title: Former J.P. Morgan Precious Metals Traders Sentenced to Prison

body_text: Two former precious metals traders at JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPMorgan) were sentenced today for engaging in fraud, attempted price manipulation, and spoofing as part of a market manipulation scheme that spanned over eight years, involved tens of thousands of unlawful trading sequences, and resulted in over $10 million in losses to market participants. Gregg Smith, 59, of Scarsdale, New York, was sentenced to two years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Michael Nowak, 49, of Montclair, New Jersey, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and a $35,000 fine. “The defendants used their positions as some of the most powerful traders in the worldwide precious metals markets to engage in an egregious effort to manipulate prices for their benefit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case reaffirms the Department’s steadfast commitment to hold accountable those who engage in fraud and manipulation that undermines the investing public’s trust in the integrity of our commodities markets.” According to court documents, between approximately May 2008 and August 2016, Smith and Nowak, along with other traders on the JPMorgan precious metals desk, engaged in a widespread spoofing, market manipulation, and fraud scheme. Smith was an executive director and trader on JPMorgan’s precious metals desk in New York, and Nowak was a managing director and ran JPMorgan’s global precious metals desk. As part of their market manipulation scheme, Smith and Nowak placed orders for precious metals futures contracts that they intended to cancel before execution to drive prices on orders they intended to execute on the opposite side of the market. Smith and Nowak engaged in tens of thousands of deceptive trading sequences for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium futures contracts traded through the New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (NYMEX) and Commodity Exchange Inc. (COMEX), which are commodities exchanges operated by CME Group Inc. These deceptive orders were intended to inject false and misleading information about the genuine supply and demand for precious metals futures contracts into the markets. “As today’s sentencing demonstrates, the FBI and its partners remain committed to investigating and bringing to justice anyone who attempts to manipulate our financial markets for their own selfish gain,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “In order to maintain economic security, investors in equity and commodities markets must have confidence that exchanges are operated in a transparent and equitable manner, and that investments are free from manipulation and fraud. Today’s outcome should serve as a reminder that the FBI remains highly focused on combatting bad actors conducting sophisticated fraud schemes targeting the securities and commodities markets.” In September 2020, JPMorgan admitted to committing wire fraud in connection with: (1) unlawful trading in the markets for precious metals futures contracts; and (2) unlawful trading in the markets for U.S. Treasury futures contracts and in the secondary (cash) market for U.S. Treasury notes and bonds. JPMorgan entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement through which it paid more than $920 million in a criminal monetary penalty, criminal disgorgement, and victim compensation, with parallel resolutions by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities Exchange Commission announced on the same day. The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case. The CFTC’s Division of Enforcement provided valuable assistance. Market Integrity & Major Frauds Unit Chief Avi Perry and Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Sullivan, Lucy B. Jennings, and Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Announces $51.86 Million in Grant Awards to Support Victims of Sexual Assault

component: Office of the Associate Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department today announced Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) grant funding totaling $51,860,858 to provide victims of sexual assault with services in every state and the District of Columbia, as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. This marks a significant increase of nearly 45% when compared to last year’s funding level. OVW Principal Deputy Director Allison Randall announced the 56 Sexual Assault Services Formula Grant Program (SASP) awards in remarks at the National Sexual Assault Conference in San Francisco, California. These are funds that are made available through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). “It is critically important that all victims of sexual assault are able to access support and safety. Research shows that the need for that support is substantial across our nation: more than half of women and nearly one-third of men experience sexual violence in their lifetimes, which is a truly staggering number,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “This significant release of SASP funds reflects our unwavering resolve to combat sexual assault. It represents our dedication to supporting rape crisis centers and other organizations that provide trauma-informed services and counseling, training advocates and ensuring that every survivor receives assistance tailored to their unique needs. We’re not just investing in services; we're investing in dignity, healing and justice for every survivor.” “While we face significant challenges as a nation in preventing and addressing sexual assault, the increased resources for these programs through SASP funds underscore our dedication to centering the voices of survivors and enhancing services and support,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “We at the Office on Violence Against Women recognize the importance of strengthening a robust community-wide response in aiding survivors of sexual violence. This collective effort ensures that survivors are not just heard, but that they are fully supported in accessing safety, healing and justice. I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to service providers, advocates, coalitions and especially survivors. Their relentless work, bravery and dedication in preventing and addressing sexual violence are not just commendable but essential.” Congress first authorized SASP in the VAWA Reauthorization of 2005. SASP is the nation’s first federal funding stream dedicated to providing direct intervention and related assistance to victims of sexual assault. OVW administers SASP funding according to a statutorily determined, population-based formula. States and territories, in turn, sub award the funds to rape crisis centers and other nonprofit, nongovernmental or Tribal agencies that provide direct intervention and related services to adult, youth and child victims of sexual assault. In addition to SASP, OVW administers discretionary grant programs , many of which fund sexual assault services. OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw . Full Award List


title: Metairie Man Pleads Guilty for Use of Communication Device to Faciliate Drug Trafficking

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on August 17, 2023, BRANDON MARTINEZ, a/k/a “RABBIT,” age 24 of Metairie, pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the superseding bill of information for use of a communication facility to facilitate felony drug trafficking, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(b). For Count 1, the maximum penalty includes 4 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000 , not more than 1 year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. According to public records, prior to March 2, 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) was informed that a motorcycle shop located at 5926 Alost Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, was suspected of harboring individuals selling drugs. ATF utilized a confidential informant (“CI”) to approach the shop and investigate if drug sales were occurring. On March 2, 2021, the CI traveled to the shop and met with MARTINEZ . The CI stated he was there to purchase methamphetamine. MARTINEZ utilized a cellphone to facilitate a meeting later that day between the CI and a co-defendant who sold methamphetamine. Co-defendants in this case previously plead guilty to selling an attempting to sell over 50 grams of methamphetamine, in addition to gun charges. 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 track 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 investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit handled the prosecution.


title: Central Oregon Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.—On August 16, 2023, a Deschutes County, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to Oregon for distribution. Krista Vela, 39, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. “Today marks a significant victory in our ongoing fight against the scourge of methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking. With the successful arrest and conviction of Krista Vela, we have dealt a decisive blow to the criminal networks that seek to spread destruction in the central Oregon community,” said Sergeant Kent van der Kamp of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. “This outcome is a testament to the tireless efforts of the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. We remain resolute in our commitment to ensure the safety of central Oregon, and this case serves as a powerful reminder that those who peddle in illegal drugs will face the full force of justice.” According to court documents, in November 2020, as part of a broader drug trafficking investigation, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and CODE identified Vela as a key source of supply for a prominent area drug dealer. In early December, investigators seized several pieces of luggage being removed from a hotel room rented by Vela in Sunriver, Oregon. The bags contained drug packaging materials, a digital scale, a GPS tracking device, 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 2 kilograms of fentanyl. One of the bags also contained several pieces of paperwork with Vela’s name on them. On December 6, 2021, Vela was charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Later, on April 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a two-count indictment charging Vela and an accomplice with conspiring with one another to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. On July 5, 2023, Vela pleaded guilty to both charges. Vela’s sentence will run concurrent to an 84-month federal prison sentence imposed on March 16, 2023, in the District of Montana for a separate drug trafficking conviction. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, and CODE. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. The CODE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. CODE includes members of the Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sunriver, and Black Butte Police Departments; the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department; the Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices; the Oregon State Police; the Oregon National Guard; DEA; and the FBI.


title: Lafayette Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: HAMMOND – Angel J. Zanex, 37 years old, of Lafayette, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Zanex was sentenced to 84 months in prison, five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $71,000 in restitution to the victims of the charged offense as well as victims of uncharged offenses. According to documents in the case, on or about December 15, 2021, Zanex distributed child sexual abuse material by posting a video to an online platform. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) GRIT/Merrillville Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Milwaukee Field Office, the Winnebago County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office, the Indiana State Police Digital Forensic Unit, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Tak Force (ICAC), the Tippecanoe County Hight Tech Crime Unit, and the Lafayette Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan and former Northern District of Indiana Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Jill Koster. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Union County Investment Advisor Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Stealing Client Money

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former investment advisor who stole over $600,000 from his clients to fund his gambling and personal expenses was sentenced today to 42 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Mario E. Rivero Jr., 39, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count each of wire fraud and securities fraud. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From April 2018 through November 2020, Rivero, while serving in his capacity as an investment advisor employed by a large brokerage firm, misappropriated $626,478 from five clients. Rivero, who had been entrusted to manage client funds responsibly, instead perpetrated a scheme to defraud multiple clients. He obtained his clients’ money under the fraudulent pretense that he would invest the funds, but instead, Rivero unlawfully diverted the funds to enrich himself and others. In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Rivero to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.


title: Chad Thomas Sentenced For Fraudulent PPP Loans

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On August 21, 2023, Chad B. Thomas, 41, of Blountville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Thomas agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Following his incarceration, Thomas will be on supervised release for three years. He was also ordered to repay $307,700 in restitution. According to court records, in May and July 2020, Thomas submitted three fraudulent Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) loan applications that included false information about payroll expenses and phony supporting documents. In the Spring of 2020, Congress had authorized the issuance of forgivable PPP loans to qualified businesses for use in paying authorized expenses as a legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the CARES Act. Applicants completed and submitted loan applications that described historical payroll information and attached supporting documentation. Thomas submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications and obtained a total of $307,700 in fraudulent loan proceeds. As part of his scheme, Thomas submitted false payroll information and included fictitious supporting forms as part of his applications, including IRS forms. For the final loan—a PPP loan in the amount of $207,500—on May 12, 2020, Thomas incorporated a business named Kingdom of God, Inc. as a religious organization with the Tennessee Secretary of State. On July 6, 2020, Thomas electronically submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application for Kingdom of God, Inc. to a lender in San Diego, California. Thomas falsely represented that the company had 26 employees and an average monthly payroll of $83,000. Thomas also included a monthly payroll journal that showed Thomas’ family members, minor children, and several nationally known religious figures were paid employees of Kingdom of God, Inc. Neither the state of Tennessee nor the IRS had any record of Kingdom of God, Inc. ever paying any employees. Kingdom of God, Inc. did no business and was ultimately dissolved by the Tennessee Secretary of State for failure to file reports. The San Diego lender approved the fraudulent loan application, and on July 14, 2020, deposited the sum of $207,500 into a Kingdom of God, Inc. bank account that Thomas had formed. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized and administratively forfeited the sum of $161,938.01 from bank accounts Thomas controlled. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Resident Agent in Charge Jason Brown of the United States Secret Service made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. This investigation was led by Special Agents Kay Berry and Thomas Whitehead. Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener III represented the United States. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: St. Louis County Man Admits Stealing from QuikTrips Five Times

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted stealing cigarettes or cash from area QuikTrip stores five times. Terrence Gleason, 52, of Bel Ridge, pleaded guilty to three robbery charges and two charges of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted stealing cigarettes from or robbing three QuikTrip stores, including one in Bel Ridge that he victimized three times. On Dec. 5, 2021, at about 2:30 a.m., Gleason entered the QuikTrip at 9099 Natural Bridge in Bel Ridge, walked behind the counter and began filling a bag with cartons of cigarettes. When the clerk moved to activate an alarm, Gleason lifted his shirt to show his holstered firearm. The clerk put his hands in the air and Gleason left with the stolen cigarettes. The next day at about the same time, Gleason returned. The same clerk was working. Gleason had one hand in the front pocket of his coat and the clerk believed Gleason was armed, based on Gleason’s actions the night before. Gleason demanded “all the Newports,” and put a bag on the counter. The clerk put seven packages of cigarettes in the bag. Gleason then said, “Come on bro, I know you got more than that,” at which point the clerk put six or seven cartons of cigarettes in the bag. Gleason then left. On Dec. 10, 2021, at about 3:00 a.m., Gleason and another man entered the QuikTrip at 5909 Howdershell Road in Hazelwood. Gleason and the other man walked behind the checkout counter and began removing cartons of cigarettes. When that store employee walked behind the counter to trigger the alarm, Gleason’s accomplice pulled back his jacket, displayed a firearm and said, “Press something, I dare you.” The employee backed up and put his hands in the air and Gleason and the man left with cartons of stolen cigarettes. On Dec. 11, 2021, at approximately 4:12 a.m., Gleason returned to the Bel Ridge QuikTrip, walked up to the counter, reached over it and opened a drawer where cigarette cartons were stored. He grabbed several cartons then approached the clerk who witnessed the two prior incidents and said, “I need Newports,” while grabbing at his waistband. The clerk believed Gleason had a gun and tried to comply, but then said they did not have any more cartons. Gleason walked behind the counter, grabbed several packages of cigarettes and left. On Dec. 12, 2021, at about 4:30 a.m., Gleason entered the QuikTrip located at 11150 St. Charles Rock Road in St. Ann and robbed the store at gunpoint, taking $85 from one cash register. Gleason is scheduled to be sentenced January 25. The first firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, consecutive to any other charge, and the second firearm charge carries a mandatory minimum consecutive term of seven years. The robbery charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The FBI, the Normandy Police Department, the St. Ann Police Department, and the Hazelwood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski is prosecuting the case.


title: Fayette County Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Crimes

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – William Lawrence Bryant, 33, of Fayetteville, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography. Bryant must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 1, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bryant’s residence and seized multiple digital media devices including computers, cell phones, and external hard drives. A forensic analysis of the seized devices revealed over 17,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including 20 images of child pornography that Bryant produced himself. Bryant told the officers that he downloaded and distributed child pornography on various internet platforms and websites for several years. Bryant admitted that the digital media devices were his and contained images and videos showing prepubescent minor male children subjected to sexually explicit conduct. Bryant further admitted that the child pornography he possessed included a video of a male toddler being sexually assaulted by an adult male. A photograph on one of the seized cell phones depicts Bryant naked with a minor male child who was asleep and in underwear. Bryant admitted to taking the photograph and further admitted that the minor male child was younger than 12 years old. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, the West Virginia State Police, and the FBI Baltimore field office. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe and Julie M. White prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-112. ###


title: Former Employee Of NFT Marketplace Sentenced To Prison In First-Ever Digital Asset Insider Trading Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NATHANIAL CHASTAIN, a former product manager at Ozone Networks, Inc. d/b/a OpenSea (“OpenSea”), was sentenced today to three months in prison in connection with a scheme to commit insider trading in Non-Fungible Tokens, or “NFTs,” by using confidential information about which NFTs were going to be featured on OpenSea’s homepage for his personal financial gain. CHASTAIN was previously convicted at trial of wire fraud and money laundering. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Nathanial Chastain faced justice today for violating the trust that his employer placed in him by using OpenSea’s confidential information for his own profit. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to other corporate insiders that insider trading – in any marketplace – will not be tolerated.” According to court filings and statements made in court: As part of his employment, CHASTAIN was responsible for selecting NFTs to be featured on OpenSea’s homepage. OpenSea kept confidential the identity of featured NFTs until they appeared on its homepage. After an NFT was featured on OpenSea’s homepage, the price buyers were willing to pay for that NFT, and for other NFTs made by the same NFT creator, typically increased substantially. In violation of the duties of trust and confidence he owed to his employer, OpenSea, CHASTAIN exploited his advanced knowledge of what NFTs would be featured on OpenSea’s homepage for his personal financial gain. From approximately June to September 2021, CHASTAIN used OpenSea’s confidential business information about what NFTs were going to be featured on its homepage to secretly purchase dozens of NFTs shortly before they were featured. After those NFTs were featured on OpenSea, CHASTAIN sold them at profits of two- to five-times his initial purchase price. To conceal the fraud, CHASTAIN conducted these purchases and sales using anonymous digital currency wallets and anonymous accounts on OpenSea. * * * In addition to the prison term, CHASTAIN, 31, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three months of home confinement, three years of supervised release, a $50,000 fine, and ordered to forfeiture the Ethereum he made trading the featured NFTs. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas S. Burnett, Allison Nichols, and Nicolas Roos are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Alabama Man Sentenced to over 26 years in Prison for  Robberies and Firearm Offenses

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – An Anniston, Alabama man was sentenced to 314 months in prison for two counts of robbery, two counts of using or carrying a firearm in connection with crimes of violence and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jonathan Lewis Jennings, 32, robbed a liquor store and a convenience store in Meridian, Mississippi at gunpoint on January 15, 2018. Evidence collected by the Meridian Police Department established Jennings’s identity as the perpetrator through DNA analysis. ATF agents conducted follow-up investigative measures that further confirmed Jennings’s involvement in and planning of the robberies. Jennings is a convicted felon, and it was therefore also unlawful for him to possess the firearm he used during the robberies. Jennings was found guilty by a jury on December 12, 2022 following a trial in U.S. District Court. The Meridian Police Department and the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam T. Stuart and Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime .


title: Baltimore Felon Pleads Guilty to Committing a Series of Armed Commercial Robberies

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Joseph Dinkins, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to committing an armed commercial robbery. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; and Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”). According to his guilty plea, on November 18, 2020, February 15, 2021, and February 17, 2021, the defendant committed four armed robberies or attempted armed robberies of Family Dollar stores, three of which occurred at the same store. In each robbery, the defendant demanded cash from a store employee, showing or implying that he had a weapon, and left the store with the cash register. As detailed in the plea agreement, in the second robbery committed on February 17, 2021, when Dinkins pulled out a weapon and demanded money from the employee, the employee ran outside. Dinkins then grabbed the entire cash register and left the store. But when he got outside, the employee had told individuals outside that the store was being robbed and the individuals attacked Dinkins. Aerial surveillance saw the fight and called for backup. When BPD officers arrived, the Family Dollar employees informed them that Dinkins had robbed the store. Several officers also recognized Dinkins as being wanted for a robbery committed at a different Family Dollar store earlier that day. A subsequent review of the surveillance footage from all four robberies identified Dinkins as the individual in each video. Dinkins and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Dinkins will be sentenced to 100 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has scheduled sentencing for November 28, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. 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. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and the BPD for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr., who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of an Unregistered Silencer

body_text: Hattiesburg, Miss – A Columbia man pled guilty to possession of a silencer that was not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Grant McArthur, 51, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg. McArthur will be sentenced on December 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ATF investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Firearms Without a License

body_text: Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Columbia man pled guilty to manufacturing firearms without a license issued under federal law, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Robert “Bobby” Ball, 67, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Hattiesburg. According to court documents, Ball, performed milling work on the lower receivers of firearms so that the firearms could be illegally converted into machineguns. Ball is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ATF investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Rio Rancho Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Wire Fraud

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Christina Joyner was sentenced to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,025,165.72 in restitution to her former employer. Joyner, 48 of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, pled guilty to wire fraud on September 2, 2022. According to court records, from approximately July 2014 through September 2021, Joyner used her position as bookkeeper for Quanz Motor Car Company, doing business as Quanz Auto Body, to defraud the company of over $2 million. Joyner accomplished this by issuing checks to herself and coding them to give the appearance they were for legitimate business expenses, using company credit cards to make personal, online purchases, retaining money from cash transactions and creating fraudulent pay stubs for her husband that were used as proof of income to obtain loans. Joyner maintained email reminders to herself to modify entries in the accounting software and manipulated the software to conceal her actions. Joyner’s employer completely trusted her with the company’s finances, as well as the employees’ personal information, and one reported that her abuse of their trust “has hurt far worse than any financial impact has.” Joyner blamed her deceased husband’s addiction for her theft, however the investigation revealed that Joyner used the money to fund both her and her husband’s lifestyle. Upon her release from prison, Joyner will be subject to three years of supervised release and must complete 60 hours of community service. The Albuquerque Resident Office of the United States Secret Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Brawley is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-193


title: Many, LA Man Sentenced to 12+ Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – John Michael Murphy , 36, of Many, Louisiana, was sentenced today for trafficking methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Murphy to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Murphy was charged in an indictment on June 15, 2022, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine stemming from an investigation by law enforcement agents working in the Many, Louisiana area. Officers with the Sabine Parish Tactical Narcotics Team conducted an undercover purchase of 60 grams of methamphetamine from Murphy prior to November 2021 and were aware of his drug trafficking activities. Agents received information that Murphy would be traveling to get more methamphetamine and they began conducting surveillance of the vehicle in which Murphy was a passenger. As they were following Murphy, agents lost him and requested assistance from other officers in the area to assist in locating the vehicle. On November 16, 2021, a Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy observed the vehicle traveling on La. Highway 6 and recognized the female driver who he knew to have an expired driver’s license. The deputy activated his emergency overhead lights and initiated a traffic stop. Both the female driver and Murphy stepped out of the car and the female driver gave deputies consent to search the vehicle. Deputies conducted a pat down search of Murphy and found a large bag between his legs containing a substance suspected to be methamphetamine. The drugs were seized, and Murphy was arrested. The suspected drugs were sent to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Crime Lab for analysis and confirmed to be approximately 136.72 grams of methamphetamine. Murphy pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023 to possessing a total of 158.35 grams of methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Sabine Parish Tactical Narcotics Team and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick. The investigation and conviction of Murphy 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. # # #


title: Florida Man Admits $3.6 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Florida man today admitted his role in a durable medical equipment kickback scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Patrick Fitchner, 51, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. “The defendant admitted that he and his conspirators submitted millions of dollars’ worth of claims to Medicare and other health benefits programs that they knew were procured through the payment of kickbacks and bribes. Their scheme caused Medicare to pay out $3.6 million in fraudulently obtained reimbursements. Protecting our healthcare system from schemers like this is a full-time job, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to do so.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “The defendant admitted that he and his conspirators submitted millions of dollars’ worth of claims to Medicare and other health benefits programs that they knew were procured through the payment of kickbacks and bribes,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Their scheme caused Medicare to pay out $3.6 million in fraudulently obtained reimbursements. Protecting our healthcare system from schemers like this is a full-time job, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to do so.” “Many scammers who commit healthcare fraud may believe the system is so complex that no one will miss a few thousand dollars here or a few million dollars there,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The problem with that premise is we are paying attention, and our job as the FBI is to protect the general public from criminals who think they can game the system. Fitchner and his conspirators are now paying for their crimes, and others looking to follow suit should take note.” “Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute that involve durable medical equipment can jeopardize the supply of equipment and federal health care benefits for others,” Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said. “Individuals who participate in the federal health care system are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients.” According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: Fitchner and his conspirators solicited and received kickbacks and bribes in exchange for providing durable medical equipment (DME) companies with completed doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary DME, such as orthotic braces. Fitchner and his conspirators utilized the service of telemedicine companies to obtain these prescriptions for DME, and the DME orders were subsequently fraudulently billed to Medicare and other health care benefit programs. Fitchner and his conspirators were paid approximately $2.1 million in kickbacks for these DME orders and caused losses to Medicare and other health care benefit programs of at least $3.6 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae M. Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark and Sean M. Sherman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York. fitchner.information.pdf


title: Aliquippa Resident Indicted on Violating Federal Drug and Firearm Laws

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal drug and firearm laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The eight-count Indictment named Travon J. Dawkins, age 36, of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment presented to the court, on various dates in January and February 2023, Dawkins distributed and possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine base, commonly known as crack. The Indictment further alleges that on February 13, 2023, Dawkins, a convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine up to $2,250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Detective Bureau conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Final Gang Member Sentenced in Large Scale Racketeering Case

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The final defendant prosecuted as part of the Northern District of Oklahoma’s case against the United Aryan Brotherhood (UAB) – a violent white supremacist gang – for racketeering and drug trafficking charges, was sentenced today. Johnny R. Jameson, 41, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison. He is currently serving life without parole for a state conviction. According to court documents, the UAB operates both inside and outside prisons and funds itself through drug trafficking to promote white supremacist hatred. The Northern District of Oklahoma targeted the gang’s violent and drug trafficking activities, which led to the conviction of 18 UAB members. The UAB, and Jameson specifically, murdered a Black Oklahoma of Department of Corrections inmate. Additionally, UAB members engaged in multiple other acts of murder, drug trafficking, and money laundering both inside and outside prison facilities. In many cases, the defendants’ federal sentences will run concurrently to state terms of imprisonment yet to be fulfilled. The additional defendants in the case were sentenced to the following terms: Christopher Baldwin was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Matthew Abrego was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Jeremy Anderson, aka JC, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Dustin Baker was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Michael Clinton, aka Mikey Clinton, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Eddie Funkhouser was sentenced to over 12 years in prison. Elizabeth Lewis, aka Beth Lewis, was sentenced to over eight years in prison. Charles McCully, aka Mark McCulley, aka Charles M. McCulley, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Dillon Rose was sentenced to over 17 years in prison. Randy Seaton was sentenced to over seven years in prison. Brandy M. Simmons was sentenced to three years of probation. James Taylor, aka JT, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Robert W. Zeidler, aka Rob Z, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Brandon Zimmerlee was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Lisa Lara was sentenced to three years of probation. Sisney Large was sentenced to over six years in prison. Richard Young, aka Richard Pearce, was sentenced to five years in prison. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas made the announcement. The IRS-CI, HSI, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, and state and local law enforcement partners investigated the case. Trial Attorney Ken Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Fries and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case.


title: 22 Human Smugglers Using Social Media Charged in Law Enforcement Takedown

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2023-126_Snapchat Takedown

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, announced today the recent unsealing of 13 indictments charging a total of 22 individuals with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. Each indictment charges a human smuggling coordinator who utilized social media, including Snapchat, to recruit individuals within Arizona to transport undocumented noncitizens for money. After recruiting the drivers on social media, the coordinators often switched to a messenger application such as WhatsApp to coordinate the logistics. Many of the indicted coordinators were identified through law enforcement contacts, data from cellular phones, and their social media accounts. Smuggling coordinators often recruit juveniles and young adults as drivers with social media posts that glamorize alien smuggling. Many of the posts claim drivers can make large sums of money without the risk of being arrested, as depicted below in an exemplar from the first-listed case. The charged cases include: United States v. Ramon Moreno-Lopez ; CR-23-01022-DWL United States v. Mauricio Andrade-Garcia, et al.; CR-23-01024-DLR United States v. Juan Ausencio-Avendano, et al. ; CR-23-01026-DJH United States v. Josiah Gomez, et al. ; CR-23-01042-MTL United States v. Jalen Harris, et al. ; CR-23-01051-MTL United States v. Ruben Ibarra, et al. ; CR-23-01023-GMS United States v. Dominic Leos, et al. ; CR-23-01025-MTL United States v. Jose Molina ; CR-23-01041-SPL United States v. Keyani Perez, et al. ; CR-23-01040-DGC United States v. Armando Ramirez, et al. ; CR-23-01021-DLR United States v. Fabian Rivera, et al. ; CR-23-01020-DLR United States v. Jose Sarabia, et al. ; CR-23-01019-JJT United States v. Arnoldo Soto, et al. ; CR-23-01043-MTL A conviction for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Homeland Security Investigations–Casa Grande and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol–Tucson Sector conducted the investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Arellano Edwards, John Ballos, Timothy Courchaine, Brett Day, Matthew Doyle, Lisa Jennis, Christine Keller, Marcus Shand, LeighAnn Thomas, and Stuart Zander, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecutions. CASE NUMBERS: CR-23-01024-DLR CR-23-01022-DWL CR-23-01026-DJH CR-23-01040-DGC CR-23-01042-MTL CR-23-01021-DLR CR-23-01051-MTL CR-23-01020-DLR CR-23-01023-GMS CR-23-01019-JJT CR-23-01025-MTL CR-23-01043-MTL CR-23-01041-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-126_Snapchat Takedown # # # 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.


component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. - The final defendant prosecuted as part of the Northern District of Oklahoma’s case against the United Aryan Brotherhood (UAB) – a violent white supremacist gang – for racketeering and drug trafficking charges, was sentenced today. Johnny R. Jameson, 41, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison. He is currently serving life without parole for a state conviction. According to court documents, the UAB operates both inside prisons and outside prison walls and funds itself through drug trafficking to promote white supremacist hatred. The Northern District of Oklahoma targeted the gang’s violent and drug trafficking activities, which led to the conviction of 18 UAB members. The UAB, and Jameson, specifically, murdered a Black Oklahoma of Department of Corrections inmate. Additionally, UAB members engaged in multiple other acts of murder, drug trafficking, and money laundering both inside and outside prison facilities. “The UAB is a violent gang in Oklahoma prisons. Their crimes bleed into communities beyond the prison walls and include 10’s of millions of dollars in drug trafficking and money laundering, 100,000’s of pounds in methamphetamine distribution, arson, kidnapping, and murder,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “This was an arduous lengthy investigation and I want to thank the many partner agencies that diligently worked to get convictions on all 18 defendants in this indictment.” “The financial expertise of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agents is critical in detecting and tracing the money laundering transactions of criminal organizations,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., CI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office. “These cases are a direct result of the excellent partnership between law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office in combating the UAB criminal organization. I am extremely proud of the CI special agents who used their unique financial expertise to help unravel this complex fraud and money laundering scheme involving 18 defendants prosecuted over the last five years. This joint effort demonstrates CI’s resolve to serving our communities by investigating criminal activities negatively impacting citizens of the United States.” “The success of this joint investigation is clear proof to criminal gangs that they are not beyond the reach of the law,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “We will continue pursuing transnational criminal organizations, using every resource and law enforcement partnership available for the sake of justice and public safety." In many cases, the defendants’ federal sentences will run concurrently to state terms of imprisonment yet to be fulfilled. The additional defendants in the case were sentenced to the following prison terms, or probation where noted: Christopher Baldwin, 22 years Matthew Abrego, 10 years Jeremy Anderson, aka JC, 22 years Dustin Baker, 20 years Michael Clinton, aka Mikey Clinton, 15 years. Eddie Funkhouser, over 12 years. Elizabeth Lewis, aka Beth Lewis, over eight years Charles McCully, aka Mark McCulley, aka Charles M. McCulley, 15 years Dillon Rose, over 17 years Randy Seaton, over seven years. Brandy M. Simmons, three years of probation. James Taylor, aka JT, 20 years Robert W. Zeidler, aka Rob Z, 22 years Brandon Zimmerlee, 10 years Lisa Lara, three years of probation. Sisney Large, over six years Richard Young, aka Richard Pearce, five years U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. The IRS-CI, HSI, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, and state and local law enforcement partners investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Fries and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Ken Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.


title: Boston Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Anthony Govan, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 24 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. “The defendant trafficked lethal narcotics to the Granite State,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “His sentence serves as a warning that trafficking, any amount of fentanyl and crack cocaine to New Hampshire, will have consequences.” According to Court documents and statements made in Court, Govan’s charges stem from a 2019 traffic-stop along I-95 in Portsmouth. Govan was a passenger in the vehicle and was found to be in possession of distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine. Govan has been in state custody in Massachusetts on unrelated charges since August 2021. United States Attorney Jane E. Young made the announcement today. The New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland prosecuted the case. ###


title: Man Admits Three St. Louis Area Robberies

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Florissant, Missouri on Tuesday admitted robbing two area banks and a fast-food restaurant with what appeared to be a handgun. Ricardo Rusan, 56, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of bank robbery and one other robbery charge. As part of his plea, he admitted robbing the Church’s Chicken at 5720 South Lindbergh Boulevard in Green Park, in south St. Louis County, on Jan. 1, 2019. On April 16, 2019, he robbed the Commerce Bank at 6383 Clayton Road in Clayton. Two days later, he robbed the Bank of America at 4189 Veterans Memorial Parkway in St. Peters. Investigators found blue gloves and a mask in Rusan’s car consistent with what the robber wore in two of the robberies. Rusan’s DNA was on the mask and a glove dropped by the Church’s robber. Rusan is scheduled to be sentenced November 30. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Peters Police Department, the Clayton Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassandra Wiemken is prosecuting the case.


title: Carrollton Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Carrollton man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to court documents and facts admitted by the defendant in open court, Robert Earl Givens, Jr., 49, participated in a scheme to defraud multiple banks by obtaining fraudulent heavy equipment loans. Givens, along with four co-conspirators, used fraudulent bills of sale and other false and misleading documents to secure loans for heavy equipment. The participants in the scheme posed as both the buyers and the sellers of the heavy equipment, with Givens generally posing as the buyer. This allowed Givens to obtain the money from the loan, even when the banks disbursed the loan money directly to the purported seller of the heavy equipment. The fraudulent loans were not paid off and the various financial institutions have been forced to charge off those unpaid loan amounts. The overall scheme caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in monetary damages to the affected financial institutions. Givens will be sentenced on a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “The United States Attorney’s office will continue to prosecute these fraudsters who use schemes instead of firearms to take money from financial institutions,” said United States Attorney LaMarca. “We are appreciative of the thorough investigation by the FBI which led to a successful prosecution.” “Mr. Robert Earl Givens, Jr. deliberately sought to circumvent the proper banking process through his elaborate criminal scheme,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby. “His actions ripped at the fiber of our economic system, which relies on integrity to sustain our nation's free market. The FBI takes fraudulent activity very seriously and remains committed to pursuing those bad actors who conspire in this type of criminal activity for their personal gain.” The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.


title: Quincy, Illinois man Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Illinois man, Demetrius Fernando, 46, of the 2200 block of Ohio Street in Quincy, Illinois has been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough to 96 months in prison to be followed by 48 months of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Fernando distributed more than 5 grams of methamphetamine in 2020 on two occasions in Quincy, Illinois. He has multiple prior state-controlled substances convictions. Fernando was indicted in March 2020 and pleaded guilty in April 2023. He has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since March of 2020. The statutory penalties for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) are up to 40 years’ imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. The West Central Illinois Task Force, Quincy Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Fernando was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Billings woman admits meth trafficking charge

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings woman admitted to a methamphetamine trafficking crime today after law enforcement found meth and a semi-automatic handgun in her vehicle during a traffic stop, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Nancy Michelle Hartsock, 36, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Hartsock faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hartsock was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on March 15, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hartsock. Officers noticed that Hartsock was nervous, animated, trembling and shaking and that there was an open container of Twisted Tea in the back seat. When asked if she had been drinking, Hartsock volunteered she was not allowed because she was on parole. After contacting Hartsock’s parole officer, law enforcement searched her vehicle and found 28 grams of meth, a digital scale, syringes and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. During a search of Hartsock’s house, law enforcement found an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a firearm magazine, ammunition, drug paraphernalia and a small amount of meth. Assistant U.S. Attorneys are prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Billings Police Department, Montana Probation and Parole and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force 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: New Haven Carjacker Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TIHAJA ORTIZ-TUCKER, also known as “TJ,” 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for carjacking and conspiracy offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, between March and July 2022, Ortiz-Tucker and others posed as interested buyers of motor vehicles advertised by Connecticut residents (the “victim-sellers”) on Facebook Marketplace. On three occasions, Ortiz-Tucker and his co-conspirators arranged to meet in person with the victim-sellers for the purported purpose of test driving and purchasing the motor vehicles. At the conclusion of the purported test drives, Ortiz-Tucker and his co-conspirators stole, at gunpoint, the vehicles, as well as certificates of title, bills of sale, and other ownership documents. On at least two occasions, Ortiz-Tucker posed as the legitimate owner of stolen motor vehicles, advertised them for sale on the OfferUp online platform, and sold them to unwitting purchasers. Ortiz-Tucker also participated in two carjackings of Uber drivers in May 2022. In both instances, an Uber driver picked up the carjacker in New Haven and drove to Wallingford where the cars were taken from the drivers at gunpoint. Both cars were later recovered in the same area of Hamden. Ortiz-Tucker was arrested on July 22, 2022. On May 30, 2023, he pleaded guilty to three counts of taking a motor vehicle from a person by force, violence and intimidation (“carjacking”), and one count of conspiracy. Ortiz-Tucker is detained. Following Ortiz-Tucker’s sentencing, RUBEN MONTANO, 20, of New Haven, was sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. On May 2, 2023, Montano pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, admitting that he participated in one of these carjackings with Ortiz-Tucker in July 2022, and the subsequent sale of the vehicle. He is also detained. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force, the Connecticut State Police and the Wallingford, New Haven, Hamden, Waterbury, and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Tara E. Levens. U.S. Attorney Avery encouraged those who sell and purchase items online, and need to meet an individual in person to complete the sale, to use a visible, monitored location. Contact your local police department to see if it offers a monitored meeting location, or search online for a nearby monitored location.


title: West Sacramento Woman Sentenced to over 4 Years in Prison for Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kimberly Acevedo, 53, formerly of West Sacramento, was sentenced today to four years and seven months in prison and ordered to pay $113,400 in restitution for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between March 2019 and March 2021, Acevedo and co‑defendant Philip Rich, 51, of West Sacramento, perpetrated a mail fraud scheme that involved theft of U.S. mail, identity theft, and unlawful possession of dozens of stolen bank cards. Generally, Acevedo and Rich obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims and used that information to apply for new credit cards, debit cards, checkbooks, and other financial instruments to be sent to the victims’ real home addresses. The defendants then submitted change-of-address requests to USPS using the victims’ PII. These change-of-address requests rerouted the victims’ mail to defendants’ shared home address, where they would open the mail and use the contents to make fraudulent purchases and cash fraudulent checks. When federal agents executed a search warrant at defendants’ residence on Oct. 14, 2020, they seized dozens of notebooks filled with at least hundreds of identity-theft victim PII. The notebooks were scattered throughout the house, though mainly located in defendants’ shared bedroom. In addition, agents recovered an envelope, labeled “ID Templates,” in the bedroom containing approximately 10-15 fake California driver’s licenses in the names of various victims, but featuring Acevedo and Rich’s photographs and fake authentication features. Agents also recovered the tools required to construct the fake IDs as well as a magstripe device. Further, agents recovered over 50 credit and debit cards in the home as well as approximately 40 checkbooks in victims’ names as well as in the names of Acevedo and Rich. In total, defendants’ scheme caused over $110,000 in actual loss. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow prosecuted the case. Acevedo pleaded guilty in October 2022. Rich previously pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Oct. 4, 2022, he was sentenced to three years and three months in prison. He was ordered to pay $113,400 in restitution, jointly and severally with Acevedo.


title: Fourth and final meth trafficker ordered to federal prison

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced for his role in transporting meth in multiple tractor trailer loads, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Roel Longoria pleaded guilty June 23, 2022. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Longoria to serve 262 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard of Longoria’s extensive criminal history including three prior felony convictions. In delivering the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted Longoria’s serious pattern of criminal behavior and disregard for the law. Judge Alvarez previously sentenced Dorian Hazel Ruiz-Chavez, 36, a citizen of Mexico unlawfully in the United States, Mario Alberto Ortiz, 43, Edinburg, and Luis Ramos, 35, Donna, to 190, 168 and 70 months, respectively. In September 2020, law enforcement initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization in the Rio Grande Valley. They were believed to be involved with the importation of narcotics from Mexico utilizing commercial tractor trailers with hidden compartments. Ruiz-Chavez coordinated with a Mexican narcotics supplier who would send the tractor trailers into the United States. Once there, Ruiz-Chavez worked with additional individuals to store and transport the trailers further north. Longoria and Ortiz were tasked to find willing drivers to transport the narcotics north after they entered the United States. On Nov. 12 2020, authorities seized a tractor trailer after it entered the United States through the Laredo Port of Entry. The trailer contained 147 kilograms of meth within a hidden compartment. On April 26, 2021, authorities seized a tractor trailer after it entered through the Pharr Port of Entry. The trailer contained 90 kilograms of meth within a hidden compartment. Both trailers were allegedly transported at the direction of Ruiz-Chavez. Following the trailer seizures, the organization changed tactics and began to transport narcotics in smaller loads within passenger vehicles. On May 13, 2021, authorities apprehended Ramos as he transported 45 kilograms of meth in his personal vehicle. Longoria has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.


title: Violent felon convicted of gun charge

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 31-year-old Pharr man has been ordered to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Christian Shauntrell Garcia pleaded guilty May 2. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Garcia to serve 50 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about Garcia’s history of drug trafficking and gun violence. In imposing the prison term, the court noted he represented an ongoing threat and needed a sentence to “provide for the safety of the community.” Authorities believed Garcia had discharged a firearm at a residence in Pharr in 2021. On Nov. 26, 2021, authorities attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop, but he fled. A high-speed chase ensued, and law enforcement was able to take him into custody. At that time, they found a firearm in his possession along with an array of various controlled substances. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law. Garcia was prosecuted as part of a joint Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Attorney’s Office initiative known as Operation: Knock Down. It started in 2022 and focuses federal resources on armed and violent offenders in the Rio Grande Valley. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Guerra Jr. prosecuted the case.


title: Bronx Man Sentenced for Offering Bribe to Government Official

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Muhammad Z. Aabdin, 33, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in federal court in Syracuse to serve 3 years of probation after previously pleading guilty to offering a bribe to a public official, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. In pleading guilty previously, Aabdin admitted that in September 2020, he offered a bribe to a contracting officer with the Veterans Administration (“VA”) in Syracuse. Specifically, Aabdin offered to share profits with the VA contracting officer in exchange for her awarding VA contracts to him for personal protective equipment (“PPE”). Aabdin made the initial bribe offer by email and then reiterated it in subsequent text messages and in a recorded phone conversation with an undercover agent posing as the contracting officer. In text messages dated October 15, 2020, Aabdin offered a bribe of $8,333.33 in the event he received a VA contract for N-95 masks leading to a total profit of $25,000. Aabdin did not receive any VA contracts, and his actions did not cause a loss to the VA. This case was investigated by VA Office of Inspector General, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.


title: Lewis County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nathan Hotchkiss, age 35, of Lewis County, New York, pled guilty today to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo, New York Field Office, and Lewis County District Attorney Leanne K. Moser made the announcement. As part of Hotchkiss’s guilty plea, he admitted that, from at least October 2021 through August 2022, he sexually exploited two children under the age of five and livestreamed or distributed depictions of the sexual abuse online for cash. When Hotchkiss was arrested in August 2022, he also had a collection of child pornography he had obtained on the Internet or through social media message exchanges with others. If the parties’ agreed-upon sentence is imposed by the Court at sentencing on January 17, 2024, Hotchkiss will receive a term of imprisonment of 30 years, a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of life, and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. In addition, Hotchkiss will be required to pay restitution to his victims and to forfeit the electronic devices that he used to commit his offenses to the United States. HSI investigated the case with the assistance of the New York State Police and the Lewis County District Attorney’s Office as part of Project Safe Childhood. Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian is prosecuting the case. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locates, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: District Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Shooting a Man in Northeast Washington

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Stefen Farmer, 52, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for the February 2021 shooting of a man on a sidewalk in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. On March 7, 2023, following a two-week trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Farmer was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and lesser included firearms offenses. The Honorable Anthony Epstein sentenced Farmer to 144 months for aggravated assault while armed and 60 months for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with those sentences to run consecutively, for a total of 17 years incarceration. According to the government’s evidence, around 6 p.m. on February 25, 2021, the defendant was sitting in the driver’s seat of a small black SUV parked on the 4400 block of Gault Place when the victim - a longtime friend of the defendant’s - walked up to the car window and started a conversation. Farmer repeatedly asked the victim for money but the victim refused. Farmer then retrieved a gun, stepped out of the car, and shot at the victim from pointblank range three times, as the victim was walking away. Two bullets hit the victim while he was trying to escape the gunfire and he sustained injuries to his hand and leg. Farmer stopped shooting only because a mutual friend of both men pushed him back while he was firing the gun. Three days after the shooting, Farmer sent the victim a Facebook message apologizing “for the inconvenience.” In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the officers and detectives of the Metropolitan Police Department for their work on the case. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alec Levy and Omeed A. Assefi who prosecuted the case.


title: Violent Detroit Street Gang Indicted on RICO Charges

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

body_text: DETROIT – Members of a violent Detroit gang were indicted on various federal charges including racketeering conspiracy, trafficking controlled substances, firearm charges, and unemployment insurance fraud, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. The members of the Purple Heart Vets gang who were indicted by a federal grand jury include: Devin King, 24, of Detroit Trevon Mathis, 23, of Detroit Jordan Gilmore, 24, of Novi Devon Hill, 25, of Taylor Vincent McKinney, 24, of Detroit Malik Thomas, 24, of Detroit U.S. Attorney Ison was joined in the indictment unsealing announcement by Special Agent in Charge James Deir, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Detroit Division, and Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge of the Great Lakes Region of the Department of Labor-Office of the Inspector General. According to the indictment and other court records, the Purple Heart Vets gang allegedly promote themselves as soldiers in battle, engaging in violence on the streets of Detroit on behalf of the gang. Operating primarily on the northwest side of Detroit, the leaders rewarded gang members who engaged in acts of violence with Purple Hearts. They obtained guns and coordinated attacks on their rivals. The attacks led to multiple shootings in and around Detroit, which resulted in serious injuries and fatalities. In one instance, a minor was caught in the crossfire during an attack on a rival gang member. The gang also sold controlled substances and engaged in significant unemployment insurance fraud to raise money to further their criminal activities. “This indictment is another example of our office’s commitment to addressing violent crime in the City of Detroit. We believe that by removing the individuals who are the primary drivers of violent crime we can provide our neighborhoods with the peace we should all expect and deserve,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Serious crimes have serious consequences. Gang members using the streets of Detroit as a battlefield to settle scores can expect to be shut down by law enforcement,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “It should be common knowledge throughout metro-Detroit: If you pack an illegal firearm, you should pack your bags for prison…Everyone deserves to live in a community without the threat of senseless gun violence.” “An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving unemployment insurance programs. This is particularly true when an allegation involves racketeering and violent crimes in our communities. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and state workforce agencies to aggressively investigate these type of allegations,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in- Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case was investigated by special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. This case in being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Former Taylor Mayor pleads guilty to Bribery Conspiracy and Wire Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: DETROIT – Richard Sollars, 49, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. The charges were in connection with the City of Taylor’s Right of First Refusal (“ROFR”) Program and also involved a scheme to defraud donors to Sollars’ election campaign account by fraudulently using donated funds for his personal benefit. U.S. Attorney Ison was joined in the announcement by Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent-in- Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to court records, between 2016 and 2018, Sollars exercised his authority and influence as Mayor and recommended to the Taylor City Council that Awad’s company, Realty Transition, be awarded the majority of the tax-foreclosed properties that the City had or would acquire under its ROFR program. This was a program designed to allow Taylor to acquire tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment. Sollars recommended Realty Transition for the ROFR program, intending to be influenced and rewarded by the free home renovations and other items of value that Awad provided to Sollars for his personal residence, office, and lake house. As part of his election efforts, Sollars established a campaign account entitled, “Committee to Elect Richard Sollars, Jr.” Sollars engaged in a scheme to defraud his donors by fraudulently using funds that were donated for his personal benefit rather than for his political campaign. In furtherance of the fraudulent scheme, Sollars directed his campaign treasurer to provide him with a signed blank check from his campaign account. Sollars then made that check payable to Dominick’s Market in the amount of $5,600, purporting to represent payment for catering services provided to the campaign. The owner of Dominick’s Market, Hadir Altoon, prepared a false invoice purporting to reflect a bill for $5,600 in catering services for a 2018 Superbowl party at City Hall. As known to Sollars, Dominick’s Market did not provide catering services worth $5,600 and instead cashed the campaign check and gave some of the money to Sollars for Sollars’s personal use. The bribery conspiracy count to which Sollars pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The wire fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. “Sollars, as the Mayor of the City of Taylor, betrayed the trust of the citizens and the voters who supported him by awarding city contracts and spending campaign funds for his personal gain. Today’s plea represents my office’s commitment to hold accountable those elected officials who place their own greed above of their duties to the citizens in the community,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “The former Mayor effectively eroded the faith of those who entrusted him with his office,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “No one is above the law and the FBI remains committed to combatting public corruption and following the facts wherever they may lead.” The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frances Carlson and Robert Moran.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Tahlequah Resident Of Assault And Firearm Crimes

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that that Nick Allen Mabray, age 37, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of all counts charged in the indictment, specifically: one count of Conspiracy to Commit Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country, one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country, and one count of Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence. The jury trial began with testimony on August 14, 2023, and concluded on August 15, 2023, with the guilty verdicts. The guilty verdicts were the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee County Sherriff’s Department. Nick Mabry, along with Gene Mabray and Odom Hoffman, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on January 6, 2021, Nick Mabray had a confrontation with an agent of RCB Bank at a foreclosed property in Park Hill, Oklahoma. During the incident, Mabray drove his truck into the agent’s vehicle before beating him with a 22-250 rifle and holding the agent against his will. The government also presented evidence that during the altercation, Gene Mabray took the victim’s cell phone to prevent calls for help, and Odom Hoffman removed the rifle from the scene to conceal evidence of the crimes. These crimes occurred in Indian Country, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. On January 17, 2023, Odom Hoffman, age 58, formerly of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of the felony offense of Misprision. At his hearing, Hoffman admitted that on January 6, 2021, he arrived to find the victim on the ground, but failed to summon help, and that he removed the rifle Nick Mabray used in the assault from the scene of the crime. On July 5, 2023, Gene Mabray, age 67, of Cherokee County, pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country. At his plea hearing, Gene Mabray admitted that on January 6, 2021, he took the victim’s cell phone and firearm during the altercation. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Nick Allen Mabray will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing. Odom Hoffman and Gene Mabray were granted conditional release from custody after entering their pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Special Assistant United States Attorneys Robert F. Moody and Casey Richmond represented the United States.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced on Firearm Charges

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Cedric Rozell Thomas, 24, of Birmingham, to 120 months in prison. Thomas pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in March 2023. According to the plea agreement, on December 4, 2020, Jefferson County Sheriff deputies initiated a traffic stop on Thomas. Thomas fled and led deputies on a high-speed vehicle chase from Fairfield to Ensley. The pursuit ended when Thomas wrecked his vehicle and fled on foot. Deputies pursued Thomas on foot and apprehended him. Thomas had in his possession a Hi-Point .45 caliber pistol. On September 29, 2021, officers with Birmingham Police Department patrolling the Smithfield Court Housing Community and saw Thomas walking across the street. The officers knew Thomas had federal warrant. Thomas fled from officers, and dumped the contents of a bookbag he was carrying, including a Stoeger .32 caliber handgun. Officers arrested Thomas shortly after pursuit. The ATF investigated the case, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius Greene prosecuted the case.


title: Nomura Securities International Agrees to Pay $35 Million Penalty Stemming from Its Participation in Securities Fraud Scheme

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Nomura Securities International (“NSI”), a U.S.-based broker-dealer subsidiary of Japanese financial services firm Nomura Holdings, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have entered into a non-prosecution agreement relating to NSI’s fraudulent trading of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities (“RMBS”). As part of this agreement, NSI will pay a monetary penalty of $35 million and pay restitution to victim customers, which include firms affiliated with recipients of federal bailout funds through the Troubled Asset Relief Program and firms investing as fiduciaries on behalf of pension funds, charitable and educational endowments, insurance companies, and others. The government’s investigation revealed that NSI – principally from its trading floor in New York City – perpetrated a scheme from 2009 to 2013 to defraud its customers in RMBS trades. The purpose and effect of NSI’s fraud was to increase its profits on RMBS trades at the expense of victim customers, including victim customers based in Connecticut. NSI conducted this scheme by, through, and with its employees, who acted with the knowledge, encouragement, and participation of NSI supervisors, including those tasked with compliance responsibilities. NSI conducted its scheme by misrepresenting material facts to deceive and cheat its customers in trades. For instance, in certain transactions, NSI traders lied to the buyer about the seller’s asking price (or vice versa), keeping the difference between the price paid by the buyer and the price paid to the seller for NSI. In other transactions, NSI traders misrepresented to the buyer that bonds held in NSI’s inventory were being offered for sale by a fictitious third-party seller, which allowed NSI to charge the buyer an extra, unearned commission. NSI supervisors instructed its RMBS traders in, and caused them to use, these fraudulent trading practices. NSI, with full knowledge and participation of its supervisors, lied to victims who detected or suspected that they had been the victims of fraud. NSI concealed its fraudulent conduct from its customers, and from its own employees who were not participants in the scheme, in order to prevent or delay discovery. Under the terms of the non-prosecution agreement, NSI agreed to pay a penalty of $35 million and make restitution to victims of $807,717.68. NSI previously paid $20,125,614.59 in remediation to victims as part of its settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This resolution takes into account NSI’s extensive cooperation, acceptance of responsibility for its and its employees’ criminal conduct, remediation efforts, including its discipline and/or termination of employees and its commitment to make complete restitution to all impacted customers, enhanced compliance program, and agreement to continue to cooperate with law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not require NSI to retain an independent consultant to assess and improve NSI’s compliance and ethics program because NSI has already taken steps to reasonably prevent and detect further fraud, and because of certain structural changes in the secondary market for RMBS that would make repetition of the conduct less likely. The agreement announced today addresses only the corporate criminal liability of NSI and not criminal charges for any individual. Several former NSI employees have been charged in connection with NSI trading activities. This matter was investigated by the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Novick, Heather Cherry, and Jonathan Francis.


title: Justice Department Awards $375,000 to Area Foundation to Prevent and Reduce Violent Crime in Baton Rouge

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that TRUCE has received $375,000 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention. TRUCE, a prosecutor-led nonprofit entity, was formed to address ongoing, collaborative crime reduction efforts within areas in East Baton Rouge Parish by developing and deploying community-based group violence intervention and focused deterrence strategies. TRUCE laid the groundwork and formed the core public safety partnerships that have become a vital component in EBR's public safety ecosystem. With this grant, TRUCE will enhance the framework to build out and sustain more intensive and effective community-based public safety partnerships in East Baton Rouge Parish. For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov .