Ingalls was arrested on November 10, 2023. Ingalls appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Daryl F. Bloom on November 13, 2023 and was ordered held in pretrial detention pending action by a federal grand jury. The United States Capitol Police investigated the case and were assisted locally by the Fairview Township Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney William Behe is prosecuting the case. Ingalls faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Elkhart Man Convicted of Firearm Offense

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

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Nathan Keosackdy, 24 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon following a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Keosackdy is scheduled for sentencing on March 14, 2024. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department and the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome W. McKeever and Lydia T. Lucius. 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: Leader in Operation Ghost Busted, other defendants sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in drug trafficking conspiracy

body_text: BRUNSWICK, GA: An incarcerated leader in a massive, gang-related drug trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to life in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges brought in the largest-ever indictment in the Southern District of Georgia. James D. NeSmith , a/k/a “DG,” 26, an inmate serving life in prison for murder at Telfair State Prison, was sentenced to a consecutive term of life in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. NeSmith’s federal sentence would begin if he is released from state custody, and U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ordered that he would be housed at a facility no less than 500 miles from his Brunswick residence. “James NeSmith’s sentence and others in this case represent significant milestones in this effort to dismantle a major drug trafficking operation in south Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to disrupt traffickers as they distribute deadly, addictive drugs and endanger the safety of our communities and prison facilities.” Operation Ghost Busted, unsealed in January as USA v. Alvarez et al., charged 76 defendants with involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy – linked to the white supremacist Ghost Face Gangsters – that distributed large amounts of high-grade methamphetamine, along with fentanyl, heroin, and alprazolam in the greater Glynn County area. Nearly 70 of the defendants have been sentenced or await sentencing after entering guilty pleas in U.S. District Court, while the remainder await further court proceedings and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. For more than two years, investigators from the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force, the Glynn County Police Department, the Brunswick Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office, and the Camden County Sheriff's Office collaborated with multiple federal, state and local agencies to identify a sprawling drug trafficking network operating in multiple south Georgia counties. The network operated inside and outside Georgia prisons, coordinated by members of the Ghost Face Gangsters working with affiliates of other criminal street gangs including the Aryan Brotherhood, Bloods, and Gangster Disciples. NeSmith is a member of the Gangster Disciples. Key figures adjudicated in Operation Ghost Busted include: Desiree M. Briley , 26, of McRae-Helena, Ga., sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, Methamphetamine. Briley was a guard at Telfair State Prison where she helped move contraband into the facility at NeSmith’s direction. John E. Harrison , 26, of Brunswick, sentenced to 190 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Harrison acted with others as a courier and drug distributor in the conspiracy. Charles W. Walrath , a/k/a “Boomer,” 52, of Brunswick, sentenced to 144 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. Walrath was identified as a mid-level drug distributor in the conspiracy. Clinton Taylor , 34, of Brunswick, sentenced to 105 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Taylor, who illegally possessed an SKS assault-style rifle, has two prior convictions for illegal firearms possession, and faces state charges related to a machete attack on a Brunswick resident. Marissa D. Davis , 32, of Brunswick, sentenced to 97 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. Davis worked with Walrath and others as an illegal drug distributor. Wendell McClain , 35, of Brunswick, sentenced to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine. Rachael P. Byrd , a/k/a “Byrd is the Word,” 26, of Brunswick, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Byrd served as a leader in the drug trafficking organization, relaying instructions from her boyfriend James NeSmith and distributing multiple kilos of methamphetamine to distributors and dozens of street-level dealers, and delivering contraband to Briley for delivery to NeSmith in prison. NeSmith’s mother and sister also are being prosecuted for participation in the conspiracy. Authorities also are seeking a fugitive, David D. Young , a/k/a “Khaos,” of Hortense, Ga., on multiple federal charges. “Gangs that operate out of our prison systems not only bring drugs and violence into prison facilities – they also breed drug-fueled violence in our communities,” said Will Clarke, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Savannah Office. “We are committed to dismantling violent gangs like the Ghost Face Gangsters and holding their members and those who conspire with them accountable for criminal conduct.” “This action serves as a textbook example of the impact that can be achieved when we blend our investigative resources with our state and local partners as we continue to aggressively dismantle major drug trafficking that plagues our communities,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF remains committed to targeting violent offenders and dismantling their criminal organizations.” “Illegal drugs are dangerous and threaten the safety of Georgia communities,” said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI is committed to working with our local and federal partners to investigate the horrific crimes connected to criminal street gangs.” Operation Ghost Busted was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI Coastal Georgia Violent Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation; the Georgia Department of Corrections; the Georgia Department of Community Supervision; the Glynn County Police Department; the Brunswick Police Department; the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office; and sheriff’s offices from Pierce, Camden, Wayne, Treutlen, McIntosh, Toombs, Telfair, Dodge, and Ware counties. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Kirkland and Criminal Division Deputy Chief E. Greg Gilluly Jr.


title: New York Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – An Angola, New York, man pleaded guilty today to producing child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, Donovan Chaplin, 23, was convicted in April 2022 in the Court for the County of Erie, New York, of sexual abuse in the first degree involving a victim less than eleven years old. In November 2022, while serving a period of probation for that offense, Chaplin began an online chat conversation with Jane Doe, a 15-year-old girl living in Franklin. Chaplin falsely told Jane Doe he was himself a minor and engaged in an online conversation with her for about two and a half months. Their conversation was highly sexually explicit, and Chaplin eventually persuaded Jane Doe to take and send him sexually explicit pictures of herself. After Jane Doe’s family discovered and reported the chat to law enforcement, agents from the FBI executed a search warrant at Chaplin’s residence. Chaplin admitted to chatting with Jane Doe. A search warrant of Chaplin’s account on the chatting application revealed numerous sexually explicit chats with approximately 40 other purported minors as young as 13 years old between November 2022 and February 2023. Chaplin had requested of about 23 of those individuals to create and share sexually explicit images of themselves with him. Chaplin is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024. He faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Rebecca Gantt is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . In 2021, EDVA launched “UnMasked,” a community-based educational outreach and prevention program in Virginia dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about the prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving children and young adults. UnMasked is a multi-disciplinary partnership of local, state, federal, and non-profit stakeholders. The core curriculum is provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) NetSmartz program. To report an incident involving online sexual exploitation, call 1-800-843-5678 or submit a report at report.cybertip.org . To request an UnMasked event at your school or organization, please contact EDVA’s Community Outreach Coordinator at USAVAE-UnMasked@usdoj.gov . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-110.


title: Registered sex offender who attempted to have sex with 11 y/o girl going to prison

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mathew Schulman, 37, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography following a previous conviction, was sentenced to serve 186 months in prison and 15 years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the case, stated that between May 2021, and June 2022, Shulman engaged in sexually explicit online communications with who he believed was an 11-year-old girl, but was actually an undercover New York State Police (NYSP) Investigator. During the conversations, Shulman asked the child to produce and send him child pornography, and he tried to persuade the child to meet him for sex. Shulman also distributed child pornography depicting prepubescent minors in an attempt to groom the child for sexual activity. On June 7, 2022, the NYSP and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Shulman’s Rochester residence and took him into custody. At the time of his arrest, Shulman was a registered sex offender on probation for a June 2016 conviction of possessing child pornography in Monroe County Court. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei II, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino.


title: Appraiser in Billion-Dollar Fraudulent Tax Shelter Sentenced to A Year in Prison

component: Tax Division

body_text: A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for his role in conspiring to defraud the United States in a syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme – involving inflated charitable contribution deductions – that claimed more than $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2008 to 2019, Walter “Terry” Douglas Roberts II, of Flat Rock, North Carolina, conspired with others to fraudulently inflate the value of the conservation easements upon which the tax deductions were based. At the trial of his co-conspirators, Jack Fisher and James Sinnott, Roberts testified that he became a licensed appraiser in 2007 and began providing appraisals of conservation easements that same year. From 2008 through 2019, as part of the scheme, Roberts said that he fraudulently inflated the values of at least 18 conservation easements by, among other things, not following normal appraisal methods, making false statements and either personally manipulating or relying on knowingly manipulated data to reach a targeted appraisal value – communicated to him by co-conspirators – that would result in the desired tax deduction amount. Roberts admitted that he inflated some of his appraisals by at least 600%. The 18 conservation easements Roberts fraudulently appraised as part of the scheme claimed approximately $466,961,000 in tax deductions, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $129,000,000. Fisher and Sinnott were convicted at trial and are presently awaiting sentencing for their crimes. To date, at least five additional defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to Fisher’s syndicated conservation easement tax shelters, including Stein and Corey Agee, Ralph Anderson, James Benkoil and Randall Lenz. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten for the Northern District of Georgia ordered Roberts to serve three years of supervised release, perform 120 hours of community service and pay $129,210,760 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and Chief James C. Lee of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement. IRS-CI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing, Grace Albinson, Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft and Nicholas J. Schilling Jr. of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section for the Northern District of Georgia prosecuted the case,


title: Former Gow school administrator charged with possession of child pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Matthew Fisher, 50, of South Wales, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan P. Cantil, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on October 15, 2023, Fisher turned his school-owned laptop into the IT Department because the keyboard was not working properly. On October 24, 2023, an IT employee was notified of a “Low Severity Alert” on Fisher’s school-issued laptop. While searching the laptop, the employee recovered files, which included links such as “Neverland” and “lost boys.” The employee accessed one of the webpages, which depicted naked boys under the age of 10 conducting sexual acts on each other. The employee copied and moved the files to a thumb drive and notified the Head of The Gow School. The thumb drive was turned over to the FBI and the Western New York Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory conducted a preliminary forensic analysis, which recovered images of child pornography. Some of the images appear to be from a covert camera and depict clothed, male children in a bedroom believed to be on campus of The Gow School. The images include timestamps ranging from January of 2019 through September of 2023. Fisher has been terminated from his position at the Gow School. Fisher made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and is being held pending a detention hearing on November 17, 2023. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Felon Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Fentanyl, Crack Cocaine, Firearms, and Ammunition

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A former Manchester man was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking and firearm offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. John Rivera, Jr., 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 96 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On April 14, 2023, Rivera plead guilty to unlawfully possessing fentanyl and crack cocaine with the intent to distribute and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. On September 16, 2021, the New Hampshire State Police, working in conjunction with the Manchester Police Department, conducted a traffic stop on Rivera’s vehicle in Manchester. During the stop, officers observed a firearm under the driver’s seat. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers found approximately 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 19.68 grams of crack cocaine, a stolen firearm, a loaded magazine, loose ammunition, drug packaging materials, and a digital scale. Rivera was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on a prior felony conviction. “The defendant was a felon that had lost his right to carry firearms and ammunition, and even worse, he illegally possessed a stolen gun while also in the possession of dangerous narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to thwart efforts to distribute drugs, which often includes enforcing the laws that keep the tools of the trade, like guns, out of drug dealer’s hands.” “I am very encouraged by this sentence,” says Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg. “John Rivera, Jr represents the dangerous offenders we are targeting in Manchester. Drug sales and associated gun violence are a top priority for this agency. I would like to commend the Manchester detectives and our law enforcement partners on their commitment to this case. The positive outcome is a testament to their hard work.” This investigation was led by the Manchester Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis prosecuted the case. ###


title: Randolph Count Man Sentenced to 97 Months for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – A Trinity man was sentenced yesterday to 97 months in prison after pleading guilty to one felony count of receipt of child pornography announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). According to court records, in August 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip that an individual in Trinity, North Carolina was uploading and distributing child pornography. Law enforcement investigated and determined Kevin Lee NUNN was responsible. Based upon a forensic review, NUNN had thousands of images and videos of child sexual exploitation. NUNN was sentenced to a 97-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, NUNN was ordered to pay restitution to victims totaling $36,500.00 and special assessments totaling $6,100.00. He pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography on June 9, 2023. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys K. P. Kennedy Gates and Lindsey Freeman. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . ###


title: Three Men Sentenced for $54M Fraudulent Prescriptions Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Three men were sentenced today in connection to a $54 million bribery and kickback scheme involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families. David Byron Copeland, 55, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison following his conviction at trial in June for paying and receiving health care kickbacks. James Wesley Moss, 60, of Huntsville, Alabama, and Michael Gordon, 60, of Fort Myers, Florida, were sentenced to two years and three months and one year and six months in prison, respectively, following their guilty pleas to a kickback and fraud conspiracy, among other charges. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Moss was a part-owner and CEO of Florida Pharmacy Solutions (FPS), a Florida-based pharmacy that specialized in compounded prescription drugs. Copeland was also a part-owner and senior sales manager at FPS, and Gordon was a lead sales representative. Moss, Copeland, and Gordon, along with their accomplices, engaged in a practice known as “test billing” to develop the most expensive combination of compounded drugs to maximize reimbursement from TRICARE. Moss, Copeland, Gordon, and their accomplices targeted physicians who treated TRICARE beneficiaries and paid bribes and kickbacks to physicians and salespeople to encourage the referral of prescriptions to FPS. The bribes included lavish hunting trips and expensive dinners. In addition, FPS employees used “blanket letters of authorization” that allowed FPS to modify the prescription components to make them more profitable. Moss paid Copeland and Gordon millions of dollars in kickbacks based on a percentage of the amount that TRICARE reimbursed for their prescriptions, which provided an incentive to seek prescriptions for the most expensive compounded drugs possible, including pain and scar creams. Copeland facilitated the kickbacks through companies he set up to receive and funnel the payments. From late 2012 through mid-2015, FPS billed TRICARE over $54 million for its compounded pharmaceuticals. In April, co-defendant Edward Christopher White was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty for his role in the scheme. Acting Assistant Attorney Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), Southeast Field Office; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge David Walker of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement. The DOD-OIG, HHS-OIG, VA-OIG, and FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Devon Helfmeyer, Clayton Solomon, and Katie Rookard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24.7 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Convicted Felon Accused of Lying on COVID-19 Loan Applications to Obtain Over $182,000

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: UPDATE Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Carter Lane Lucas in this case was dismissed on November 21, 2024. SALT LAKE CITY – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a Utah resident with wire fraud after he allegedly lied about his criminal history when applying for multiple small business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to court documents, Carter Lane Lucas, 47, of Herriman, Utah, defrauded the COVID-19 relief programs dubbed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) out of approximately $182,800 in loan funds. From April 2020 to August 2021, Lucas submitted multiple fraudulent PPP- and EIDL-Loan applications through Mountain America Credit Union and the Small Business Administration (SBA) and then used the loan proceeds for his personal benefit. According to court documents, during his PPP-Loan application submission, Lucas falsely asserted that he had not been convicted of a felony within the last five years, when in fact he had. In his EIDL-Loan application, and when submitting his EIDL-Loan modification request, Lucas falsely claimed that other than a minor vehicle violation, he had no criminal history. Lucas submitted his fraudulent PPP-Loan application and EIDL-Loan application and modification request using interstate wires. Lucas is charged with three counts of wire fraud. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for Nov. 15, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The Utah Federal COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force is investigating the case, which includes the Office of Inspector General U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA-OIG), U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Todd C. Bouton of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. carterlanelucas.motionforleavetodismissindictment.pdf carterlanelucas.ordergrantingleavetodismissindictment.pdf CarterLLucas.Indictment.Unsealed


title: Malachi Crockett Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Federal Firearms Offense

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Malachi Alan Crockett pled guilty to three counts of carjacking and aiding and abetting and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Crockett, 18, of Albuquerque, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. In his plea agreement, Crockett admitted that on March 21, 2023, he and two juvenile accomplices committed three carjackings in Albuquerque. During each of the carjackings, Crockett was armed with a loaded pistol and possessed it in furtherance of the carjacking. Crockett faces imprisonment of up to 15 years for each carjacking count and a consecutive term of up to life in prison for using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew T. Nelson and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting the case. # # # 23-265


title: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Robbery and Shootings

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DIJON CHAMPAGNIE, 23, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses stemming from a violent drug-related robbery and shootings in West Haven. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2019, Champagnie arranged to buy a half-pound of marijuana from an individual in West Haven. After Champagnie arrived at the seller’s residence, he removed a gun from his backpack, pointed it at the victim’s face, and demanded all the marijuana the victim had. After the victim gave Champagnie the half-pound of marijuana he had arranged to sell, Champagnie shot the victim in the leg, causing significant injuries. The victim’s neighbor, who had known Champagnie, heard the gunshot and saw Champagnie fleeing the scene. In the days following the shooting, Champagnie posted videos on his Snapchat account of him shooting a gun into the air, pointing a handgun with an extended magazine at the camera, and showing a bag of marijuana that he presumably had stolen. Champagnie also sent several text messages threatening to harm the victim’s neighbor. In the early morning hours of July 7, 2019, Champagnie fired four shots into the neighbor’s apartment. Champagnie has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on July 20, 2019. On August 18, 2023, he pleaded guilty in federal court to discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. This matter was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the West Haven, New Haven, and Hartford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Ansonia-Milford State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the prosecution of this case.


title: Member of Catalytic Converter Theft Crew Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in a regional organized theft crew that stole catalytic converters from over 490 vehicles as well as from ATMs and jewelry stores. Zachary Marshall, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and interstate transportation of stolen property. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Feb. 7, 2024. Marshall and six other men were arrested on April 12, 2023 , and charged with offenses related to the theft, transportation and sale of stolen catalytic converters taken from over 490 vehicles during 2022 and 2023. Catalytic converter theft has become a nationwide problem across a multitude of state, local, and federal jurisdictions due to the high-valued precious metals they contain – some of which are more valuable than gold, with black-market prices being more than $1,000 each in recent years. The theft of a vehicle's catalytic converter results in damage that renders the vehicle inoperable – both mechanically and legally under EPA regulations – until properly replaced. Marshall was a member of an organized crew that allegedly stole catalytic converters from at least 492 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2022 and 2023 alone. It is believed that a significant number of additional thefts have not been identified or were not ever reported to law enforcement, however. The crew was skilled and able to locate and cut away the catalytic converter from a vehicle within a minute in most instances – often utilizing battery operated power-tools, car jacks. It is alleged that, on numerous occasions, the defendants targeted more than 10 vehicles in a single night, with one night reporting thefts from 26 vehicles. It is alleged that the crew was led by Rafael Davila, who engaged in catalytic converter thefts and burglaries on a full-time basis – committing thefts multiple nights per week for upwards of eight hours a night. Rafael Davila was allegedly responsible for the planning of and transportation to each targeted theft – using his vehicle, determining price values for stolen converters and purchasing needed materials. It is further alleged that he maintained meticulous notes accounting for the locations that he and his co-conspirators had targeted and the number of catalytic converters that had been stolen, including the makes and models and when they were dropped off. Marshall participated in thefts of catalytic converters from 107 vehicles over the course of 10 separate instances between Jan. 19, 2023 and April 6, 2023 – most of which targeted vehicles in more than one municipality over the course of a single night. Once in possession of the stolen catalytic converters, the crew would then sell them to Jose Torres, who would accumulate stolen catalytic converters from multiple theft crews and then in turn sell them to scrap dealers in the Northeast – transacting approximately $30,000 to $80,000 in stolen catalytic converters per week. In particular, Torres sold stolen catalytic converters to scrap dealers who have since been charged federally for interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering in the District of Connecticut, the Eastern District of California and Northern District of Oklahoma. Zachary Marshall also admitted to breaking into to a self-storage facility in Northborough, MA on February 2, 2023, with Rafael Davila. During this break-in, Davila and Marshall stole items from storage units, and stole a truck containing approximately $13,000 worth of Milwaukee brand power tools. A high-speed chase from law enforcement took place that evening reaching speeds upwards of 120 mph. Some of the stolen tools would later be recovered during a search of a storage unit controlled by Rafael Davila on April 12, 2023, as part of the takedown in this case. Torres pleaded guilty to his role in the catalytic converter theft conspiracy on May 17, 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14, 2023. Alex Oyola pleaded guilty to the ATM and jewelry store burglaries on May 24, 2023 and will be sentenced at a later date. On March 13, 2023, Nicolas Davila pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2024. Santo Feliberty pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on Oct. 19, 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 31, 2023. Charges against Rafael Davila and Carlos Fonseca remain pending and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The charge of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of interstate transportation of stolen property each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit bank theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of bank theft provides for a sentence of up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for up to 10 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Kevin Gallagher, Director of Operations for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of Connecticut, the Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the New England State Police Information Network (NESPIN). Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. Over 70 local police departments in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut contributed to this investigation through the submission of their investigations of catalytic converter thefts in their jurisdiction. The Massachusetts Police Departments contributing to the investigation were Abington, Acton, Andover, Auburn, Bedford, Bellingham, Beverly, Billerica, Burlington, Bridgewater, Canton, Carver, Chelmsford, Concord, Cranston, East Hampton, Easton, Fitchburg, Framingham, Franklin, Gardner, Hampton, Hanover, Haverhill, Hingham, Holliston, Holyoke, Hudson, Ipswich, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, Malden, Mansfield, Medford, Marlborough, Methuen, Middleton, Milford, Millbury, Needham, Newton, Northborough, Norwell, Norwood, Peabody, Pembroke, Plymouth, Randolph, Rockland, Sharon, Shrewsbury, Springfield, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Tyngsborough, Walpole, Waltham, Watertown, West Bridgewater, Weymouth, Wilmington, Woburn and Worcester. The New Hampshire Police Departments contributing to the investigation were Bow, Concord, Derry, Hooksett, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Salem and Windham. The South Windsor and Windsor Connecticut Police Departments also contributed to the investigation. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Helena felon sentenced to three years in prison for illegally possessing firearms while employed at pawn shop

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Helena man who admitted to illegally possessing firearms while on state supervision for a felony conviction and working at a pawn shop was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Brandon Wade Kurns, 29, pleaded guilty in June to prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that from about June through July in 2021, Kurns, a convicted felon on state supervision, was a customer and briefly employed at Modern Pawn in Helena. In both capacities, he possessed firearms and ammunition. An investigation determined that Kurns handled firearms and ammunition inventory and possessed at least eight or more firearms. Kurns was convicted of felony criminal endangerment in 2020 in Lewis and Clark County and was prohibited from possessing firearms. A related investigation of Modern Pawn by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led to the convictions of other defendants on various crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The ATF and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Lee’s Summit Business Owner Indicted for CARES Act Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., business owner has been indicted by a federal grand jury for spending more than $900,000 in federal COVID-19 business relief funds on personal real estate purchases and a Chevrolet Camaro. Sammy Adam Joseph, 47, was charged in an eight-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, Nov. 8. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon Joseph’s arrest and initial court appearance. Joseph remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. According to the government’s motion for detention, Joseph is a flight risk because he owns a condominium in Lebanon and has traveled to Lebanon three times in 2023. Joseph also poses a risk to the community because he has been identified in social media photos with assault weapons. Joseph is the owner of Adams & Joseph, Inc., which operates two gas stations in the Kansas City, Mo., metropolitan area. According to the indictment, his business received nearly $1.9 million under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The purpose of the CARES Act was to provide emergency financial assistance due to the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the Small Business Administration to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans to eligible small businesses that experienced substantial financial disruption due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the indictment, Adams & Joseph received a total of $1,869,900 in EIDL disbursements between June 2020 and November 2021. The indictment alleges that Joseph fraudulently used at least $900,000 of the EIDL proceeds for his own personal benefit by using EIDL money to purchase a residence in Lee’s Summit, parcels of land in Kansas City, Mo., and Lee’s Summit, a building in Grandview, Mo., and a blue 2019 Chevrolet Camaro. Joseph is charged with six counts of theft of government property, which are related to EIDL proceeds he allegedly spent on unauthorized purchases. Joseph is charged with two counts of money laundering, which are related to monetary transactions of criminally derived property. The indictment also contains forfeiture allegations, which would require Joseph to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of at least $948,120 and three parcels of real estate in Kansas City, Mo., Lee’s Summit, and Grandview. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Task Force The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Task Force was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.


title: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Judges of the Data Protection Review Court

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today held a formal investiture ceremony for the Data Protection Review Court (DPRC) at the Justice Department, formally swearing in six judges of the eight-member, fully independent court, following the Constitutional oath they have already taken, and marking another milestone in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF). “In October 2022, I issued new regulations establishing the Data Protection Review Court to serve as the second level of a new redress process established by the President’s Executive Order on Enhancing Safeguards for United States Signals Intelligence Activities,” said Attorney General Garland. “Although this court has been established at the Department of Justice, its judges will independently decide what remedies, if any, are appropriate for the cases in front of them, and the intelligence agencies will be expected to abide by their decisions.” Last October, the Attorney General issued regulations creating the DPRC within the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties at the Department of Justice. The DPRC serves as the second level of the new redress process established by the President through Executive Order 14086, which also strengthened other safeguards for U.S. signals intelligence activities. The DPRC will independently review determinations made by the Civil Liberties Protection Officer of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in response to qualifying complaints sent by individuals through appropriate public authorities that allege certain violations of U.S. law in the conduct of U.S. signals intelligence activities. The Executive Order and the new Justice Department regulations are a critical part of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK-U.S. Data Bridge Extension. These arrangements reflect the strength of U.S. partnerships with the European Union and the United Kingdom and the shared commitment to the rule of law and respect for the value of individual privacy. Two additional judges were unable to attend today’s ceremony in person. The judges on the court include: James E. Baker Rajesh De James X. Dempsey Mary B. DeRosa Thomas B. Griffith Eric H. Holder Jr. David F. Levi Virginia A Seitz For full bios and more information on the Data protection Review Court, visit https://www.justice.gov/opcl/redress-data-protection-review-court . Also in attendance at the investiture ceremony was Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD), European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders and members of NSD, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and State, ODNI, and the National Security Council.


title: Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm after High-Speed Chase with Law Enforcement

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who fled from law enforcement with a loaded firearm in his vehicle was sentenced today to more than 8 years in federal prison. Jacques Eugene Robinson, age 50, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 8, 2023 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Robinson was previously convicted of Murder in the Second Degree in the Iowa District Court for Scott County on June 11, 1990. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on March 25, 2022, law enforcement stopped Robinson as he was driving. Before the traffic stop ended, Robinson sped away. During the following car chase, Robinson reached a speed of 107 miles per hour, and he ran two red lights. Officers were eventually able to stop Robinson’s vehicle and take him into custody. Robinson’s blood alcohol concentration was determined to be .128%. Officers located a loaded handgun inside the vehicle Robinson had been driving. Robinson later told officers that he carried a firearm daily. Robinson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Robinson was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Robinson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-60. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mexican Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally  Reentering the United States After Being Deported

body_text: A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to three months in federal prison. Emmanuel Reyes-Jaimes, age 38, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cambridge, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 21, 2023 guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Reyes-Jaimes admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Reyes-Jaimes was previously deported in November 2016. On August 7, 2023, immigration officials learned Reyes-Jaimes had illegally returned to the United States and found Reyes-Jaimes at the Benton County Jail where he was serving a state sentence. Reyes-Jaimes was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Reyes-Jaimes was sentenced to 93 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Reyes-Jaimes is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-59. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Valley man sent to prison for smuggling scheme resulting in death

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 22-year-old Mission resident has been ordered to prison for conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens resulting in the death of one, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Julio Garza IV pleaded guilty Feb. 15. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Garza to serve 45 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court commented on how it was important to remember someone died. The individual may have fled, but Garza was still accountable for a death. Judge Alvarez noted that people in Garza’s position convince themselves that smuggling aliens is okay because the person took the risk. However, she pointed out that it’s a crime and that this type of crime often results in people being injured. On April 15, 2021, law enforcement conducted a routine immigration traffic stop on US Hwy 281 near Falfurrias on a tan Ford Taurus. When the vehicle stopped along the highway, multiple people fled. A passing box truck struck and killed one of those individuals. Authorities determined he was a citizen of Honduras illegally residing in the United States. The investigation revealed Garza had hired the driver to transport the undocumented aliens from Edinburg to a designated location south of the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. Garza sent audio and text messages as well as GPS coordinates in order to direct the smuggling operation. Garza 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 Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.


title: Defendant Sentenced To 90 Months In Prison For Distribution Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that EFREM ZELONY-MINDELL was sentenced to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer for distribution of child pornography. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings: From April 2022 to December 2022, ZELONY-MINDELL communicated with two undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) agents on an encrypted messaging service. In the conversations, ZELONY-MINDELL repeatedly expressed in graphic and unambiguous terms their desire to engage in sexual activity with minor children and sent the undercover agents numerous images and videos containing child pornography. In conversations with one of the undercover agents who was posing as the father of a nine-year-old boy, ZELONY-MINDELL made clear that they wanted to engage in sexual activity with the purported child. ZELONY-MINDELL and the undercover agent discussed a plan to meet for the purpose of ZELONY-MINDELL engaging in sexual activity with the child. When told by the undercover agent that the child would be “knocked out a little bit” on sleep medication during the planned sexual activity, ZELONY-MINDELL agreed to have sex with the drugged child. ZELONY-MINDELL and the undercover agent agreed to meet on December 16, 2022, in lower Manhattan with the understanding that they would return to the undercover agent’s apartment afterward, and ZELONY-MINDELL would then engage in sexual activity with the child. ZELONY-MINDELL arrived at the scheduled time and location and was arrested. Subsequently, law enforcement identified thousands of images and videos containing child pornography on the defendant’s phones and computers. * * * In addition to the prison term, ZELONY-MINDELL, 36, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced to five years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the FBI and the members of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in connection with this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U. S. Attorney Lisa Daniels is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Fort Peck Tribal corrections officer admits deprivation of rights in assault of inmate

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A corrections officer who worked at the Fort Peck Tribe’s detention center admitted today to a civil rights violation for assaulting an inmate, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Devin Gray Hawk, 20, of Poplar, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with deprivation of rights. Gray Hawk faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for April 3, 2024. Gray Hawk was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on April 8, 2022, the Fort Peck Tribe’s Department of Law and Justice contacted the FBI about an assault that day of an inmate, identified as John Doe, by a corrections officer, identified as Gray Hawk, at the Tribe’s Adult Detention Center. While John Doe was shackled and not resisting, Gray Hawk fired his Taser at John Doe and then, while John Doe was sitting on the floor, kicked him in the head, causing John Doe’s head to hit an open metal food tray slot on the cell door. John Doe was treated for injuries at Poplar Community Hospital and returned to the detention center. The government alleged that Gray Hawk, while acting under color of law as a corrections officer, willfully deprived John Doe of the right protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D. Vestal for the District of Montana and Trial Attorney Eric N. Peffley, of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Former San Jose State University Director of Sports Medicine Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Female Student Athletes

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former San Jose State University (SJSU) Director of Sports Medicine was sentenced today in the Northern District of California to 24 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a $15,000 fine and restitution to be determined at a later date for sexually abusing female student-athletes under the guise of providing medical treatment. As part of the plea agreement, Scott Shaw admitted that, between 2017 and 2020, he violated the civil rights of four students who played on women’s athletics teams by touching their breasts and buttocks without their consent and without a legitimate medical purpose. “This sentence should send a clear message that public school officials who exploit their positions of authority to sexually abuse and harass students will face serious consequences for their actions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violations of civil rights committed under the guise of legitimate medical treatment by those in positions of power and trust.” “Scott Shaw was entrusted to care for athletes in the California State University system,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins for the Northern District of California. “Instead, he used his power over female athletes to violate their civil rights by sexually groping them without their consent and without any medical justification. Such criminal assaults on college athletes will be investigated and prosecuted; anyone abusing their power over student athletes in this way should expect to spend time in prison for doing so.” “A patient necessarily places enormous trust in a healthcare provider; that relationship is privileged and inviolable for good reason,” said Special Agent In Charge Robert Tripp of the FBI San Francisco Field Office. “Shaw’s violation of that relationship is reprehensible, as was reflected in his sentence. I commend the student athletes for their moral courage in coming forward to challenge Shaw. Their bravery prevented Shaw from committing further harm to others, and civil rights violations will continue to be a top priority for the FBI.” According to court documents, from 2008 until August 2020, Shaw served as the Director of Sports Medicine and head athletic trainer at SJSU, a public university that is part of the California State University system, and was an employee of the State of California. His duties included treating injuries sustained by student-athletes at SJSU. Additionally, Shaw admitted that he engaged in all the conduct described above on SJSU’s campus, and in his capacity as an SJSU athletic trainer, and the student-athletes only allowed him to have physical contact with them because of his status as an SJSU athletic trainer. Shaw also admitted that he touched each of the student-athletes as described above without any legitimate diagnostic or treatment purpose and without seeking or securing their consent in advance. Shaw further admitted that his conduct was not the result of mistake, carelessness or accident. The FBI San Francisco Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pitman for the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney MarLa Duncan and Attorney Advisor Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Vallejo Parolee Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bruce Lamont Walker, 55, of Vallejo, was sentenced today to five years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Walker was convicted in 2014 for a domestic violence offense and sentenced to 11 years in prison. Walker had only been on parole for three months when a parole search resulted in the discovery of an AR‑15 style “ghost gun” (privately made without a serial number) in his bedroom. Also found was an extended magazine with 27 rounds of ammunition. Walker is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition on account of seven prior felony convictions, including two felony crimes of violence and multiple firearms related felonies. This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Division of Adult Parole Operations, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Enforcement Team, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case. This case was 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: U.S. Attorney's Office Joins Virtual Listening Session On Voting Barriers Encountered By Individuals With Disabilities In North Carolina

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King joined the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Disability Rights Section, to hold a statewide virtual listening session on voting barriers faced by individuals with disabilities. The purpose of the virtual event was to encourage community members to share experiences related to obstacles and barriers encountered by persons with disabilities in the voting process, and to address questions and concerns on the topics of registering to vote, obtaining voting and election information, absentee ballot procedures and in-person voting, accessibility in the polling places, and assistance with voting. Representatives from nonprofit agencies, private organizations, educational institutions, disability advocates and individuals affiliated with the disability community were among those invited to participate in the listening session. In her remarks to participants, U.S. Attorney King said, “Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy, and every citizen who is eligible to vote must be able to do so without interference or discrimination. Our role as federal prosecutors is to protect the integrity of the election process. That includes ensuring that every American citizen has access to the ballot, and that Americans with disabilities can be full participants in civic life and exercise the franchise. With today’s event, we hope to understand where the needs exist in the community and what barriers may prohibit individuals with disabilities to exercise their fundamental right to vote.” The U.S. Department of Justice’s “The Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities” provides guidance to states, counties, cities, election officials, poll workers, and voters on how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal laws help ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to vote. For more information, including how to file an ADA complaint please visit here .


title: Former Customs Employee Pleads Guilty To Auctioning Online A Customs Declaration Form Signed By A Celebrity

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Alan Nordman, 75, of Denver, North Carolina, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to one count of conveyance of a government record, for auctioning online a customs declaration form signed by a celebrity, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to filed court documents and today’s plea hearing, from 1984 to 2014, Norman was an employee of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the John F. Kennedy International Airport Port of Entry. As Nordman admitted in court today, on April 9, 2022, he unlawfully sold on eBay for $795 an official Customs and Border Protection form 6059B, which is a customs declaration document, signed by Michael Jackson upon his entry into the United States. The form is an official government record belonging to the United States. Nordman was released on bond following the plea hearing. The charge of conveyance of a government record carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. A sentencing hearing has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Court Shuts Down San Joaquin County Pharmacy and Orders $1 Million in Civil Penalties

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nor-Cal Pharmacies Inc., doing business as Lockeford Drug, and pharmacist/owner Lawrence Howen have agreed to pay $1 million in penalties to resolve allegations of violations of the Controlled Substances Act, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. In the settlement announced today, the defendants agreed to the entry of a permanent injunction against them that permanently bars them from dispensing controlled substances, owning a company that dispenses controlled substances, or employing another person that dispenses controlled substances. The injunction, signed by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba today, includes findings that the defendants knew or deliberately ignored that they were dispensing controlled substances pursuant to prescriptions that were not for a legitimate medical purpose. Specifically, the injunction states that the defendants dispensed 116,330 pills, including more than 100,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, based on invalid prescriptions presented by Joe Anthony Bernal, a defendant charged in the Northern District of California in a separate criminal case (4:19-cr-00585). They did so despite circumstances that were highly suggestive that Bernal was not presenting them with legitimate prescriptions. As also stated in the injunction, the defendants took no steps to determine the validity of Bernal’s purported prescriptions and were not concerned if those medications caused patient harm. Bernal is charged with conspiring with several others to illegally acquire and distribute oxycodone and hydrocodone. The charges against Bernal are pending and are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. “As a pharmacy that fills prescriptions for opioids and other dangerous drugs, the defendants had an obligation to fill only legitimate prescriptions,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “The defendants failed to comply with that obligation, and thereby failed in their responsibility to prevent the opioids from being diverted into illicit channels. This case demonstrates our firm commitment to enforcing federal laws involving prescription drugs.” “The defendants went from pharmaceutical provider to drug dealer when they knowingly provided controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. “This egregious behavior by a trusted individual and entity not only fuels the fire of the opioid epidemic, but also wreaks havoc on the community they serve. DEA is committed to keeping our communities safe and healthy and will hold registrants accountable by ensuring they are in compliance with the law.” This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the California Board of Pharmacy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven S. Tennyson handled the case.


title: El Cajon Woman Admits to Coordinating the Transportation of More than 75 Undocumented Immigrants and Collecting $1 Million in Payments

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 14, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Blanca Estella Gomez of El Cajon pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that she managed and directed drivers who transported undocumented immigrants within the United States. In her plea agreement, Gomez said she coordinated with individuals in Mexico who smuggled immigrants across the border. Gomez directed her drivers to pick up the immigrants in the United States, told the drivers where to take the immigrants, and told them how much money to collect. According to her plea agreement, Gomez admitted that one driver working for her transported more than 75 immigrants from October 2021 to April 2022. Gomez said that the same driver collected and delivered to her more than $1 million in payments for alien smuggling. “The coordinated effort to bring this defendant to justice underscores the power of our law enforcement partnerships along the southern border to dismantle criminal smuggling operations at every level,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Human smuggling is a serious and dangerous offense,” said Sidney K. Aki, Director of Field Operations for Customs and Border Protection’s San Diego Field Office. “This effort was an outstanding demonstration of law enforcement partnership and commitment to dismantling criminal organizations that exploit vulnerable migrants for profit.” The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel D. Shin and Michael A. Deshong of the Southern District of California. DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr1120-RBM Blanca Estella Gomez Age: 47 El Cajon, California SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Transport Aliens – Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (v)(I) Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine AGENCY Homeland Security Investigations United States Customs and Border Protection


title: Former Navy Civilian Employee and Defense Contractor Indicted in Bribery Scheme

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – November 14, 2023 SAN DIEGO – A federal grand jury has indicted a former civilian employee of the Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego and the owner of a Virginia-based defense contractor for a bribery scheme. According to the indictment, Phillip Flores, owner of Intellipeak Solutions, bribed James Soriano, the former employee, with free dinners at San Diego restaurants including De Medici Cucina, the University Club and Bluewater Boathouse Grill and Ruth’s Chris in Virginia as well as tickets to the 2018 World Series and the 2019 Super Bowl. In return, Soriano allowed Flores to draft procurement documents for various contracts, including contracts for which Flores and Intellipeak ostensibly were in competition with others. Soriano also steered millions of dollars in contracts to Intellipeak that Flores subcontracted to others, including contractors ineligible to receive the contracts. To conceal their activity, Soriano falsified government paperwork and Flores falsely affirmed that Intellipeak had completed 51 percent of the work on awarded contracts when the company had not. On October 29, 2019, in a recorded call, Flores coached Soriano to be “very careful” about how he answered questions from federal agents and to falsely say contractors drafting government documents was “market research.” “Our nation’s military depends upon the honesty of its civilian workforce and the contractors who provide invaluable services to the men and women who help defend our country,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “Those who choose greed and corruption breach that sacred trust.” “The announced indictment is a critical first step in holding all three parties accountable for their alleged criminal efforts to enrich themselves financially by subverting the integrity of the government’s acquisition process through the improper awarding or promise of awarding lucrative contracts,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working jointly with the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to investigate and deter public corruption within the Department of Defense.” “Bribery and procurement fraud within the Department of the Navy threatens warfighter safety and perpetuates unfair contracting practices that negatively affect honest businesses,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to exposing those who abuse the DON procurement process for personal gain.” “The indictment alleges that Mr. Soriano and Mr. Flores put national security at risk by actively trying to skirt the government contract process that exists to ensure our warfighters are equipped to fight and win in a complex environment,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “CI is committed to working with our fellow law enforcement partners to root out corrupt activities by following the money to help protect our heroes in uniform.” “Using a position of public trust as a means to fraudulently grant access to federal programs for personal gain will not be tolerated,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “Our office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.” DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr2282-TWR James Soriano Age: 63 Las Vegas, NV Philip Flores Age: 52 Nashville, TN Intellipeak Solutions, Inc. Virginia RELATED CASE Case Number 23cr2192-TWR Dawnell Parker Age: 54 Athens, AL SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine Bribery – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201 Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison; $250,000 fine for an individual or $500,000 for an organization, or three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater. AGENCIES Defense Criminal Investigative Service Naval Criminal Investigative Service Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.