title: Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, N.C. - On February 22, 2023, a judge in federal district court sentenced CLYDE TURAINE BRAND to 120 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina. On September 20, 2022, following a five-day trial, a jury found BRAND, age 38, guilty of three counts: felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Evidence at trial showed that on June 30, 2021, BRAND possessed with intent to distribute 2.55 grams of fentanyl, a rifle, and two stolen Smith & Wesson handguns at a residence in Concord, North Carolina, following the execution of a search warrant. BRAND was present at the residence at the time the warrant was executed. The fentanyl was recovered from a toilet. The rifle was found in the closet of an empty bedroom. The stolen handguns were found in a vehicle behind the residence. United States District Chief Judge Thomas D. Schroeder sentenced BRAND to a 120-month term of imprisonment and a 3-year term of federal supervised release. The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office, and the Department of Homeland Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe and Special Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Courtney. 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: Former Methuen Man Sentenced for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former Methuen man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a Lawrence-based drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and cocaine. Pablo Rosario Pablo a/k/a “Angel Ayala Roque” a/k/a “Cuco,” 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2022, Rosario Pablo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and other controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and other controlled substances. In May 2020, an investigation began into a Lawrence-based drug trafficking organization (DTO). Between December 2020 and December 2021, intercepted communications identified Rosario Pablo as an associate of the DTO who distributed drugs to members of the DTO and others in and around the Merrimack Valley. In December 2021, 21.4 grams of fentanyl, 51.8 grams of cocaine, 23.8 grams of cocaine base, 35 kilograms of marijuana, heroin, steroids a mixture containing fentanyl, heroin and Tramadol, and $5,300 were seized from Rosario Pablo’s apartment. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit, prosecuted the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Man of Voluntary Manslaughter and related charges on Menominee Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on February 21, 2023, a federal jury in Green Bay convicted Duane A. Waupoose, Jr. (age: 28) of voluntary manslaughter, assault with a dangerous weapon, and use of a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of federal law. The offense related to an armed assault which resulted in the death of a man on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Waupoose and the victim were enrolled members of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and formerly resided on the reservation. The evidence presented at trial showed that around midnight on January 31, 2021, the defendant and others were approached by a group looking to fight another person. A fight broke out in the driveway of a home in the School View area of the Menominee Indian Reservation, and Waupoose received minor injuries after being shot. Waupoose then disarmed the man who shot him and pursued him down the driveway and into the street, striking him with the shotgun. The evidence also showed that, after the man fled, Waupoose caught up with him approximately 40 yards down the road and repeatedly struck him on his face and head, causing multiple serious injuries which eventually resulted in his death. “The jury’s verdict is the direct result of the collaborative effort and hard work of the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the FBI,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is fully committed to working with its federal, state, local, and tribal partners to make all of our communities safer places in which to live and work. Waupoose faces at least five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach on June 2, 2023. The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case, with assistance from the Menominee Indian Reservation Violent Crime/Safe Trails Task Force. The Safe Trails Task Force was formed in 2003 by the United States Attorney’s Office, Menominee Tribal Police, FBI, Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Sheriff’s Departments and District Attorney’s Offices of the counties adjoining the reservation to investigate and prosecute violent crimes committed on tribal land. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Maier and Peter J. Smyczek prosecuted the case. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Bozeman man sentenced to 15 years in prison for transporting child pornography files

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Bozeman man who admitted to using an online account to transport child pornography files was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jacob Michael Rieger, 23, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to transportation of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that in February 2022, the Bozeman Police Department, which is a member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), investigated Rieger for a child pornography crime. The investigation involved Rieger using an online account to transport child pornography files. At that time, Rieger was on probation with the Montana Department of Corrections for a prior child pornography crime. The Bozeman Police Department reported the investigation to Rieger’s state probation officer. The probation officer and ICAC officer searched Rieger’s residence, and Rieger admitted to using an online social media account to access child pornography. Records for Rieger’s online account showed that he was accessing and saving child pornography videos and images to the online account from approximately October 2021 through March 2022. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyndee L. Peterson and Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bozeman Police Department and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . XXX


title: U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces $1.3 million grant from Justice Department for investment in State Crisis Intervention

body_text: BILLINGS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced today a $1,387,530 award to the Montana Board of Crime Control as part of the Justice Department’s Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program . The award to Montana was among 49 awards to states, territories and the District of Columbia. The investment of more than $231 million nationwide will fund state crisis intervention court proceedings, including but not limited to, extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. This investment in community safety is authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, historic legislation to address and reduce gun violence. The awards are administered by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance. “This grant to the Montana Board of Crime Control is an important part of the United States Justice Department’s effort to protect Montana communities from violent crime and gun violence. We are determined to ensure that our fellow Montanans are safe and secure. Importantly, these resources will give our communities tools to help prevent gun violence and support persons who are at risk of committing or becoming a victim of gun crimes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In the award to the Montana Board of Crime Control, a Crisis Intervention Advisory Board (CIAB) will be formed from members of and be governed by the already existing Montana Board of Crime Control. The CIAB will discuss, inform and direct the state’s Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program strategies and funding priorities for the initial four-year grant period, from fiscal year 2023 to fiscal year 2026. Because Montana does not have Extreme Risk Protection Order laws, it is not anticipated the CIAB will pursue ERPO programs. The CIAB will consider court-based programs, such as drug, mental health and veterans’ treatment courts, including those that accept clients with firearm violations; behavioral health programs for persons at risk to themselves or others; and funding for law enforcement agencies to safely secure, store, track and return relinquished guns. Signed into law by President Biden in June 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is the most significant piece of federal gun safety legislation in almost three decades and comes as a response to recent mass shootings and to the far more common, but no less tragic, incidents of community gun violence. Including the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program, the law allocates a total of $1.4 billion to OJP over five years to develop, implement, and sustain meaningful investments in safer communities. “These awards will help meet two monumental public safety challenges — the alarming proliferation of gun violence in our country and the clear need for front-end interventions to slow the cycle of violence and victimization in our most underserved communities,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “The Bureau of Justice Assistance is proud to make these resources available to states as a critical part of its mission to reduce and prevent crime and to promote a fair and effective criminal justice system.” For a full list of awards, please visit: https://data.ojp.usdoj.gov/stories/s/O-BJA-2023-171458/b5xz-as5z/ . These awards are the latest effort from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs to implement this historic legislation. XXX


title: Leader Of Violent Lansing Street Gang Sentenced To 12 Years In Federal Prison For Illegally Possessing A Firearm

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced that yesterday Michael Anthony Granado, 32, of Lansing, Michigan was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney also ordered Granado to spend three years on supervised release after his confinement. Granado was a founding member and high-level leader of the Lansing area gang known as “Shake Da Bag,” commonly referred to as “SDB.” Information received by the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicates that SDB is a violent criminal enterprise whose members and associates have been involved in numerous criminal activities in the Lansing area, including armed robberies, assaults, shootings, narcotics trafficking, firearms trafficking, and other illegal firearm offenses. On September 9, 2022, investigators executed a federal search warrant at Granado’s residence and located a loaded Glock Model 21 .45 caliber pistol in his bedroom. Granado pictured with additional firearms and SDB necklace “We will continue to bring the full force of the law down on violent individuals and criminal enterprises that spread havoc and fear in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “My office is committed to disrupting illegal firearm and drug trafficking that hurt our communities. Violent street gangs and illegal firearm possession have no place in our district.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office, working closely with investigative teams at the Lansing Police Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), the Michigan State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) have identified and prosecuted several members and associates of the SDB street gang to disrupt the cycle of violence in Lansing. In addition to Granado, the following leaders, members, and suppliers of firearms to the SDB street gang have been sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan in the past year: Marquies Deshaun Davis: Sentenced in March 2022 to ten years for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jevonte Steven Scott: Sentenced in August 2022 to nine years for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Krista Marie Sullivan: Sentenced in December 2022 to two years for making false statements during the purchase of firearms. Sullivan was a “straw purchaser” who purchased 11 firearms for Jevonte Steven Scott, who was a felon prohibited from legally purchasing firearms. Keandre Keith Allen: Sentenced in May 2022 to over five and a half years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. “Violent gang members who commit heinous acts of gun violence will not be tolerated,” said ATF Acting SAC Craig Kailimai . “We are proud of the collaborative effort with the U.S. Attorney’s office, our federal, State of Michigan, and local partners resulting in getting these violent gang members off of our streets.” “At the Lansing Police Department, we take pride in working with other agencies to get the job done. This case is a great example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement works together,” said Ellery Sosebee , Chief of Lansing Police Department . “We look forward to continuing these great partnerships and solving more cases in the future.” Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren F. Biksacky prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. ###


title: United States Attorney's Office Announces Implementation Of New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy released earlier today. The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate. “This policy seeks to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations,” said U. S. Attorney Leventis. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum, “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component that prosecutes corporate crime to review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy. Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group comprised of U.S. Attorneys from the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s White Collar Fraud Subcommittee. # # # # #


title: Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against California Rental Property Manager and Owners

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit under the Fair Housing Act against Joel Nolen, the owner and operator of rental properties in Lassen County. The lawsuit also names as defendants Shirlee Nolen and Nolen Properties LLC, the co-owners of Susanville area rental properties at the relevant times. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, alleges that Joel Nolen sexually harassed female tenants since at least 2011. According to the complaint, Nolen offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, entered the homes of female tenants without their permission, subjected female tenants to unwelcome touching and groping, subjected female tenants to unwelcome sexual acts, and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused his sexual advances. “The sexual harassment and retaliation alleged in today’s complaint violates our federal fair housing laws and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. “Landlords and other housing providers who engage in such conduct will be held accountable to ensure that individuals feel safe and comfortable in their homes.” “No one should ever feel unsafe or suffer sexual harassment in their home, especially at the hands of their housing provider,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously enforcing the Fair Housing Act and holding landlords and housing providers accountable when they sexually harass their tenants.” The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, civil penalties to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination. The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The initiative, which is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the Department of Justice has filed 27 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $9.7 million for victims of such harassment. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Joel Nolen, Shirlee Nolen, or Nolen Properties LLC, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, can contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291, select 1 for English, and select option number 2, then option number 7 to leave a message. Individuals may also email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or submit a report online . Reports also may be made by contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online .


title: Grants Pass Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing from a Tribal Organization and Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.—A Grants Pass, Oregon man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing more than $70,000 from the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. After pleading guilty to one count each of stealing from a Tribal organization and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Kevin Lee Jones, 34, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and 3 years’ supervised release. Jones was also ordered to pay $74,228 in restitution to the Cow Creek Tribe. According to court documents, on September 6, 2021, Jones attempted to disguise his identity and stole $74,228 in cash from a business owned by the Cow Creek Tribe in Canyonville, Oregon. Several weeks later, in October 2021, Jones, who has a lengthy criminal history and, as a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing firearms, was found unresponsive in a car in Grants Pass with a loaded pistol in his waistband. During a later search of his residence, investigators located and seized an M4 rifle with an extended capacity magazine. On December 14, 2021, Jones was charged by criminal complaint with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On December 16, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted him on the same charge. Later, on December 29, 2022, he was charged by criminal information with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and stealing from a Tribal organization. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cow Creek Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, in coordination with Josephine County District Attorney Joshua J. Eastman.


title: Hannibal, Missouri, Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Facilitating Distribution of Methamphetamine and Other Drugs

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Hannibal, Missouri, man, Orlando Webster, 40, of the 1900 block of Hope Street, was sentenced on February 21, 2023, to 87 months in federal prison for two counts of facilitating the use of communication facilities in furtherance of illegal drug distribution. Upon release from imprisonment, Webster will serve a one-year term of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government presented evidence that Webster facilitated drug deals by using a cellular phone. All total, the offenses involved 549 grams of “Ice” methamphetamine, 226 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, and 2,544.2 grams of cannabis with the drugs being sent via commercial carrier from California and then distributed in Illinois and Missouri. Previously, two co-defendants, Tommy Tran and Shawn Davis, were sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment and 144 months’ imprisonment respectively. Cases against three other co-defendants remain set for either sentencing or trial. Members of the public are reminded that the charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and defendant are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The statutory penalties for using a communication facility to commit a drug felony are up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a potential fine of up to $250,000. The case investigation was conducted by the West Central Illinois Task Force, Illinois State Police, and the Quincy Police Department, with assistance from law enforcement agencies in California and Missouri. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Webster 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: United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds Announces Implementation Of New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy released earlier today. The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate. The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum, “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component that prosecutes corporate crime to review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy. Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy. The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams, requested that the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee of the AGAC, under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, develop policies in response to the Deputy AG’s memo. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group on which U.S. Attorney Hinds sits. In addition to U.S. Attorney Hinds, the Working Group is comprised of U.S. Attorneys from geographically diverse districts, including U.S. Attorney Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare Connors, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh, and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Riedel, White Collar Crimes Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, also participated in the development of the policy.


title: Man Convicted of Distributing Methamphetamine Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Ronnie K. Hongo, Jr. , 43, of Many, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 180 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug and firearms charges. According to evidence presented to the court, on or about March 19, 2021, the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence in Many, Louisiana where Hongo lived. Law enforcement agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office had information that Hongo had been selling methamphetamine to others. During the execution of the search warrant, deputies discovered 369 grams of methamphetamine and a .45 caliber pistol inside the home. Hongo was present at the home at the time of the search, and he was subsequently arrested. Following his arrest, Hongo confessed to possession of the narcotics and firearm. Additional investigation by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revealed that the firearm had traveled in interstate commerce and functioned as designed. Hongo pleaded guilty on October 5, 2022 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of carrying and using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten. # # #


title: Sanostee man pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Tyrone Atcitty Nez pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Nez, 33, of Sanostee, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on June 8, 2022, Nez fatally assaulted a man, identified as John Doe, in the home where Nez resides near Sanostee on the Navajo Nation. Nez allegedly punched John Doe in the face, rendering John Doe unconscious. Nez then allegedly stomped the victim in the face several times. John Doe died as a result of his injuries. Nez faces up to 17 years in prison. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-33


title: Shreveport Man on Supervised Release for Previous Federal Conviction Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Charles M. Thomas , 26, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Thomas to 46 months in prison , followed by 3 years of supervised release on the firearms charge. Thomas was indicted in March 2022 and charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and pleaded guilty to the charge on August 4, 2022. The charge stems from an incident which occurred on March 7, 2022, when officers with the Shreveport Police Department arrested Thomas for domestic violence. Further investigation by law enforcement agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led to the discovery of video evidence of Thomas being in possession of a firearm. Agents knew that Thomas had previously been convicted in the Western District of Louisiana in 2018 for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and at the time of this arrest for domestic violence, was on supervised release for that conviction. During a search of the apartment where Thomas was staying, agents discovered a bag containing .223 and 5.56 caliber ammunition which belonged to Thomas. The ammunition was compatible with the firearm that Thomas was seen holding in the video. In addition, agents found in the apartment the same sweatpants that Thomas was wearing in the video. Thomas has a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault with a firearm (2015) and the prior felon in possession of a firearm conviction (2018) in the Western District of Louisiana. Thomas was found to be in violation of his federal supervised release, and he was sentenced to an additional 14 months in prison to run consecutive with the above sentence. The case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney Avery Announces Implementation of New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy released earlier today. The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate. The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum , “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component that prosecutes corporate crime to review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy. Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by – in the absence of any aggravating factor – fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50 percent below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50 percent and up to a 75 percent reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy. “Corporate crime can negatively impact our health, safety and financial security,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “This Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy not only details the benefits a company will receive for making a voluntary disclosure of misconduct and cooperating during a resulting investigation, but it also establishes a standard across U.S. Attorney’s Office nationwide for evaluating and crediting the self-disclosure. We encourage all companies who uncover wrongdoing within to come forward, save valuable law enforcement investigative resources, and receive the benefit of being a good corporate citizen.” The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams, requested that the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee of the AGAC, under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, develop policies in response to the Deputy AG’s memo. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group comprised of U.S. Attorneys from geographically diverse districts, including U.S. Attorney Peace, as well as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare Connors, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh, and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Riedel, White Collar Crimes Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, also participated in the development of the policy.


title: Ecuadoran Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Unlawfully Transporting Foreign Nationals in Vermont

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: The United States Attorney stated that Maria Constante-Zamora, 31, of Ecuador and Danbury, Connecticut, made her initial appearance in United States District Court in Burlington on a criminal complaint charging her with unlawfully attempting to transport three individuals within the United States while knowing or recklessly disregarding that the individuals had come to and entered the United States in violation of the law. Constante-Zamora remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. According to public documents in the case, during the late evening hours of February 19, 2023, the United States Border Patrol observed camera images of three individuals walking south from Canada into the United States in the vicinity of Goodall Road in Derby, Vermont. Based on this information suggesting a nearby illegal border crossing, the United States Border Patrol initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle on Goodall Road. Before the vehicle stop, Border Patrol Agents observed the vehicle turn on its lights and travel slowly on Goodall Road. The vehicle, with Connecticut license plates, slowed and stopped in the location where the three individuals would have been likely to exit the woods. Before the vehicle stop, the vehicle also blinked its lights and then accelerated quickly. After the stop, Border Patrol identified Maria Constante-Zamora as the passenger in the vehicle and as an Ecuadoran national living in Connecticut. In close proximity to the vehicle stop, Border Patrol Agents saw three individuals standing on the side of the road. One of the individuals was clutching a tree and appeared to be in distress. The other two of the three subjects proceeded to run north toward Canada. Neither of those subjects was apprehended at that time because the individual clutching the tree collapsed. Border Patrol Agents rendered aid to the individual who collapsed until EMS arrived. EMS continued to render aid and also transported the individual to North Country Hospital in Newport, Vermont. The individual was pronounced dead at the hospital in the early morning of February 20, 2023. At this time, a cause of death has not been determined. One of the individuals who ran north toward Canada, Oscar Soto-Acosta, was eventually apprehended and has been ordered detained as a material witness. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the charge against Constante-Zamora contained in the criminal complaint is an accusation only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. As currently charged Constante-Zamora, faces up to five years of imprisonment if convicted. Any sentence in the case will be advised by the United States Sentencing Guidelines. U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest credited the agents of the United States Border Patrol for their apprehension of Constante-Zamora and their continued efforts to prevent the exploitation of foreign nationals by human-smuggling organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher represents the United States in this case. Constante-Zamora is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino.


title: Man charged with domestic assault in Indian Country

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Steven Williams was charged by complaint with assault with a deadly weapon and assault by strangulation. Williams, 28, of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, appeared in federal court today for a detention hearing and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. According to the criminal complaint, over the course of three days in February, Williams allegedly beat his pregnant girlfriend, identified in court records as Jane Doe, so badly she needed immediate medical care at San Juan Regional Medical Center. Jane Doe’s injuries included a broken hand, severe bruising, and knife wounds to her neck, arms, and hands. A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Williams faces up to twenty years in prison. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case. Anyone experiencing domestic violence or who knows someone experiencing domestic violence can reach an advocate at the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). In New Mexico, the Domestic Violence Resource Center is available by telephone at (505) 843-9123 or online at https://dvrcnm.org/ # # # 23-34


title: Forsage Founders Indicted in $340M DeFi Crypto Scheme

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal grand jury in the District of Oregon returned an indictment today charging four founders of Forsage, a purportedly decentralized finance (DeFi) cryptocurrency investment platform, for their roles in a global Ponzi and pyramid scheme that raised approximately $340 million from victim-investors. According to court documents, Vladimir Okhotnikov, aka Lado; Olena Oblamska, aka Lola Ferrari; Mikhail Sergeev, aka Mike Mooney, aka Gleb, aka Gleb Million; and Sergey Maslakov, all Russian nationals, allegedly touted Forsage as a decentralized matrix project based on network marketing and “smart contracts,” which are self-executing contracts on the blockchain. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants aggressively promoted Forsage to the public through social media as a legitimate and lucrative business opportunity, but in reality, the defendants operated Forsage as a Ponzi and pyramid investment scheme that took in approximately $340 million from victim-investors around the world. “Together with our partners, the department is committed to holding accountable fraudsters who cheat investors, including in the emerging DeFi space,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s indictment showcases the department’s ability to use all available investigative tools, including blockchain analysis, to uncover sophisticated frauds involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.” According to court documents, the defendants allegedly coded and deployed smart contracts that systematized their combined Ponzi-pyramid scheme on the Ethereum (ETH), Binance Smart Chain, and Tron blockchains. Analysis of the computer code underlying Forsage’s smart contracts allegedly revealed that, consistent with a Ponzi scheme, as soon as an investor invested in Forsage by purchasing a “slot” in a Forsage smart contract, the smart contract automatically diverted the investor’s funds to other Forsage investors, such that earlier investors were paid with funds from later investors. “Today’s indictment is the result of a rigorous investigation that spent months piecing together the systematic theft of hundreds of millions of dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight for the District of Oregon. “Bringing charges against foreign actors who used new technology to commit fraud in an emerging financial market is a complicated endeavor only possible with the full and complete coordination of multiple law enforcement agencies. It is a privilege to work alongside the agents involved in these complex cases.” As further alleged in the indictment, the defendants falsely promoted Forsage to the public as a legitimate, low-risk, and lucrative investment opportunity through Forsage’s website and various social-media platforms. However, blockchain analytics confirmed that over 80% of Forsage investors received fewer ETH back than they had invested in Forsage’s Ethereum program, with over 50% of investors never receiving a single payout. Additionally, according to court documents, the defendants coded at least one of Forsage’s accounts (known as the “xGold” smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain) in a way that fraudulently siphoned investors’ funds out of the Forsage investment network and into cryptocurrency accounts under the founders’ control, which was contrary to representations made to Forsage investors that “100% of the [Forsage] income goes directly and transparently to the members of the project with zero risk.” “While advancements in the virtual asset ecosystem bring new opportunities to investors, criminals are also finding new ways to orchestrate illicit schemes,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI remains committed to working alongside our domestic and international law enforcement partners to investigate and pursue subjects who orchestrate these scams and attempt to defraud investors.” “Technology is always changing and scams and swindles evolve alongside it,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Criminal Investigations Group. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to investigating those who engage in schemes involving cryptocurrency investment fraud, which can cause significant financial harm to unsuspecting victims. We urge individuals to be cautious when considering investments and to always do their due diligence before providing money or personal information to any individual or organization.” “These individuals are alleged to have used trendy technology and opaque language to swindle investors out of their hard-earned cash,” said Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “But, as the indictment alleges, all they were doing was running a classic Ponzi scheme. The technology may change, but the scams remain the same and with the collaboration amongst all our partners, we’re able to see through the phony promises and bring the schemes to light. HSI is committed to being at the forefront of financial investigations, using the full extent of our investigative capabilities to track down criminals no matter what new tricks they use.” Okhotnikov, Oblamska, Sergeev, and Maslakov are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI Portland Field Office, USPIS, and HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Sara Hallmark and Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Quinn Harrington and Meredith Bateman for the District of Oregon are prosecuting the case. All investor victims of the Forsage scheme are encouraged to visit the webpage https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-vladimir-okhotnikov-et-al to identify themselves as potential victims and obtain more information on their rights as victims, including the ability to submit a victim impact statement. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Washington men sentenced to prison for trafficking heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl pills in Missoula area

body_text: MISSOULA — Two Washington men who admitted to drug trafficking charges after Montana law enforcement found heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and a firearm in their vehicle during a traffic stop were sentenced today to prison, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Alex Stephen Schmidt, 50, of Colville, Washington, was sentenced to six and one half years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Schmidt pleaded guilty in September 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Co-defendant Richmond James McKee, 52, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. McKee pleaded guilty in October 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. In court documents, the government alleged that in October 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle McKee was driving on Interstate 90 in Montana. The vehicle belonged to Schmidt. In a later search of the vehicle, officers found heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, a firearm and drug paraphernalia. The investigation determined that a confidential informant assisted Schmidt with selling drugs and that Schmidt was the individual who normally obtained the drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, the Montana Highway Patrol and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office. 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: Four Charged After A Mail Theft Sting Operation

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Four individuals have been charged by federal criminal complaint for their alleged involvement in stealing mail from blue postal collection boxes in central Arkansas. Over the weekend, law enforcement conducted numerous sting operations at a number of post office locations. In the early morning hours on Monday, agents arrested Javion Trevon Dozier, 19, Gilpre Flowers, 23, and Jamoun Young, 23, all of North Little Rock. A fourth person remains at large. The three individuals in custody had their initial appearance Wednesday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Edie R. Ervin after criminal complaints were filed. This mail theft investigation began last spring when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Little Rock Police Department began receiving complaints from individuals and businesses in the central Arkansas area that their mail was being stolen. Law enforcement estimates that there have been more than 700 reported victims of mail theft and forgery in connection with this ongoing investigation. “The arrests in this case demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to ensure the public’s trust in the Postal Service, its brand, and the U.S. mail,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge, Fort Worth Division. “We will continue to dismantle groups responsible for stealing mail and committing fraud. I’d like to thank the Postal Inspectors, Little Rock Police Department, Arkansas State Police, Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney Office, Eastern District of Arkansas, for their diligence and dedication in this investigation.” “If you steal United States mail, you should expect to go to a United States courthouse. Your crimes are federal crimes and will be prosecuted as such,” United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross said. In addressing steps the public should take to ensure safe delivery of their mail, Ross stated, “For all of you who would like to see your mail get to where it’s going, take your mail into the post office. If you must deposit your mail in the blue box, please do so before the last posted collection time, and do not use blue boxes on weekends or federal holidays.” Conspiring to steal mail and theft of mail carry statutory penalties of not more than five years imprisonment. All charges carry a fine of not more than $250,000 and not more than three years of supervised release. The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Arkansas State Police, and the Little Rock Police Department. A criminal complaint only contains allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. # # # This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar Twitter: @EDARNEWS


title: Texan sentenced for transporting people in trunk

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year-old San Antonio resident has been ordered to federal prison for transporting undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Bryan Tanner pleaded guilty Dec. 1, 2022. Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Tanner to serve 37 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that while committing the offense, he possessed a loaded firearm that was readily available to him in the car. In imposing the sentence, Judge Morales noted the dangerousness of the offense and also considered Tanner’s criminal history which includes prior convictions for possession and distribution of a controlled substance. On Sept. 8, 2022, Tanner approached the Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. He appeared nervous and could not answer law enforcement’s questions. They asked to check the vehicle, at which time Tanner attempted to flee the checkpoint. Authorities stopped him and discovered three individuals concealed inside the trunk. Two of the individuals indicated they had been there for at least three hours. The temperature inside the area was over 99 degrees. Law enforcement also discovered a loaded 9mm handgun stashed between the driver’s seat and center console of the car. Tanner has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.


title: United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins Announces Implementation of New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, UT – U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy released earlier today. The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate. The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum, “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component that prosecutes corporate crime to review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy. Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy.


title: Rensselaer County Sex Offender Arrested for Sexually Exploiting a Child, Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Zachary Cota, age 29, of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, was arrested today for sexually exploiting a child and receiving child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. A criminal complaint alleges that between May 27, 2022 and June 7, 2022, Cota sexually exploited an 8-year-old child residing outside of New York State and also received child pornography. The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Cota appeared today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered detained pending further proceedings. Upon conviction, the charges filed against Cota carry a mandatory minimum term of 25 years in prison and a maximum of 90 years in prison, as well as a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The case is being investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Rotterdam, Troy, and Colonie Police Departments and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Reiner and Rachel L. Williams are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Michigan Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Michigan endocrinologist was sentenced yesterday to eight months in prison for evading taxes due on income related to his medical practice. According to court documents and statements made in court, Dr. Bashar Kiami of Roscommon owned and operated Northern Michigan Endocrine PLLC, a solo endocrinology practice in Grayling. From 2014 through 2017, Kiami filed corporate returns that underreported the practice’s gross receipts and overstated its expenses. As the sole shareholder, Kiami reported business income from the practice on his individual income tax returns. By underreporting the practice’s business income, Kiami fraudulently reduced his personal tax liability for those same years. In total, Kiami caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $250,000. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington ordered Kiami to serve two years of supervised release, pay a $15,000 fine and pay the remaining $59,642 he owed in restitution to the U.S. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. McLellan and Melissa S. Siskind of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Coraopolis Man Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Steal Vehicles and Transport them Across State Lines

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH – A resident of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to a charge of violating federal conspiracy law in connection with the theft of 24 vehicles, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Bernard Washington, age 31, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from on or about May 30, 2021, until on or about Oct. 25, 2021, Washington conspired to commit offenses against the United States, namely, transportation and receipt of stolen vehicles. Washington admitted that he worked as a contractor for the Hertz Rent a Car at the Pittsburgh International Airport between May and July 2021. During that time, and for several months thereafter, Washington and co-conspirators accessed the Hertz parking lot and stole approximately 24 vehicles, at least three of which were transported across state lines from Pennsylvania to other states, including Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Washington and his co-conspirators provided these stolen vehicles to other individuals in exchange for payment. Washington also received at least two stolen vehicles from a co-conspirator, one of which had crossed state lines after being stolen. Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2023. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $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 Attorneys Karen Gal-Or and William Guappone are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading that led to the prosecution of Washington.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with New York IT Staffing Firm to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Amiga Informatics (Amiga), a New York IT staffing company. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Amiga violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by posting discriminatory job advertisements that solicited applications only from individuals with specific citizenship or immigration statuses. “Employers have a responsibility to ensure that their job advertisements and hiring processes do not unlawfully exclude individuals because of their citizenship or immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to knocking down unnecessary barriers that deny people job opportunities.” The department’s investigation determined that Amiga posted at least six facially discriminatory job advertisements in 2021. Four of these advertisements sought only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, thereby deterring others with permission to work in the United States without sponsorship, including asylees and refugees, from applying and receiving fair consideration for the employment opportunities. In addition, two advertisements sought only applicants with Optional Practical Training status, a temporary work authorization status given to certain non-U.S. citizen students in the United States. The advertisements thus unlawfully excluded asylees, refugees, lawful permanent residents and U.S. citizens and nationals. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision generally prohibits employers from recruiting or refusing to hire workers based on their citizenship or immigration status. Under the agreement, Amiga will pay $24,864 in civil penalties to the United States. The agreement also requires Amiga to train its recruiters on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; and retaliation and intimidation . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring and recruiting on IER’s website . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment, or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email IER@usdoj.gov ; sign up for a free webinar ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive updates from IER. Spanish Version


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una empresa de contrataciones en el sector informático con sede en Nueva York que resuelve unas acusaciones de discriminación relacionadas con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Amiga Informatics (Amiga), una empresa de contrataciones en el sector informático con sede en Nueva York. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Amiga vulneró la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) al publicar anuncios de trabajo discriminatorios en los que únicamente solicitaba candidaturas de personas con una ciudadanía o un estatus migratorio específicos. «Los empleadores tienen una responsabilidad de verificar que sus anuncios de trabajo y sus procesos de contratación no excluyan ilegalmente a personas debido a su ciudadanía o estatus migratorio», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles está comprometida a derribar los obstáculos innecesarios que niegan a las personas oportunidades de empleo». La investigación del Departamento determinó que Amiga publicó al menos seis anuncios de trabajo facialmente discriminatorios en 2021. En cuatro de estos anuncios buscaban únicamente a ciudadanos de los EE. UU. y residentes permanentes legales, de tal modo que disuadían a otras personas con permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos sin patrocinio, entre ellos asilados y refugiados, de presentar solicitudes y de ser considerados de manera justa para las oportunidades de empleo. Además, en dos de los anuncios buscaban únicamente solicitantes con estatus de Capacitación Práctica Adicional (OPT, por sus siglas en inglés), un estatus de autorización de trabajo temporal que se otorga a determinados estudiantes no ciudadanos de los EE.UU. en los EE. UU. Por lo tanto, los anuncios excluían ilegalmente a los asilados, los refugiados, los residentes permanentes legales y los ciudadanos y nacionales de los EE. UU. Por lo general, la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores recluten o se nieguen a contratar a trabajadores con base en su ciudadanía o estatus migratorio. Conforme al acuerdo, Amiga le pagará una sanción civil de $24,864 a los EE. UU. Asimismo, el acuerdo requiere que Amiga capacite a sus reclutadores en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a los requisitos de supervisión y declaración del Departamento. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Encuentre más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en la contratación y reclutamiento en el sitio web de la IER . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés o español . Para recibir las últimas noticias de la IER, inscríbase a GovDelivery .


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm Offense

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

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Diamond Cook, age 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 16, 2023, to 48 months in prison following his plea of guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. After he is released from prison, Cook will serve three years of supervised release. On February 24, 2022, a Fremont County Deputy stopped a car on Interstate 29 for not displaying registration and a nonworking brake light. The deputy could smell marijuana coming from the car. Cook was a passenger and lied about his name. During a search of the car, law enforcement located a loaded handgun. Cook is prohibited from having any firearms because he is a convicted felon. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Fremont Cunty Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated 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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Dallas Center Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraud

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, IA – A Dallas Center woman was sentenced on February 14, 2023, to 18 months in prison for wire fraud. According to court documents, Jordyn Darion Culp, age 28, stole $273,698 from the Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program. From approximately October 2019 to September 2021, Culp accessed FEGLI trust accounts through her employment and fraudulently transferred money from the FEGLI accounts to her personal bank account. Using the funds, Culp purchased a motorcycle, motorhome, and cargo trailer which were forfeited. Culp posted TikTok videos discussing her purchases. Culp was ordered to pay restitution and after her prison sentence she will serve three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Insurance Fraud Bureau investigated the case.


title: Eight Defendants Indicted in Michigan for Obstructing a Reproductive Health Services Facility

body_text: The Justice Department announced today an indictment charging eight people with federal civil rights offenses and violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. According to court documents, Calvin Zastrow, Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Caroline Davis, Joel Curry, Justin Phillips, Eva Edl and Eva Zastrow are charged with engaging in a civil rights conspiracy and with violating the FACE Act in connection with an August 2020 blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan. In addition, Idoni and Edl were also charged with violating the FACE Act in connection with an April 2021 blockade of a reproductive health care clinic in Saginaw, Michigan. The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that on Aug. 27, 2020, all eight defendants engaged in a conspiracy to prevent the Sterling Heights clinic from providing, and patients there from receiving, reproductive health services. According to the indictment, Gallagher advertised the Sterling Heights clinic blockade on social media, and he and Curry livestreamed the incident. The defendants convened at a location near the Sterling Heights clinic, where an uncharged co-conspirator who recorded the incident announced that the defendants were “going over to stand in front of the door” and “interpose.” The indictment also alleges that all eight defendants violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to intimidate and interfere with the Sterling Heights clinic’s employees and patients, because the clinic’s employees were providing, and the patients were seeking, reproductive health services. The indictment further alleges that on April 16, 2021, Idoni and Edl again used physical obstruction to intimidate and interfere with patients and employees of the Saginaw clinic because the clinic’s employees were providing, and patients were seeking, reproductive health services. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan, Assistant Director Luis Queseda of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Waters of the FBI Detroit Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Detroit Field Office and Bay City Resident Agency investigated the case. The Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov . For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Damian Williams and Breon Peace Announce New Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy for United States Attorney's Offices

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) and Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the Chair of the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee of the AGAC, announced the implementation of the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy. The policy, which is effective immediately, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO). The policy provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate, and timely and appropriately remediate. The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum, “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component to develop and publish a VSD policy. “The new Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy sets a nationwide standard for how U.S Attorney’s Offices will determine whether a company has made a voluntary self-disclosure, and makes transparent the specific, tangible benefits to a company for making a voluntary self-disclosure, fully cooperating, and remediating the criminal conduct” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “As a result, no matter where in the country a company operates, it can rely on receiving the same treatment and benefits for voluntarily self-disclosing criminal conduct to a U.S. Attorney’s Office. We hope and expect that companies, as good corporate citizens, will take advantage of this new policy to report criminal misconduct by employees and agents when they become aware of it, so that individual wrongdoers can be held accountable. When they do, they will have far better and more predicable outcomes under this policy.” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The new Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy is an important step forward in encouraging corporate accountability. This transparent and clearly delineated policy allows for more predictable outcomes, and seeks to incentivize corporations to do the right thing by reporting wrongdoing before detected by regulators and law enforcement. We hope that this new policy has a long-lasting, nationwide effect in promoting honest corporate culture and leads to more companies getting ahead of financial malfeasance before authorities come to them.” The Monaco Memo instructed that each DOJ component that prosecutes corporate crime review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy. In response, the AGAC, under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Williams, requested that the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee, under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Peace, develop such a policy. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group comprised of U.S. Attorneys from geographically diverse districts, including U.S. Attorney Peace, as well as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare Connors, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh, and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Riedel, White Collar Crimes Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, also participated in the development of the policy. Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy.


title: Two More New Orleans Residents Sentenced in Staged Automobile Collision Scheme

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on February 15, 2023, U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced HERBERT ALLEN ( “ ALLEN ” ) , age 38, and DION RIDLEY (“ RIDLEY ”), age 23, after they pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Judge Vance sentenced ALLEN to 37 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. RIDLEY was sentenced to 6 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release. Judge Vance also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 as to each defendant. According to court documents, the defendants admitted to being in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with a staged automobile collision. In the scheme, ALLEN falsely claimed that he was the driver of a car that was struck by a tractor-trailer on June 28, 2017. RIDLEY , a passenger in the car, falsely claimed that ALLEN was driving the car and they were struck by a tractor-trailer. In fact, the government’s evidence showed that the defendants conspired with Damien Labeaud (“Labeaud”), Roderick Hickman (“Hickman”), and others to intentionally collide ALLEN’s 2007 Chevrolet Impala with a tractor-trailer in the area of Tchoupitoulas Street and Calliope Street in New Orleans. Both defendants lied in civil depositions, falsely claiming that ALLEN was driving the car that collided with the tractor-trailer, when in fact Hickman was driving the car and intentionally hit the tractor-trailer. Through their false statements and acts of deception, ALLEN was able to secure a $50,000 monetary settlement from the owner and insurer of the tractor-trailer, and RIDLEY was able to secure a $90,000 monetary settlement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long; Brian M. Klebba, Unit Chief; Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Rivera, all members of the Financial Crimes Unit. * * *