title: 7 defendants convicted of crimes related to multi-state narcotics, money laundering conspiracies

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The final defendant charged in narcotics and money laundering conspiracies pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today. Seven defendants are responsible for conspiring to traffic thousands of oxycodone pills and more than three kilograms of methamphetamine into Ohio from Florida and California, and for conspiring to launder more than $2.5 million in drug proceeds. Michael J. Moore, 47, of Inglewood, California, admitted to conspiring to launder the proceeds of methamphetamine and oxycodone trafficking. Moore also pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute the drugs. As part of Moore’s plea, the parties involved have recommended a range of 11 to 16 years in prison. According to court documents, from at least 2015 through at least 2018, Moore and six women conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone. The defendants illegally diverted and transported oxycodone pills from Florida to Ohio and from California to Ohio. They trafficked methamphetamine from California to Ohio. For example, Moore obtained fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions in Florida on approximately 10 occasions between 2015 and 2016, allowing him to obtain more than 1,000 pills. Lower-level members of the conspiracy fraudulently obtained a substantial number of pills, providing them to higher-level members and keeping the balance of the pills as payment to feed their addictions. In total, the group obtained and distributed between 5,656 and 100,000 30-milligram oxycodone pills, which were then sold for between $20 and $30 per pill. Moore also admitted to being involved in the shipping and distribution of at least 3,114 grams of methamphetamine that was approximately 98 percent pure. Moore and the others conspired to launder the drug proceeds by opening bank accounts at several financial institutions, making money transfers, and concealing cash and flying it on commercial flights. The other defendants convicted in this case include: Name Age City Sentence Imposed Mykell Reeneesha Uneek Hawes 33 Cerritos, California Pending sentencing Brandy Monique Casey 44 Inglewood, California Pending sentencing Marisa A. Wallace 29 Columbus, Ohio 72 months in prison Angela N. Faber 41 Reynoldsburg, Ohio 48 months in prison Heather M. Russell 36 Columbus, Ohio 48 months in prison Janette M. Breckenridge 33 Columbus, Ohio 48 months in prison Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Whitehall Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Holdrege Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Cory D. Sikes, 41, of Holdrege, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of child pornography. Sikes was sentenced to 138 months in prison and will also serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sikes was additionally ordered to pay $3,000 which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of crimes. This case began when a CyberTipline Report (“CTR”) was provided to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children from a social media application on October 31, 2021. The CTR specified that eight images and one video depicting child pornography were uploaded by an individual, later identified as Sikes, between the dates of October 28, 2021 and October 29, 2021. Based on the information from the CTR, a search warrant was received and executed on January 13, 2022, for Sikes’s residence. During the search, Sikes was interviewed and admitted to searching for child pornography online. Several of Sikes’s devices were seized during the execution of the search warrant. The devices were forensically downloaded and examined. Sikes’s personal cellphone contained 120 images of child pornography and another 483 images were questionable and/or child erotica. His laptop contained 350 images of child pornography and another 500 images which were questionable and/or child erotica. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Guatemalan Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison for Identity Theft

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Juan Velasquez-Velasquez, 48, of Guatemala, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for false representation of a social security number. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Velasquez-Velasquez to imprisonment for 6 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Velasquez-Velasquez will begin a 1-year term of supervised release. Velasquez-Velasquez will be removed by immigration authorities from the United States to Mexico after completing his sentence. In August of 2022, the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (NEDMV) Fraud Unit contacted Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after receiving a complaint from an identity theft victim. HSI obtained a copy of a USCIS Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form completed by the Velasquez-Velasquez on February 24, 2022, at Cornerstone Staffing using the victim’s name, date of birth, and Social Security Number. Velasquez-Velasquez used a fraudulent Nebraska Identification Card and a Social Security Card bearing the victim’s Social Security Number, as proof of identity to obtain employment. Velasquez-Velasquez also attested to holding U.S. citizenship while completing the form. The case was investigated by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General.


title: Mexican Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Tomas Lorenzo-Cruz, 45, of Mexico, was sentenced on May 16, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his participation in a methamphetamine drug conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Lorenzo-Cruz to 135 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Lorenzo-Cruz will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Beginning in November 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated Operation Pollos Socios, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) to investigate the distribution activities of a Mexican-based Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) active in Omaha, Nebraska. This investigation included numerous warrants including a court-authorized Title III interception of phone calls and text messages. During the investigation, DEA special agents identified Lorenzo-Cruz as a methamphetamine distributor for the DTO. A Title III intercept of Lorenzo-Cruz’s phone led investigators to other co-conspirators. Ultimately, a search warrant was executed on a stash house that resulted in the seizure of 21 pounds of pure methamphetamine. Lorenzo-Cruz was the last defendant to be sentenced as part of this investigation. Fidel Cardenas-Alvarez was sentenced on December 9, 2022, to 144 months’ imprisonment. Darald Sandman was sentenced on March 6, 2023, to 138 months’ imprisonment. Teresa Forbes was sentenced on March 6, 2023, to 70 months’ imprisonment. “The Sinaloa Cartel is one of two Mexican drug trafficking organizations who have made their destructive presence felt in the United States and within our own Midwestern communities,” Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “The DEA remains focused on targeting and disrupting associates and distributors of the Cartel. Today’s sentencing is the result of the cooperative efforts between several state, local and federal law enforcement partners. Working together we can make a positive impact in Nebraska.” This effort is part of an OCDETF investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Omaha Police Department.


title: Texas Man Sentenced for String of Nebraska Pharmacy Burglaries

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Christopher Benjamin Blanton, 30, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his involvement in a string of pharmacy burglaries that occurred in Nebraska. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Blanton to 63 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Blanton will begin a three-year term of supervised release. Blanton was also ordered to pay $24,917 in restitution. From February 10, 2021 to February 12, 2021, seven Nebraska pharmacies, located in Springfield, Fremont, and Omaha, were burglarized. In response, a DEA-led task force was formed, which included the Omaha Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol. Court-authorized warrants were obtained for cell tower data in the area of the burglaries, that when compared, established that specific cell phones were present at the different burglaries. It was determined from the data that the cell phones were traveling between Texas and Nebraska via Interstate 35. With cooperation from law enforcement agencies in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa, it was determined that two individuals involved in the pharmacy burglaries were Blanton and Christopher Williams. Williams is scheduled to enter a plea of guilty on May 24, 2023. “DEA takes the theft and diversion of pharmaceutical drugs seriously, as many prescription medications are highly addictive,” said DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King. “This defendant was likely driven by the money he would get selling these drugs on the black market, but the cost to public health and safety is intolerable. By his thoughtless, criminal actions, he not only harms the individuals he’s selling to, but also the people who need those medications for legitimate medical reasons. DEA is dedicated to investigating these cases and ensuring access to prescriptions for those who need them.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: McAlester Resident Sentenced For Arson In Indian Country

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dalyn Ray Lane Johnson, age 24, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced on May 4, 2023, to 39 months in prison for Arson in Indian Country. The charges arose from an investigation by the Hartshorne Police Department, the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to investigators, on April 29, 2021, Johnson started a fight with a Hartshorne resident, and threatened to return and burn down the house. That same afternoon, video surveillance showed Johnson filling a fuel canister with gasoline at a Casey’s gas station. In the early morning hours of May 1st, the Hartshorne Fire Department responded to an emergency call and extinguished a fire at an unoccupied residence. Johnson fled, attempting to evade prosecution, and was later arrested on a federal warrant in Michigan on October 21st. On March 9, 2022, Johnson pleaded guilty to Arson in Indian Country. “Johnson’s arrest and conviction for arson was a team effort that resulted in a serious violent crime being solved and the perpetrator held accountable,” said SSA Ashley Stephens, Resident Agent in Charge, ATF Tulsa Field Office. “ATF is committed to working with our state, local and tribal partners to tirelessly combat violent crime in Eastern Oklahoma.” "Arson can sometimes be a difficult crime to prosecute,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Our law enforcement partners did an excellent job of gathering evidence and tracking down the defendant hundreds of miles from the crime scene.” The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted this case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Johnson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal at the conclusion of sentencing and will remain in custody pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.


title: Vian Resident Sentenced For Aggravated Sexual Abuse Of A Child In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joshua Thomas Smith, age 41, of Vian, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. The charges arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On June 30, 2022, a federal jury found Smith guilty at trial of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in Indian Country. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that Joshua Thomas Smith sexually abused a child under the age of twelve from December of 2017 through March of 2018. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Bernard M. Jones, II, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, presided by assignment over the hearing in Muskogee. Thomas will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Alabama Resident Of Aggravated Sexual Abuse In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces today that Dennis Hebert, age 38, of Phenix City, Alabama, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. The jury trial began with testimony on May 15, 2023, and concluded on May 17, 2023, with the guilty verdict. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on July 21, 2021, in McAlester, Oklahoma, the defendant, Dennis Hebert, engaged in a sexual act with a child under the age of twelve. The government also called another witness who testified to having been sexually abused by Hebert as a child. The case was investigated by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the victim is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. The defendant will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal until sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony C. Marek and Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.


title: Suspended Kentucky Attorney and Wife Plead Guilty to Wire Fraud and Willful Failure to Pay Tax

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A suspended Kentucky attorney and his wife pled guilty in federal court yesterday to wire fraud and willful failure to pay tax. United States Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the Cincinnati Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, made the announcement. Andrew Nicholas Clooney , 55, and Christel Marie Clooney , 50, both of Louisville, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of willful failure to pay tax. According to court documents, Andrew Clooney practiced as a personal injury attorney through the Clooney Law Office. Christel Marie Clooney served as the office manager for the Clooney Law Office. From August 2016 through October 2018, the Clooneys used funds that belonged to clients of the Clooney Law Office on personal expenses. Further, the Clooneys made approximately $426,098 in income in 2016, on which they owed approximately $107,140 in federal income taxes. The Clooneys neither filed a tax return for tax year 2016 nor paid any of their outstanding tax liability for that year. Andrew Clooney and Christel Marie Clooney are both scheduled to be sentenced on September 14, 2023. They each face a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory is prosecuting the case. If former Clooney Law Office clients believe they are victims of the Clooneys, and they have not received notice with respect to this case, they should contact the United States Secret Service at (502) 582-5171 and ask to speak to Special Agent Joseph Ward. ###


title: New Orleans Man Indicted for  Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NATHANIEL WILLIAMS , age 27, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on May 12, 2023 in a three-count indictment for violating the Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. WILLIAMS is charged in Count 1 with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). He is charged in Count 2 with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). He is charged in Count 3 with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). If convicted of Count 1, WILLIAMS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 2, he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. If convicted of Count 3, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to each count, he faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Chinese National Charged For Conspiring To Provide Materials For The Production Of Ballistic Missiles To Iran In Violation Of U.S. Sanctions

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Matthew S. Axelrod, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement of the Commerce Department, announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging XIANGJIANG QIAO, a/k/a “Joe Hansen,” with sanctions evasion, money laundering, and bank fraud offenses based on QIAO’s alleged participation in a scheme to use a sanctioned Chinese company to provide materials used in the production of weapons of mass destruction (“WMDs”) to Iran, in exchange for payments made through the U.S. financial system. QIAO is at large in China. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Xiangjiang Qiao conspired to send isostatic graphite to Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions. Isostatic graphite is a high-tech material used in the nose tips of intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Iranian regime of terror and repression, and those who facilitate it, pose a grave threat to our national security. This Office will continue to work relentlessly to bring to justice those who advance the interests of the Iranian regime and thereby threaten the safety and security of the American people.” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “These charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to preventing sensitive technology from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran. We will not tolerate those who would violate U.S. laws to allow authoritarian regimes and other hostile nations to use advanced technology to threaten U.S. national security and undermine democratic values around the world.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “Qiao, as alleged, participated in a yearslong scheme that directly violated United States sanctions by seeking to provide components used in manufacturing Weapons of Mass Destruction to Iran. Evasions of sanctions designed to deter hostile foreign nations from producing dangerous weapons is a threat to the national security of the United States and our allies. The FBI will be aggressive in its pursuit of any individual willing to deliberately violate imposed sanctions.” Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod said: “Protecting sensitive American technology – like source code for ‘smart’ automotive manufacturing equipment or items used to develop quantum cryptography – from being illegally acquired by our adversaries is why we stood up the Disruptive Technology Strike Force. The Strike Force actions announced today reflect the core mission of our Export Enforcement team – keeping our country’s most sensitive technologies out of the world’s most dangerous hands.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] XIANGJIANG QIAO, a/k/a “Joe Hansen,” is a national of the People’s Republic of China (“China”) and an employee of the China-based company Sinotech Dalian Carbon and Graphite Manufacturing Corporation (“Sinotech Dalian”). Sinotech Dalian is part of a network of Chinese companies involved in the proliferation of WMDs and that, in particular, provide assistance in the procurement of materials for Iran’s ballistic missile program. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) sanctioned Sinotech Dalian, adding the company to OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (the “SDN List”), explaining that Sinotech Dalian is part of a network of China-based entities used to proliferate WMDs and, specifically, to aid Iranian ballistic missile procurement. Sinotech Dalian’s inclusion on the SDN List prohibits it from using the U.S. financial system to conduct transactions without authorization from OFAC. QIAO is an associate of Li Fangwei, a/k/a “Karl Lee,” who managed the Sinotech Dalian network of companies and was charged in 2014 in the Southern District of New York with sanctions evasion and other offenses based on his alleged illicit activities as a principal contributor to Iran’s ballistic missile program through China-based entities that have been sanctioned by the U.S. Government. See United States v. Li Fangwei , 14 Cr. 144 (S.D.N.Y.). In willful violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran and Sinotech Dalian, between at least March 2019 and September 2022, QIAO participated in a scheme to use Sinotech Dalian, including through transactions involving the U.S. financial system, to supply isostatic graphite to Iran for the production of WMDs. Isostatic graphite is a type of graphite with an ultra-fine grain that is used in the manufacture of WMDs. In particular, isostatic graphite is used in the manufacture of rocket nozzles and reentry vehicle nose tips in intercontinental ballistic missiles. QIAO further took steps to conceal Sinotech Dalian’s involvement in the transaction by creating a bank account in the name of a front company to receive two transfers from a U.S. bank totaling over $15,000 as part of his efforts to facilitate the supply of isostatic graphite to Iran. * * * QIAO, 39, a Chinese national, is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions against Iran and Sinotech Dalian, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”), which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; two counts of violating the IEEPA, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; two counts of attempted bank fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and two counts of money laundering, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division. Mr. Williams also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gillian S. Grossman and Nicholas S. Bradley are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Today’s actions were coordinated through the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws. The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Russian National Charged with Ransomware Attacks Against Critical Infrastructure

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The Justice Department today unsealed two indictments charging a Russian national and resident with using three different ransomware variants to attack numerous victims throughout the United States, including law enforcement agencies in New Jersey and Washington, D.C., as well as victims in healthcare and other sectors nationwide. “From Russia and hiding behind multiple aliases, Matveev is alleged to have used these ransomware strains to encrypt and hold hostage for ransom the data of numerous victims, including hospitals, schools, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies, like the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.,” Philip R. Sellinger, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, said. “Thanks to the extraordinary investigative work of prosecutors from my office and our FBI partners, Matveev no longer hides in the shadows – we have publicly identified his criminal acts and charged him with multiple federal crimes. Let today’s charges be a reminder to cybercriminals everywhere – my office is devoted to combatting cybercrime and will spare no resources in bringing to justice those who use ransomware attacks to target victims.” “From his home base in Russia, Matveev allegedly used multiple ransomware variants to attack critical infrastructure around the world, including hospitals, government agencies, and victims in other sectors,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said. “These international crimes demand a coordinated response. We will not relent in imposing consequences on the most egregious actors in the cybercrime ecosystem.” “We want the indictment, sanctions and reward for Mikhail Matveev to sound an alarm in the ranks of cyber criminals all over the world,” James E. Dennehy, FBI-Newark special agent in charge, said. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners, as well as our international partners, are coming after you. These malicious actors believe they can operate with impunity – and don’t fear getting caught because they sit in a country where they feel safe and protected. That may be the case now, but the safe harbor may not exist forever. When we have an opportunity, we will do everything in our power to bring Matveev and his ilk to justice.” According to the indictment obtained in the District of New Jersey: From at least 2020, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, aka Wazawaka, aka m1x, aka Boriselcin, aka Uhodiransomwar, allegedly participated in conspiracies to deploy three ransomware variants. These variants are known as LockBit, Babuk, and Hive, and Matveev transmitted ransom demands in connection with each. The perpetrators behind each of these variants, including Matveev, have allegedly used these types of ransomware to attack thousands of victims in the United States and around the world. These victims include law enforcement and other government agencies, hospitals, and schools. Total ransom demands allegedly made by the members of these three global ransomware campaigns to their victims amount to as much as $400 million, while total victim ransom payments amount to as much as $200 million. On June 25, 2020, Matveev and his LockBit conspirators allegedly deployed LockBit ransomware against a law enforcement agency in Passaic County, New Jersey. On May 27, 2022, Matveev and his Hive coconspirators allegedly deployed Hive against a nonprofit behavioral healthcare organization headquartered in Mercer County, New Jersey. On April 26, 2021, Matveev and his Babuk conspirators allegedly deployed Babuk against the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. “Data theft and extortion attempts by ransomware groups are corrosive, cynical attacks on key institutions and the good people behind them as they go about their business and serve the public,” U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia said. “Whether these criminals target law enforcement, other government agencies, or private companies like health care providers, we will use every tool at our disposal to prosecute and punish such offenses. Thanks to exceptional work by our partners here, we identified and charged this culprit.” “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to disrupting cybercriminals like Matveev,” Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI's Cyber Division said. “The FBI will continue to impose costs on cyber adversaries through our joint collaboration with our private sector and international partners, and we will not tolerate these criminal acts against American citizens.” The LockBit ransomware variant first appeared around January 2020. LockBit actors have executed over 1,400 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $100 million in ransom demands and receiving over $75 million in ransom payments. The Babuk ransomware variant first appeared around December 2020. Babuk actors executed over 65 attacks against victims in the United States and around the world, issuing over $49 million in ransom demands and receiving as much as $13 million in ransom payments. Since June 2021, the Hive ransomware group has targeted more than 1,400 victims around the world and received as much as $120 million in ransom payments. The LockBit, Babuk, and Hive ransomware variants operated in the same general manner: first, the ransomware actors would identify and unlawfully access vulnerable computer systems, sometimes through their own hacking, or by purchasing stolen access credentials from others. Second, the actors would deploy the ransomware variant within the victim computer system, allowing the actors to encrypt and steal data thereon. Next, the actors would send a ransom note to the victim demanding a payment in exchange for decrypting the victim’s data or refraining from sharing it publicly. Finally, the ransomware actors would negotiate a ransom amount with each victim willing to pay. If a victim did not pay, ransomware actors would often post that victim’s data on a public website, often called a data leak site. Matveev is charged with conspiring to transmit ransom demands, conspiring to damage protected computers, and intentionally damaging protected computers. If convicted, he faces over 20 years in prison. The FBI Newark Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Task Force is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Jersey City Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Newark IRS Criminal Investigation, and international partners from European Cyber Crime Centre of Europol, National Police Agency of Japan, Gendarmerie Nationale Cyberspace Command of France, National Crime Agency and South West Regional Organized Crime Unit of the United Kingdom, Kantonspolizei Zürich of Switzerland, High-Tech Crime Unit of the Dutch Police Services Agency of the Netherlands, Bundeskriminalamt and Landeskriminalamt of Germany, Mossos d'Esquadra Police Department of Spain, Norwegian Police Service of Norway, and Swedish Police Authority of Sweden. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly and David E. Malagold for the District of New Jersey’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark; Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section; and Trial Attorneys Jessica C. Peck, Benjamin Proctor, and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). The FBI Tampa Field Office and Orlando Resident Agency, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey Bratt for the Middle District of Florida and CCIPS Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Alison Zitron, made critical contributions to the case. The FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department also provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and National Security Division also provided significant assistance. Victims of LockBit, Babuk, Conti, or Hive ransomware should contact their local FBI field office for further information. For additional information on ransomware, including the LockBit, Babuk, and Hive variants, please visit www.StopRansomware.gov . The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced that it is designating the defendant for his role in launching cyberattacks against U.S. law enforcement, businesses, and critical infrastructure. The Department of State has also announced an award of up to $10 million for information that leads to the apprehension of this defendant. Information that may be eligible for this award can be submitted at tips.fbi.gov or RewardsForJustice.net. Congress established the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program in 2013 to support law enforcement efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders and members to justice. The Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs manages the program in coordination with other U.S. federal agencies. The charge and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. matveev.indictment.pdf 22-142


title: San Jose Man Sentenced To Seven Years For Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Ramiro Velasco Jr. was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Velasco, 33, a resident of San Jose, pleaded guilty on January 12, 2023. According to his plea agreement, Velasco attended a meeting in October 2020 of the San Jose Grande (SJG). SJG is a Norteño street gang formed in San Jose in the 1990s and comprised of dozens of members operating in San Jose and within custodial facilities, according to the government’s sentencing memorandum. Velasco described in his plea agreement that he discussed the sale of crystal methamphetamine with a potential buyer who also attended the SJG meeting. Velasco quoted a sales price of approximately $3,000 for a pound, which the buyer found acceptable. Over the next several days, Velasco made phone calls and sent text messages to broker the sale of methamphetamine to the buyer. Once he arranged the deal with a source of supply of the methamphetamine, Velasco advised the buyer, “Don’t trip he is good people, he is my peoples.” The sale that Velasco brokered occurred October 30, 2020, when the source of supply sold almost two pounds of nearly pure methamphetamine to the buyer for $3,200, according to the government’s sentencing memorandum. In addition to the 84 months imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered Velasco to serve four years of supervision following his release from prison. Velasco was in custody at the sentencing hearing and began serving his sentence immediately. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel N. Kassabian and Christoffer Lee, with the assistance of Nina Burney and Veronica Hernandez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Santa Clara County Violent Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, and the San Jose Police Department.


title: Honduran National Indicted  For Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS –HUGO BRIAN FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS, a/k/a “Brian Pineda,” a/k/a “Hugo B. Fuentes,” a/k/a “Hugo Fuentesesguigrens,” age 27, was indicted on May 12, 2023 for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment, HUGO BRIAN FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS , (“ FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS ”) reentered the United States after being previously deported on April 26, 2019. If convicted, FUENTAS-EGUIGURENS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Fargo, ND, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pointing a Loaded Handgun at Fargo Police Officers

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: Fargo – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Shawn Larkin, Age 40 of Fargo, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 57 months years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. In the early morning hours of September 9, 2020, Fargo Police stopped Larkin’s vehicle because his license was suspended. Larkin was uncooperative and fought with officers as they tried to take him into custody. As Larkin was on the ground with officers, he pulled a loaded handgun out of his waistband and pointed it at officers. Officers were able to subdue Larkin and take him into custody. Officers found two loaded handgun magazines and multiple drugs and paraphernalia on Larkin and in his vehicle. Larkin was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to felony convictions for a 2001 theft in Wisconsin, a 2012 simple assault on a peace officer in Ward County, North Dakota, and a previous felon in possession of a firearm conviction prosecuted in the District of North Dakota in 2013. “Felons with guns are a threat to our law enforcement partners and the safety of our communities,” Schneider said. “The U.S. Attorney’s office is committed to taking felons in possession of firearms off the street. This strong sentence is a reflection of that commitment.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fargo Police Department, and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander J. Stock prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Hartford Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Firearm Possession Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JAMIE PATTERSON, also known as “Diddy,” 25, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 54 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 4, 2021, New Britain Police responded to Devens Street on reports of shots fired. At the scene, officers found numerous empty shell casings near a disabled vehicle containing an abandoned firearm. Patterson was located hiding underneath a nearby car, and an officer found a loaded 9mm handgun in the spare tire well of car. Forensic analysis of the handgun revealed the presence of Patterson’s DNA. On July 13, 2021, Hartford Police arrested Patterson after they observed him placing items into a parked car on Hazel Street, and a subsequent search of the car revealed 170 sleeves (doses) of fentanyl and a loaded .380 pistol. Patterson’s criminal history includes state convictions for felony drug and firearm offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. On February 27, 2023, Patterson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Patterson has been detained in state custody since his arrest on July 13, 2021. He will not receive credit on his federal sentence for his time served to date in state custody. This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the New Britain Police Department, and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, 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 Justice 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: Providence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine and Fentanyl

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Providence man, who court records show has been convicted multiple times on various felony drug, firearm, and/or assault charges, has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking in fentanyl and crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. According to information presented to the court, in early 2020, while on state probation for an unrelated felony firearm conviction in state court, Josimar Pereira, 36, in the course of six transactions in a one-month period, sold a total of more than $6,300 worth of cocaine and fentanyl to another person while under surveillance by members of the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Gang Task Force. On each occasion, the drugs were quickly seized by Task Force agents. In December 2022, Pereira pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of distribution of cocaine and a charge of distribution of fentanyl. He was sentenced on May 15, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to forty-four months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release, According to court records, at the time of his arrest in this matter Pereira was serving a term of state probation related to his 2018 conviction in Rhode Island Superior Court on a charge of possession of a sawed-off shotgun or rifle. The most recent case filed against Pereira was prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson. ###


title: Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Probation for Illegally Using Social Security Number

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – FIDADELFO ANTONIO CAMEY-ESPANA , age 36, was sentenced on May 11, 2023 for illegally using a social security number to enroll in a safety class to qualify for employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, FIDADELFO ANTONIO CAMEY-ESPANA (“CAMEY-ESPANA”) admitted to illegally using a social security number to enroll in a safety class to qualify for employment. CAMEY-ESPANA was sentenced by the Honorable Carl J. Barbier, U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana, to one year probation. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: North Las Vegas Resident Pleads Guilty To COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas resident pleaded guilty yesterday to carrying out a scheme to submit more than $1.1 million dollars in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of himself and others. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning no later than on or about March 14, 2021, and continuing until at least on or about October 9, 2021, Jaquari Davonte Woodward (24) devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and a California lending institution (a non-bank lender). On March 17, 2021, he submitted a loan application as the purported sole proprietor of a music business. He inflated the amount of money his purported music business made and submitted an IRS tax form containing false information. Thereafter, Woodward mass-marketed his scheme on social media by posting the amount of money he received, and offering to help others apply, requesting in exchange $10,000 from any approved loan applications. As part of the scheme, Woodward submitted at least 56 fraudulent applications for PPP loans on behalf of himself and others. As a result of the Woodward’s fraudulent PPP loan applications, approximately $1,166,582 in fraudulent loan proceeds were deposited into bank accounts controlled by him and other individuals for whom he submitted fraudulent applications. He received about $41,166 in fraudulent PPP loans, as well as a significant share of the over $1 million in fraudulent loans he applied for and obtained on behalf of others, totaling at least $100,000. Woodward pleaded guilty to wire fraud before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro. Sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2023. Woodward faces the maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison, a term of supervised release, a fine, and restitution. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Weston King for the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General’s (SBA OIG) Western Region, and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. The SBA OIG and FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Eric Schmale is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: Miami Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Stolen Mail

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that Alberto Carlos Varona, 30, from Miami, Florida, received a sentence of 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of stolen mail. According to his plea agreement and other court records, in February of 2021, Prattville, Alabama law enforcement officers received information about attempts to cash stolen checks at various banks. On February 26, 2021, officers from the Prattville Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle they suspected to be involved in the scheme. Officers identified Varona as the driver and, upon searching the vehicle, found 37 stolen checks. Soon after, a federal grand jury indicted Varona on four counts of possession of stolen mail matter. Varona pleaded guilty to these charges on September 29, 2021. During the May 10, 2023, sentencing hearing, the court considered the significant amount of potential loss from all 37 of the stolen checks when determining Varona’s sentence. The Prattville Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Justin L. Jones prosecuted the case.


title: Founder and President of European Defense Conglomerate Charged with Helping the Russian Military Evade U.S. Sanctions and Export Controls

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Dr. Nikolaos “Nikos” Bogonikolos with wire fraud conspiracy and smuggling. Bogonikolos, a Greek national, was arrested in Paris, France on May 9, 2023 and remains in custody pending the resolution of extradition proceedings. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Jonathan Carson, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office announced the charges. “As alleged, while ostensibly operating as a defense contractor for NATO and other ally countries, the defendant and his Aratos Group were double dealing, helping to fuel Russia’s war effort and their development of next generation weapons,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Our Office continues to work tirelessly to ensure that disruptive technologies do not fall into the wrong hands.” Mr. Peace thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance in this case, the FBI’s Legal Attaché offices in Paris and the Netherlands, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Attaché office in Paris for their assistance in this case. The United States thanks the French and Dutch authorities for their assistance. “These charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to preventing sensitive technology from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Russia, China, and Iran,” said Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will not tolerate those who would violate U.S. laws to allow authoritarian regimes and other hostile nations to use advanced technology to threaten U.S. national security and undermine democratic values around the world.” “As alleged, Bogonikolos conspired with a network of companies orchestrated by the Russian intelligence services to fraudulently acquire and then smuggle U.S.-origin military and dual-use technologies to aid the Russian defense and security sectors. Bogonikolos procured sensitive equipment meeting NATO specifications designed for tactical battlefield conditions as well as components with applications in space-based and cryptographic communications, on behalf of his Russian intelligence handlers seeking to improve their country’s warfighting capabilities. This case highlights the FBI’s commitment to keeping critical technologies away from America’s adversaries, and dismantling the criminal networks complicit in Russia’s war of aggression," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Driscoll. “As alleged, the defendant and his company not only violated US law, but further assisted Russia’s illegal war of aggression to include the development of disruptive technologies,” stated BIS Special Agent-in-Charge Carson. “BIS’s Office of Export Enforcement, working with our Strike Force partners, will continue to aggressively investigate export violations and bring violators to justice wherever-located-worldwide.” As alleged in the complaint, the defendant headed the Aratos Group (Aratos), a collection of defense and technology companies in the Netherlands and Greece, which are both member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). According to Aratos’ website, the companies’ areas of expertise included “Space Technologies,” “Homeland Security,” “Blockchain,” and “Counter-Drone Systems.” One of Aratos’ subsidiaries, Aratos Systems BV, was a finalist in the NATO Innovation Challenge for space applications in 2021 for a proposal involving the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology for satellites and spacecraft. In the proposal, the defendant represented that he had experience advising the European Parliament and “governments worldwide,” and that Aratos had supplied defense equipment and related technologies to countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. However as alleged in the complaint, since 2017 the defendant has been involved in smuggling U.S.-origin military and dual-use technologies to Russia in violation of U.S. law. These highly regulated and sensitive components included advanced electronics and sophisticated testing equipment used in military applications, including quantum cryptography and nuclear weapons testing, as well as tactical battlefield equipment. The defendant claimed that these items were to be used by Aratos, when in reality they were illegally reshipped and sent to Russia. Some of the Russian end users included nuclear and quantum research facilities, as well as “Military Unit 33949,” which is part of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, known as the “SVR.” As described in the complaint, many of these orders were solicited by Serniya Engineering and Sertal LLC (the “Serniya Network”), Moscow-based companies that operate under the direction of Russian intelligence services. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) levied sanctions against Serniya, Sertal, and several individuals and companies used in the scheme, calling them “instrumental to the Russian Federation’s war machine.” As alleged in the complaint, the defendant was recruited as a procurement agent for Russia in and around 2017. In an email message with a Serniya affiliate, on December 27, 2017, the defendant was told to come to Moscow alone “since the agenda will be a very sensitive one.” Regarding one subsequent order, the defendant advised that he would falsify an export license, saying “I sign that the items are only for Netherlands; . . . Sensitive case . . . For the same reason I cannot press the [U.S.] supplier.” The defendant also signed false end use statements and provided them to U.S. companies, certifying that Aratos was the end user of the requested items, that Aratos would not reexport the goods elsewhere, and that the goods would not be used for weapons development. The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Ben Richmond. The Defendant : NIKOLAOS BOGONIKOLOS AGE: 59 Athens, Greece E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-412


title: Springfield Rapper Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who was part of a local rap group pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms, one of which has been linked to several recent shootings. Jardell Carlin Williams, 19, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to two counts of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. By pleading guilty today, Williams admitted he was in possession of a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol when a vehicle, in which he was a passenger, was stopped by Springfield, Mo., Police Department detectives on Feb. 15, 2022. Williams also admitted that he was in possession of a C3 Defense 5.56-caliber semi-automatic pistol when a vehicle, in which he was a passenger, was stopped by detectives with the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 23, 2022. According to the plea agreement, the AR-style pistol was tentatively identified as having been used in three shooting incidents in the Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kansas, areas. Williams admitted to regularly smoking marijuana, which remains a controlled substance under federal law, since he was in high school. He estimated that he smoked about a gram of marijuana each day. Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Conviction Of Iranian Large-Scale Heroin Trafficker

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict today against MALEK BALOUCHZEHI, a/k/a “Malek Khan,” on charges of conspiring to import heroin into the United States and distributing heroin for importation into the United States. U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman presided over the one-week trial. BALOUCHZEHI is scheduled to be sentenced September 12, 2023. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Malek Balouchzehi sought to expand his significant drug trafficking operations by importing massive quantities of heroin into the United States and sending it right here, to New York. Balouchzehi has trafficked drugs around the world for at least a decade. Today, Balouchzehi stands convicted of his crimes and faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence. We will continue to work diligently with the DEA to curb the importation of heroin, a lethal drug plaguing our communities.” As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial: BALOUCHZEHI is an Iran-based drug trafficker. In or about September 2019, BALOUCHZEHI and an Iranian drug trafficking partner began communicating with individuals whom BALOUCHZEHI believed were heroin traffickers interested in large quantities of heroin for importation into the United States, as well as methamphetamine for distribution in Australia. Those individuals were, in fact, a confidential source working at the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (“DEA”) direction and an undercover DEA agent posing as a New York-based heroin distributor. In December 2019, BALOUCHZEHI sent a courier in Mozambique to deliver a sample of approximately two kilograms of heroin, with the understanding that those drugs would be transported to the United States for testing and sale in New York City. Following this sample heroin shipment, BALOUCHZEHI planned to supply thousands of kilograms of heroin for importation to and distribution within the United States. In meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, in October 2021, BALOUCHZEHI agreed to distribute ton quantities of heroin for importation to New York and to provide the heroin via maritime routes, using a fishing company to conceal his narcotics activities, in order to make millions of dollars in profits. During these meetings in Nairobi, BALOUCHZEHI also described his prior international drug trafficking activities over the last decade, including his loads of thousands of kilograms of heroin, and showed photographs evidencing his large-scale trafficking operation. * * * BALOUCHZEHI, 39, of Iran, was convicted of one count of conspiring to import heroin into the United States, and one count of distributing heroin for importation into the United States, each of which carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The statutory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by Judge Furman. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit and New York Field Division; the DEA’s Nairobi, Maputo, Pretoria, Bucharest, and Jakarta Country Offices; the Kenyan National Police; the Mozambique National Criminal Investigation Services; and the Western Australia Police Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance. The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky, Michael J. Lockard, Kimberly J. Ravener, and Elinor L. Tarlow are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Contract Killer Sentenced to Five Consecutive Life Sentences in Prison for Committing Six Murders and One Attempted Murder

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: CONTRACT KILLER SENTENCED TO FIVE CONSECUTIVE LIFE SENTENCES IN PRISON FOR COMMITTING SIX MURDERS AND ONE ATTEMPTED MURDER PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ernest Pressley, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to five consecutive life sentences by United States District Judge Eduardo C. Robreno on one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and four counts of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, in connection with Pressley's role in murdering four victims in Philadelphia between 2017 and 2018, all in exchange for money. Pressley's conduct also included his role in the killing of two other victims in 2016 and 2017 and the attempted murder of a woman in 2018. In late 2018, the Philadelphia Police Department joined with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate Pressley in connection with the murder of S.S., who was shot to death in the parking lot of a Philadelphia apartment complex near 7400 Malvern Avenue in the early morning hours of September 1, 2018. Pressley was captured on video surveillance footage near the scene and in footage retrieved from a bar in Philadelphia the evening before when he was with S.S. and several other men. Pressley was arrested in connection with this crime on September 7, 2018. Law enforcement's investigation revealed that Pressley was responsible for other murders in Philadelphia, including the killings of two tow truck drivers for A. Bob's Towing on January 12 and 13, 2017. Pressley agreed to kill tow truck driver K.F. in exchange for money to prevent K.F. from testifying as a witness at an assault trial in Philadelphia. In an effort to distract law enforcement from the true motivation for K.F.'s murder and to make it appear as though it was connected to a feud between rival tow truck companies, Pressley selected at random one of K.F.'s co-workers, E.R., and shot him to death as he left work on January 12, 2017, near 4500 Melrose Street. The next day, Pressley approached K.F. as he left his home and entered his tow truck, which was being driven by a co-worker, at which time Pressley opened fire, fatally striking K.F. and injuring his co-worker, who was shot several times in his lower body. As the investigation developed further, Pressley was also identified as the person who shot M.R. to death in Philadelphia on January 11, 2017, near the intersection of East Sharpnack and Baldwin Streets, while M.R. worked on his vehicle at a garage in the area. In September 2022, during his guilty plea allocution before Judge Robreno, Pressley admitted that he murdered M.R., E.R., K.F., and S.S. in exchange for money and at the direction of a drug trafficker. Around the time of each crime, Pressley used his cellular phone to communicate with his co-conspirator to plan how and when each murder would be carried out. Pressley also admitted to shooting C.Y. to death on July 19, 2016, as C.Y. sat on the porch of a residence near 1500 West Olney Avenue in Philadelphia. Pressley also admitted to his role in providing the location of a man he knew was wanted dead by a Philadelphia drug trafficker, which later resulted in the death of Y.H., who was killed as the result of mistaken identity near the intersection of 56th Street and Ithan Street on July 24, 2018. Finally, Pressley admitted that he attempted to kill a woman when he shot her in the arm as she arrived at her Philadelphia home on North Woodstock Street on July 9, 2018. While the woman survived a gunshot wound, she later discovered that her home had been ransacked and several items, including money and jewelry, were stolen. Several hours later, Pressley was identified as having sold a Rolex watch belonging to the woman at a Philadelphia pawn shop. "Taking a cold-blooded killer like Ernest Pressley off the street for five consecutive life sentences is a prime example of why the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Department of Justice make tackling violent crime a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. "Our joint partnerships with the FBI and Philadelphia Police Department make it possible to bring these cases into federal court and secure the severe punishment such a career murderer deserves.” “Ernest Pressley is a hardened and chronic offender, a true menace to society,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “For all the lives he took and families he affected, this contract killer has duly earned each of his life sentences. The FBI and Philadelphia Police Department will continue to focus our partnership and resources on locking up the worst of the worst, like Pressley, who cause so much of the city’s bloodshed.” "This defendant ultimately failed to escape accountability for his outrageous violent crimes due to the collaboration of law enforcement at all levels of government, which occurs each and every day," Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "I commend U.S. Attorney Romero and her team, the FBI, Philadelphia Police, along with our own ADA Joanne Pescatore, Supervisor of the Homicide/Non-Fatal Shootings Unit, for helping to secure a sentence of incarceration that ensures Ernest Pressley will no longer endanger our communities." "We are grateful for the collaboration between the Philadelphia Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which led to the apprehension and conviction of Ernest Pressley,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. “His heinous crimes demonstrate the utmost disregard for human life. This sentence sends a strong message that we will relentlessly pursue justice and protect our communities from those who commit acts of violence." The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.


title: River Ridge Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of  the Federal Gun Control and   Federal Controlled Substances Acts


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 77 Months in Prison for Role in Salem County Bank Robbery

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 77 months in prison and three years of supervised release for serving as the get-away driver to two Pennsylvania men who robbed a bank in Carneys Point, New Jersey, in July 2018, while brandishing a firearm. Kenneth S. Thompson, 44, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty on Sept. 27, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with bank robbery.


title: Inland Empire Man Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Sensitive Software from His U.S. Employers to Build a Competing Business in China

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Inland Empire man has been arrested on a criminal complaint alleging he stole sensitive technologies from his Southern California-based employers and used them to market his own competing company to businesses in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Liming Li, 64, of Rancho Cucamonga, is charged with theft of trade secrets. Li was arrested at Ontario International Airport on May 6 after arriving on a flight from Taiwan. Since his arrest, Li has been in federal custody, and he has a detention hearing scheduled for May 22. “Li stole thousands of files of sensitive technology that did not belong to him and used it to help foreign companies build competing technology – technology that could be used in the manufacture of nuclear submarines and military aircraft,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Protecting our nation’s national security is paramount, and my office will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who misappropriate sensitive intellectual property to the benefit of foreign actors.” “The FBI Los Angeles Field Office takes the protection of our national security and critical technology extremely seriously,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway. “Foreign adversaries, including the Chinese government, actively seek to erode American competitiveness in the global economy, diminish trust in fair market competition, and use stolen knowledge to increase their military modernization capabilities. Stealing proprietary information not only affects U.S. businesses, but, over time destabilizes American economic security. The FBI is dedicated to countering efforts of those seeking to illegally acquire sensitive information.” The case against Li was brought under the auspices of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force, which is co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce. The Strike Force seeks to counter efforts by hostile nation-states to illicitly acquire sensitive U.S. technology to advance their authoritarian regimes and facilitate human rights abuses. The case against Li is one of five announced this morning at a news conference at the Department of Justice where officials detailed cases against defendants accused of crimes that include export violations, smuggling and theft of trade secrets. According to an affidavit filed with the complaint filed in Los Angeles, from 1996 to November 2019, Li worked in various engineering, management and software development roles for two companies in Southern California. The companies are identified in court documents as “Company #1” and “Company #2.” These software programs are related to high precision measurement studies interpretation and point cloud technology, which often are used in making 3D models. They can be used in various sensitive manufacturing contexts, including manufacturing parts for nuclear submarines and military aircraft, and are subject to United States export controls for national security, nuclear nonproliferation and anti-terrorism reasons. As a result of its military application, federal law mandates that this software cannot be exported to the PRC without a license from the Department of Commerce. Li worked for Company #1 from 1996 to 2018 and then worked at Company #2 from 2018 until November 2019. Shortly before beginning his employment with the Company #2, Li and his wife established their own business, JSL Innovations, which was based out of their Rancho Cucamonga home. After Company #2 terminated Li, company security discovered that Li was using his company-issued laptop to attempt to download files from Company #2’s root directory onto his personal external hard drive, according to the complaint affidavit. Company security searched Li’s company-issued laptop and found a folder labeled “ChinaGovernment.” That folder allegedly contained numerous documents showing Li’s efforts to participate in the PRC’s Thousand Talents Program and to use JSL Innovations to provide services and technology to PRC business and government entities related to the export-controlled and trade secret technology that Li took from his former employers in Southern California. In March 2020, Li entered into an agreement with a PRC-based manufacturing company to serve as its chief technology officer. Li’s agreement with this employer required him to spend at least six months per year in the PRC. Six months later, FBI agents executed a search warrant at LI’s home and found numerous digital devices containing millions of files belonging to Company #1 and Company #2 and containing the source code for those companies’ proprietary software, the complaint alleges. Although the source code files had been developed by and belonged to these companies, some of the files had been moved into folders labeled “JSL” or “JSL Projects.” Both Company #1 and Company #2 derive significant value from the secrecy of their proprietary software source code and take extensive steps to protect the source code from discovery by competitors. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Li would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The FBI is investigating this matter with substantial assistance from the Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security. Assistant United States Attorneys Solomon Kim of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section; David Ryan, Chief of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section; Aaron Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crime Section; and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce. It is designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states. Under the leadership of the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, the Strike Force leverages tools and authorities across the U.S. Government to enhance the criminal and administrative enforcement of export control laws.


title: Former City Clerk Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Stealing $487,000 from Struggling North St. Louis County Municipality

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – The former city clerk of Flordell Hills, Missouri was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to repay the $487,673 she stole from the small, struggling city. Flordell Hills is roughly six blocks square, has an annual budget of about $400,000 and a population of about 800. Approximately 53.9% of those residents live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel also ordered Maureen Woodson, 68, remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals at the end of the sentencing hearing. From about February 2016 to April 2022, Woodson and the former assistant city clerk, Donna Thompson, wrote about 614 city checks to themselves. Woodson then forged the signature of the mayor and/or treasurer to cash the checks or deposit them into their personal bank accounts. The checks were written and cashed without the knowledge of the mayor, the treasurer or the board of aldermen. Woodson and Thompson used the cash to gamble both in person and online and for personal expenses. Further, on about 381 occasions, Woodson and Thompson used Flordell Hills funds to directly pay for their own personal expenses, by either writing checks or wiring city funds directly to third party vendors for entertainment, restaurants, home rental payments, and personal taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. Woodson stole $487,673 and Thompson took $159,903. “Flordell Hills residents and officials trusted these two defendants completely and relied upon them to handle the city’s financial operations,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “The $650,000 that they stole could have been used for vital city services, like fixing roads and sewers, paying contractors and helping struggling residents. Instead, these defendants used it for personal expenses and gambled the rest away. This case, and the prison sentence for Ms. Woodson, should serve as a warning to those who would betray the public’s trust.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith told Judge Sippel that while Woodson and Thompson were stealing from the city, the mayor and other officials were at times not taking salaries. Mayor Joe Noeth and others were mowing overgrown areas of the city and clearing streets and roads when they were blocked by downed trees or limbs. “She had to be aware that her criminal conduct was having adverse effects on residents,” Goldsmith said. "It is outrageous that Maureen Woodson stole more than the entire annual budget for the City of Flordell Hills," said Special Agent in Charge Jay Greenberg of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Stealing from the community she swore to serve is public corruption." Woodson and Thompson were terminated in May of 2022, after the embezzlement was discovered. Woodson was hired in 2010 and Thompson in 2012. Woodson and Thompson each pleaded guilty in February to one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. Thompson, 76, is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.


title: Two Kentucky Men Charged With Scheming To Obtain Millions of Dollars From Victims in Illinois and Throughout the U.S.

body_text: ROCKFORD — A federal grand jury in Rockford has charged two Kentucky men with fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars from investors and customers throughout the United States, including a business in Boone County, Ill. The indictment charges MARK CARROLL, 47, of Lexington, Ky., and LUKE CURRY, 36, of Bowling Green, Ky., with six counts of wire fraud. Carroll and Curry were each arrested last week in Kentucky. Arraignments in federal court in Rockford have been scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa A. Jensen. According to the indictment, Carroll and Curry in 2018 and 2019 created multiple limited-liability companies, including Catapult Marketing, LLC and Catapult Funding LLC, and thereafter fraudulently obtained millions of dollars from victims under false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. The pair allegedly falsely offered a line of credit to victims in exchange for the victims’ initial deposits of about 20% of the loan facility, without actually funding the line of credit. The indictment also alleges that Carroll and Curry fraudulently entered into private loan agreements with victims in which the defendants falsely promised to repay the principal and interest at maturity in exchange for the victims' loan funds, including guaranteeing rates of return. According to the charges, Carroll and Curry did not pay the guaranteed rates of returns and did not pay the victims in accordance with the terms of their agreements. The arrests and indictment were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Beckman and Lisa Munch. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The FBI is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims of the alleged fraud schemes associated with the defendants in this case. The FBI is legally mandated to identify crimes it investigates. Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under federal and/or state law. Responses are voluntary but would be useful in the federal investigation and to identify you as a potential victim. If you believe you are a potential victim who has not yet been contacted, please email finfraud2023@FBI.GOV or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Based on the response provided, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.


title: Local Prosecutor Brings African Cybercrime Delegation to Greensboro & Washington, D.C.

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – United States Attorney Sandra Hairston announced today that a delegation of African judges, prosecutors, and investigators arrived in Greensboro as part of an international exchange program. The visit is taking place from May 14 to 19, 2023, and will involve meetings with government officials, local law enforcement, and crime analysts with the goal of sharing information and strengthening transnational partnerships among the United States and multiple African governments. The study visit was organized by Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Anand Ramaswamy, in his capacity as the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) Attorney Advisor for sub-Saharan Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT). AUSA Ramaswamy has been detailed overseas as part of the U.S. Transnational High-Tech Crime Global Law Enforcement Network (GLEN) as an International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) attorney advisor focused on combating cybercrime. The GLEN is a worldwide law enforcement capacity building network of ICHIP attorney advisors and others who deliver training and technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners to combat intellectual property and cybercrime activity as well as to help strengthen foreign partners’ ability to collect and use electronic evidence to combat all types of crime, including transnational organized crime. The GLEN is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), and the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT). INL provides the funding for the ICHIPs and their assistance activities, including this study tour. The objective of the GLEN is to promote the rule of law and to protect Americans from criminal threats emanating from abroad by delivering targeted training to encourage both immediate assistance as well as long-term institutional change. This assistance includes training workshops, legislative review, case-based mentoring, skills-development, and promoting institutional reform, such as the formation of specialized units to address these criminal threats. There are currently 12 ICHIP attorney advisors in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Panama City, Panama; Eurojust at The Hague; Bucharest, Romania; Zagreb, Croatia; Abuja, Nigeria; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Hong Kong; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; two global ICHIPs, based in the United States, one for dark web/cryptocurrency and the other focused on internet-based fraud/public health; as well as a Global Cyber Forensic Advisor based in Washington, DC. AUSA Ramaswamy previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in Alamance, Orange, and Rockingham counties before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Middle District of North Carolina in 2007. During his tenure in the USAO, Ramaswamy prosecuted both national and international cybercrimes, online human trafficking and exploitation, and many other federal crimes. Since 2020, he has served the Department of Justice overseas as an ICHIP attorney advisor working to build a stronger international front against cybercrime. The visit includes representatives from Angola, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Zambia. After spending Monday and Tuesday in Greensboro, delegates will travel to Washington, DC for the remainder of the visit. Learn more about the ICHIP program, here . ###


title: Chicago Doctor and His Wife Held Liable by Jury for Taking Kickbacks and Causing False Medicare Claims; Ordered To Pay Civil Judgment of More Than $3 Million

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge has ordered a Chicago doctor and his wife to pay more than $3 million in civil damages and penalties for unlawfully seeking and receiving kickbacks from a home health agency as payment for the doctor’s referrals of Medicare patients. A federal jury in Chicago held them liable earlier this month. DR. NDUDI ANIEMEKA owns Boycin Medical Clinic in Chicago, and his wife, OBIAGELI ANIEMEKA, serves as the clinic’s administrator. In 2009 and 2010, the Aniemekas asked for and received money and other items of value from the home health agency, Grand Home Health, as payment for Dr. Aniemeka’s referrals of Medicare patients, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Grand then provided home health services to those patients and billed Medicare, in violation of the False Claims Act. The Aniemekas personally took more than $80,000 in kickbacks from Grand in connection with Dr. Aniemeka’s referrals. After a civil trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a federal jury earlier this month determined that the Aniemekas’ receipt of kickbacks caused 158 false claims to be submitted to Medicare, resulting in Medicare paying $425,976.32 on those claims. On May 12, 2023, U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer entered judgment against the Aniemekas in the amount of $3,015,928.96, made up of $1,277,928.96 in treble damages and $1,738,000 in civil penalties, pursuant to the False Claims Act. The judgment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Chicago Regional Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate M. Flannery and Sarah J. North. To combat fraud, the False Claims Act permits private individuals to sue for false claims on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene or take over the lawsuit, as was done in this case, and to recover three times damages plus civil penalties of up to $11,000 for each false claim submitted during the fraud scheme.


title: Mission Man and Mellette County Woman Sentenced in Burglary and Homicide Case

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man and a Mellette County, South Dakota, woman, in a case that involved charges of Second Degree Murder, First Degree Burglary, and related firearms offenses. Sativa Looking Cloud, age 21, pleaded guilty on January 18, 2023, to Second Degree Murder and First Degree Burglary. On May 8, 2023, Looking Cloud was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Stephen Fallis, age 30, pleaded guilty on January 19, 2023, to Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. On May 1, 2023, he was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and order to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crimes Victim Fund. Looking Cloud and Fallis will also forfeit ownership of all firearms and ammunition seized in the case. Restitution may also be ordered. Looking Cloud and Fallis were indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2022. The case stemmed from two separate incidents that occurred in Mellette County in February of 2022. In the early morning hours of February 16, 2023, Looking Cloud and Fallis went to a residence in Mellette County. Both were in possession of handguns. Looking Cloud entered the residence without permission and argued with the occupants. She then produced a 9mm handgun and fired multiple shots in the direction of the occupants, causing them to flee into another room. Looking Cloud and Fallis then departed the residence in their vehicle. The occupants of the residence called 911. On the morning of February 17, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Fallis’s Todd County residence, seizing multiple firearms, including two firearms bearing obliterated serial numbers. On the evening of February 17, 2022, Fallis and Looking Cloud were at a residence in Mellette County. Looking Cloud got into an argument with a woman and produced 9mm handgun. She fired a single shot at the woman at point blank range, striking her in the chest. Looking Cloud and Fallis fled the residence. The occupants of the residence heard the gunshot and called 911. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. In the early morning hours of February 18, 2022, Looking Cloud was arrested in Mellette County. The 9mm handgun used by Looking Cloud was seized as evidence. On March 1, 2023, Fallis was located at a residence in Vermillion, South Dakota, and placed under arrest. A 9mm handgun was seized from his person. Fallis admitted to being an unlawful user of controlled substances. This case was investigated by the FBI, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, U.S. Marshals Service, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Vermillion Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Looking Cloud and Fallis were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Mission Man Sentenced for Larceny

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on May 8, 2023. Dustin Gallegos, Jr., age 25, was sentenced to all time served through November 8, 2023, equal to approximately 10 months in custody, followed by three years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay restitution of $9,908.13, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Gallegos was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2022. He pleaded guilty on February 2, 2023. The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on March 7, 2022, in Todd County, South Dakota. On that date, Gallegos was driving a motor vehicle on U.S. Highway 83, when he lost control of his vehicle and wrecked. A passing motorist stopped to assist and let Gallegos wait with her in her vehicle for first responders to arrive. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, the woman got out of her vehicle to speak to an officer, at which point Gallegos got in the driver seat and stole the vehicle and drove away. The vehicle was later recovered in Mission. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Gallegos was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.