title: Navy Hospital Employee Pleads Guilty to Stalking Military Service Member

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 13, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Jonathan Sandoval, a former contract employee at a San Diego Navy hospital, pleaded guilty in federal court today to stalking his former co-worker who is a United States military service member. According to his plea agreement, Sandoval intentionally harassed and intimated the military service member through several unwanted acts. On March 8, 2022, Sandoval rifled through the victim’s office and belongings while disregarding her requests to stop. On that same day, while in her office, Sandoval displayed a knife to the victim. Sandoval also sent the victim messages through internet messaging platforms even after the victim told him to stop sending her messages. Sandoval admitted that he installed a hidden camera in the victim’s office without her knowledge and recorded video of the victim undressing and changing clothes in her office. And then, on March 15, 2022, Sandoval emailed the victim nude images he had taken without her knowledge and wrote in the email: “This is you naked. I’ll make sure and send all your videos of you changing. Have fun at work.” “Stalking, harassing and surveilling someone with a secret camera is an extreme violation of privacy that causes severe distress in victims,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting victims of stalking and holding perpetrators accountable for malicious activity over the internet and in person.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and Naval Criminal Investigative Service for their excellent work on this case. “Mr. Sandoval deserves to be held fully accountable for his reprehensible actions to harass, surveil, and intimidate a service member,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua Flowers of the NCIS Southwest Field Office. “NCIS and our law enforcement partners remain committed to fully investigating and rooting out criminality within the ranks that threatens the safety of the Department of the Navy family.” If you or someone you know has experienced cyberstalking by an active duty service member, please contact the following anonymous tip lines: https://www.ncis.navy.mil/Resources/NCIS-Tips/ (Navyand Marines), https://www.cid.army.mil/report-a-crime.html (Army), and https://www.osi.af.mil/Submit-a-Tip/ (Air Force), or call the Department of Defense Hotline at (800) 424-9098. Victims of cyberstalking by non-active-duty members should contact local law enforcement or the FBI field office. DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr00178-RSH Jonathan Sandoval Age: 30 Calexico, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Stalking – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2261A(2)(B) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine AGENCY Naval Criminal Investigative Service *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Tompkins County Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Timothy Buckley, age 55, of Groton, New York, was sentenced today to serve 84 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Buckley admitted that in January of 2021, he received child pornography from another user on a social networking application. Buckley also admitted that in August of 2021, he distributed images of child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer via the same social networking application. United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Buckley to 15 years of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Buckley will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by the FBI Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as a part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Gang Leader Sentenced for Possessing Ammunition While on Federal Supervised Release Less Than a Year After Serving More Than Fifteen Years in Prison for Trafficking Drugs

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Providence man identified by law enforcement as a leader of the Trinitarios street gang, has been sentenced to thirty months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Juan Guerrero, 42, was found to be in possession of 9 mm cartridges in October 2019, ten months after he completed serving a fifteen-and-a-half-year federal prison sentence for trafficking drugs. The October 2019 arrest occurred while Guerrero was subject to a five-year term of supervised release that followed his term of incarceration. Minutes after Providence Police saw a vehicle driven by Guerrero speed away from an area where they were investigating reports of shots fired, a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of a knapsack containing 9 mm ammunition in Guerrero’s vehicle. The investigation later determined that ten spent shell casings recovered by police from the shooting location carried the same marking as did live 9 mm cartridges retrieved from the knapsack. “Gang violence and gun crimes sow fear on our streets and rob Rhode Islanders of the safety that every one of us deserves in all of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Rather than learning from the consequences of his past crimes, this Defendant chose to reoffend and put lives at risk. Thanks to superb investigative work by the Providence Police, however, he has been held accountable yet again, and our streets are safer for it.” “I commend the outstanding work conducted by our officers to assist in removing this dangerous career criminal from our streets,” said Providence Police Colonel Oscar L. Perez. “The continued partnership amongst our law enforcement partners has been an invaluable resource in the reduction of drug and gun violence and in this case the defendant is more than deserving of the sentence he was given. We will continue to utilize every resource available to us to make our streets safe and I thank the Office of the United States Attorney for their commitment to public safety.” According to a government Sentencing Memorandum filed with the court, on October 21, 2019, at approximately 1:20 am, Providence Police received reports of shots fired. As they were responding, they saw a vehicle speed away from the general area. Providence Police followed the vehicle and attempted to stop it. At first, the driver refused to stop. When it did, the driver, Juan Guerrero, was uncooperative with police and refused officers’ commands. Guerrero was removed from the vehicle at gunpoint and handcuffed. Police later determined that the 16-year-old was, at the time, in the custody of the Rhode Island Training School, but was allowed home under the supervision of his mother. A knapsack containing the ammunition was discovered in the vehicle. As detailed in court filings , a subsequent investigation by Providence Police revealed surveillance video showing several shots being fired into the air by a person that matched a physical description of Guerrero and the clothing he was wearing at the time of his arrest. The individual is seen in the video firing the gun into the air, and nine or ten muzzle flashes can be seen as shots are fired. The shell casings retrieved from the scene of the shooting and the ammunition contained in the knapsack retrieved from Guerrero’s car carried the same markings. As a result of his arrest related to this incident, Guerrero was found to have violated the conditions of his federal supervised release and was sentenced to 24 months of incarceration. On March 23, 2023, Guerrero pleaded guilty to a separate charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 30 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. The Court ordered Guerrero to serve the additional 30-month sentence imposed today consecutive to the term of incarceration he is currently serving for violating his supervised release conditions. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson. ###


title: FBI Arrests Canutillo Woman for Making False Statements

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Canutillo woman was arrested Tuesday on criminal charges related to her alleged false statements made to an FBI Task Force Officer. Court documents allege that, Veronica Gutierrez, 41, claimed that a police officer inappropriately touched her while executing a search warrant at her residence on or about Dec. 15, 2022. The April 5 indictment adds that she also claimed the police officer told her, this is what happens when she does not send pictures of herself to the officer. Gutierrez is charged with one count of false statement. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey of the FBI El Paso Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s West Texas Border Corruption Task Force is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Skillern is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Fort Myers Roofing Contractors Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: Two Florida businessmen pleaded guilty yesterday to tax evasion. According to court documents, David Aaron and Russell Ultes were co-owners of Marlin Construction Group LLC (Marlin), a Fort Myers-based residential and commercial roofing company. In 2018 and 2019, Aaron and Ultes diverted millions of dollars of customer checks made payable to Marlin, by cashing them at check-cashing businesses in nearby counties. Aaron and Ultes used the cash to pay personal expenses and caused Marlin’s books and records to falsely underreport the business’s gross receipts and income for those years. Aaron and Ultes provided false information to Marlin’s tax return preparers, resulting in the preparation of false 2018 and 2019 corporate income tax returns (Forms 1120S) that did not report all of the gross receipts and income. Because the income from the false corporate returns flowed through to Aaron and Ultes’s personal returns, their 2018 and 2019 personal income tax returns (Forms 1040) were similarly false. In total, Aaron and Ultes caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.4 million. Aaron and Ultes each face a maximum of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handby for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Stanley J. Okula, Jr., and Trial Attorney Richard J. Hagerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA Appeals Decision

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department today issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA : “The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Fifth Circuit’s decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA to deny in part our request for a stay pending appeal. We will be seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court to defend the FDA’s scientific judgment and protect Americans’ access to safe and effective reproductive care.”


title: United States Attorney expands civil rights efforts in 2023

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Civil rights enforcement and education will be expanded in West Virginia in 2023, to include proactive efforts to ensure that people with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that his office has developed a formal plan pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that public entities don’t discriminate against voters based upon disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, to include registration, site selection, and the casting of ballots, whether on Election Day or during early voting. “Voting is a hallmark of our democracy, and we want to make sure that no one is denied this fundamental right due to a disability,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. Ihlenfeld also announced that his office will host four community events this year to raise awareness about federal civil rights, with a special focus on the ADA, the Fair Housing Act, hate crimes, and environmental justice. These educational sessions will be held in Hancock, Ohio, Hampshire, and Harrison counties, with the first event scheduled for April 20, 2023, at 9 a.m. at the Millsop Community Center in Weirton. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is the District’s Civil Rights Coordinator and is leading the community outreach efforts. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Prezioso, Jarod Douglas, and Max Nogay are also assisting with the initiative. To learn more about the district’s civil rights work, or to report a civil rights violation, go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/civil-rights-program .


title: Readout of United States Attorney Kevin Ritz’s Roundtable Discussions throughout West Tennessee

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Jackson, TN – This week, United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz traveled to multiple counties and state Judicial Districts in West Tennessee to host a series of roundtable discussions with law enforcement, local prosecutors, and community stakeholders. These visits focused on the 24th, 26th, and 27th Judicial Districts in West Tennessee. Roundtable participants had an open dialogue with the U.S. Attorney, addressing their issues and concerns, and learned more about the Department’s priorities. On Monday, U.S. Attorney Ritz met in Camden with partners and stakeholders in Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin, and Henry Counties in the 24th Judicial District to address issues and community concerns. On Tuesday morning, WBBJ-TV reporter Ryan Hodges interviewed U.S. Attorney Ritz about the mission of the roundtable discussions, his priorities, and violent crime issues. As U.S. Attorney said during the interview, “in Memphis, Jackson, and all of West Tennessee, communities are reeling from gun violence and violent crime. Addressing this violence is a top priority. We focus our efforts on the most significant drivers of violence.” Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Attorney Ritz met in Martin with officials from Obion and Weakley Counties in the 27th Judicial District. The district-wide visit concluded on Wednesday, when U.S. Attorney Ritz facilitated a roundtable discussion in the 26th Judicial District with officials from Chester, Henderson, and Madison Counties. He also addressed members of the Jackson Rotary Club as their keynote speaker. Below are photos from these events. U.S. Attorney Ritz will continue to schedule roundtable discussions with stakeholders throughout the Western District of Tennessee. ### For more information, please contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @ WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz in Benton County, Tennessee to host inaugural series of roundtable discussions. United States Attorney Ritz interviewed by WBBJ-TV Reporter Ryan Hodges. U.S. Attorney Ritz, along with AUSA Vic Ivy and District Attorney General Jody Pickens, facilitated roundtable discussion with law enforcement from the 26th Judicial District. U.S. Attorney Ritz addressed the members of the Jackson Rotary Club.


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with Intent to Kill While Armed

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON –Anthony Braxton, 47, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury, of assault with intent to kill while armed and other charges in a mid-morning stabbing that took place in November 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Robert J. Contee III, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Braxton also was found guilty of aggravated assault while armed, stalking, and other offenses. The verdict was returned on April 12, 2023, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2023. According to the government’s evidence, on Nov. 4, 2017, Braxton went to the home of his former romantic partner in violation of a court ordered stay away. He then approached the woman in broad daylight and stabbed her nearly 30 times with a pair of needle nose pliers in front of their child in common. Braxton had been ordered by a District of Columbia Superior Court Judge on Oct. 16, 2017, to stay away and have no contact with the victim. Evidence showed that he violated that order over 500 times between Oct. 16, 2017 and Nov. 4, 2017. The victim received medical treatment for her stab wounds at Howard University Hospital. She ultimately required surgery to save her right hand. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina Wolf, Appellate Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Coleman and Daniel Lenerz, Pretrial Mental Health Coordinator Jennifer Mika, Paralegal Specialist Tiffany Fogle, Victim/Witness Advocate Shawn Slade and Tracy Owusu, and interns Jessica Wasserman, Julianne Saunders, Molly Patrick, and Kate Dougherty. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dana Joseph and Brian Yang, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: 14 Individuals Charged in Drug Trafficking Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 10, 2023, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 62-count indictment charging 14 individuals with money laundering and narcotics offenses. According to court documents, beginning no later than March 2020, the defendants conspired and agreed with each other to conduct over $5 million in financial transactions involving proceeds from drug trafficking. They used the U.S. financial system to conceal proceeds from dealing with controlled substances and transferred those illicit proceeds from places within the United States including Puerto Rico, to places outside the United States, including the Republic of Colombia. Counts 2 to 52 of the indictment detail 51 financial transactions ranging from $16,036.90 to $1,109,960 involving proceeds from drug trafficking. Counts 53 to 59 charge defendant Carlos Javier Ruiz-Patiño, a/k/a “Hustler Man/Jordan/El Chamo”, of international concealment money laundering. It is alleged that the defendant transferred or transported a total of $964,944.35 from Puerto Rico to Colombia and Canada. Counts 60 to 62 include Narcotics Importation Conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and Narcotics Conspiracy. Defendant Carlos Javier Ruiz-Patiño is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Regional Priority Organizational Target (RPOT). The RPOT List includes leaders of significant drug trafficking and money laundering organizations that are primarily responsible for a region’s drug threat. Ruiz-Patiño was arrested on March 9, 2023. The defendants arrested today are: Roberto Brioso-Canario, David Luis Zapata-Félix, Walter Alexis Daynes-Torres, and Jesús Alberto Oriol-Cabán. Defendants Guillermo Andrés Beltrán-Osorio, Enmanuel Matos-Matos, Edgardo Delgado-Carmona, Rafael Cruz-Montalvo, Edgar Omar Báez-Vargas, and Franky Pagán-Mendoza were previously arrested. Authorities are actively working on the arrest of three other defendants who are charged in the conspiracy. The indictment includes a forfeiture notice regarding the following property: One Cessna Model 310Q Aircraft, PT-JST, its flight and maintenance logs and manuals, together with associated tools and spare parts seized on November 11, 2022 $139,940 in U.S. currency seized on June 5, 2020 $179,900 in U.S. currency seized on September 10, 2020 $1,000,130 in U.S. currency seized on September 30, 2020 $1,009,960 in U.S. currency seized on March 7, 2022 $102,461 in U.S. currency seized on October 19,2022 “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that distribute contraband, launder illicit proceeds, and attempt to corrupt our society,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our federal law enforcement partners for taking down a criminal organization that laundered drug proceeds for drug cartels. Drug traffickers and money launderers operate globally, but this investigation demonstrates that they will be brought to justice wherever they are found.” “It’s my privilege to recognize the efforts performed by agents from the DEA and our partner agencies in our crusade to rid the public of these dangerous individuals that do nothing but harm our society,” said Denise Foster, Special Agent in Charge of DEA, Caribbean Division. “From Drug Traffickers to money launderers, the DEA will bring all it has to bear to make our communities safer and healthier, and to reverse the devastating trends of drug-related violence and overdoses plaguing our Communities.” If convicted of the charged money laundering offenses, the defendants face a maximum term of 20 years in prison. If convicted of the charged narcotics offenses, the defendants face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is in charge of the investigation of the case with the collaboration of FBI, HSI, IRS, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Olinghouse of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico is leading the prosecution of this OCDETF matter. The announcement was made by United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and DEA Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: California Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Transporting Methamphetamine in Lawn Mower Tires

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS – A man from California was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after he admitted to transporting 11 pounds of crystal methamphetamine to Fairview Heights, Illinois. Luis A. Aguilar-Caldera, 31, of Chula Vista, California, pled guilty to one count of manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess a controlled substance. After serving his prison sentence, he will be placed on supervised release for two years. “As a transportation hub, southern Illinois roadways are frequented by out-of-state drug dealers who target operations and plan distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Agents with the DEA work diligently to help prevent the poison from reaching our communities, and I appreciate their efforts.” According to court documents, a confidential informant working with the DEA set up a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from a Mexico-based supplier in May 2021. The individual met two men in a Ford F-150 at the Flying J truck stop in Alorton, Illinois. Aguilar-Caldera was the passenger in the truck that was pulling a lawn mower on a trailer. Aguilar-Caldera told the confident source there were 11 pounds of methamphetamine located in the tires of the lawn mower. As the Ford F-150 and the confidential source were driving to a mechanic shop to remove the tires and retrieve the drugs, DEA agents conducted a traffic stop in Fairview Heights and arrested the men in the truck. Co-defendant Leonardo Andres Hernandez, 49, of Bentonville, Arkansas, was also named in the indictment and is facing a charge for manufacture, distribute, dispense, or possess a controlled substance. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Carraway prosecuted the case.


title: Walter Pierluisi Isern, Eduardo Pierluisi Isern, and American Management and Administration Corporation Pleaded Guilty to Federal Program Theft in Excess of $3.7 Million and Agreed to a Restitution Order for All Illegal Proceeds

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –Walter Pierluisi Isern, Eduardo Pierluisi Isern, and American Management and Administration Corporation (AMAC) pleaded guilty today to one count of Theft of Federal Program Funds in relation to the misappropriation of operational funds provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the administration of public housing projects (PHPs) in Puerto Rico. According to court documents, the defendants admitted to knowingly and intentionally stealing money from HUD federal assistance programs from 2014 to August 2022 for their own use and the use of others. The total amount of theft was approximately $3,712,000.00. Given its fiduciary responsibility to manage millions in HUD funds and to operate over 5,000 housing units in 12 municipalities, AMAC was specifically prohibited from contracting with any company affiliated to AMAC or its officers. Walter Pierluisi Isern was the president and Eduardo Pierluisi Isern supervised the repair and maintenance work at the PHPs for AMAC during the duration of the fraudulent scheme. The defendants admitted in their plea agreements that despite AMAC’s fiduciary obligations, Walter Pierluisi Isern and Eduardo Pierluisi Isern used their executive positions within AMAC to operate a fraudulent schemed designed to circumvent that prohibition. In furtherance of that scheme, they illegally caused operational funds from the federal assistance programs to be routed via corporations and subcontractors that they controlled, all to personally enrich themselves. The defendants further admitted that they caused AMCA to submit false certifications to HUD assuring that no conflict of interest existed between AMAC and the companies hired to provide operational services in violation of federal law. As detailed in the proceedings, Walter Pierluisi Isern created contracts for FiveStar Pest Control, Inc. (FiveStar) and CoolBreeze Air Conditioning, Inc. (CoolBreeze) to provide services to PHPs under AMAC’s management. He then caused multiple payments to be made by FiveStar and CoolBreeze to funnel money to Docu‑Wharehouse, Pier Property, and XY Enterprises, subcontractors which were controlled and owned by Walter Pierluisi Isern. Through this scheme, Walter Pierluisi Isern illegally obtained approximately $2,035,498.86 in HUD funding that was earmarked for PHP operational expenses. The admissions included the recognition that Eduardo Pierluisi Isern caused checks from FiveStar and CoolBreez to be issued to the names of others, which he then cashed and deposited into his personal bank account for his personal use and benefit. Through this scheme, Eduardo Pierluisi Isern illegally obtained approximately $363,202.28 in HUD funding that was earmarked for PHP operational expenses. AMAC, through its executives and officials, admitted to illegally diverting a total of $3,712,000 in HUD funding that was earmarked for PHP operational expenses. The defendants have agreed to the entry of a restitution order in the favor of the United States in the amount of $3,712,000, equivalent to the amount of federal funds illegally obtained through the fraudulent scheme. The agreement to this restitution award is in addition to an agreement that the United States may also recommend a term of imprisonment as punishment for these crimes for Walter Pierluisi Isern and Eduardo Pierluisi Isern, which term of imprisonment shall be decided by the presiding judge at sentencing. “As today’s convictions demonstrate, those who attempt to defraud the U.S. government will be held accountable,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The defendants and their company harmed the integrity of a program designed to help underprivileged homeowners. Today’s plea agreement sends a clear message that any time U.S. dollars are misused and regardless of who steals taxpayer moneys, we will work tirelessly to pursue justice.” “HUD programs are vital to the well-being of many low-income families in our communities and provide critical resources for those who need them the most,” said HUD OIG Special Agent in Charge, Jerome Winkle. “HUD OIG is committed to working with Federal prosecutors and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.” “Our call to action remains the same and we will investigate every allegation of public corruption to its last consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI for Puerto Rico and the USVI, Joseph González. “I want to make clear we are not on any political side. The FBI is on the American people’s side and on the Constitution’s side. We will continue to work these cases, as we always have.” The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on July 11 and face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General investigated this case with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribing Former School Board President of Madison District Public Schools

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A school contractor pleaded guilty today to bribing and conspiring with Albert Morrison, the former School Board President of Madison District Public Schools, in a half-million dollar pay to play scheme, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Michigan Division; Sarah Kull, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division; and John Woolley, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General. John David, age 65, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Laurie Michelson to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery from 2014 through 2018 and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Morrison was the elected President of the Madison District Public Schools Board of Education from 2012 through 2018. While Morrison was President, David was one of the owners of a building maintenance and reconstruction company, Emergency Restoration (a/k/a Emergency Reconstruction), that was awarded over $3.1 million in maintenance and construction projects in the Madison District Public Schools. According to court records, David, who was a long-time friend of Morrison, wrote over $550,000 in checks from his company to Morrison’s company, Comfort Consulting, from 2014 through 2018. Morrison deposited the checks from David into his own bank account. The investigation uncovered $561,667 in payments from David to Morrison. David admitted he had to “pay to play” in the school district, and David’s companies received approximately $3,167,275 from the Madison District during the bribery conspiracy. Morrison spent the money from David on personal luxuries such as vacations in Florida and a boat slip. To keep the payments secret from the school board and the community in the Madison Schools, Morrison, when publicly confronted at a Madison District school board meeting, denied having any financial ties to David or Emergency Restoration. Morrison and David also failed to disclose to State of Michigan auditors the payments Morrison received from David. “Our community deserves school systems free of corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to ensure that public officials in our educational systems put the interests of our children first.” “Mr. David guaranteed he would receive work funded by Madison District Public Schools not by participating in a fair and transparent process, but by bribing those in positions of power,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities because of the negative impact corruption has on the public’s faith in government agencies. The FBI, IRS, and Department of Education Office of Inspector General will continue to work cooperatively to hold those who engage in corrupt practices in our education system accountable for their crimes.” Sentencing is set for August 14, 2023 at 1 PM. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and the Department of Education. It is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Resnick Cohen, Karen Reynolds, and Gjon Juncaj.


title: Six Indicted in Alleged Drone Prison Smuggling Scheme

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN.– A federal grand jury in Kansas City returned an indictment charging six people with conspiring to smuggle contraband into a federal prison in Kansas. Dale Gaver III, 35, Dale Gaver II, 54, Joshua Hamilton, 37, and Rex Hill, 33, all of Omaha, Nebraska, are charged with one count of conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison. Additionally, Melvin Edwards, 44, and Tamarae Hollman, 36, of Riverside, California, are charged with one count of conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison. According to court documents, between August 2020 and May 2021, Edwards, Gaver II, Gaver III, Hamilton, Hill, and Hollman are accused of conspiring to smuggle prohibited items into Leavenworth Penitentiary by allegedly using a drone to drop contraband such as cellular phones, K2 (synthetic cannabinoid), marijuana, and tobacco into the yard. Hill is also charged with one count of attempting to provide prison contraband. Gaver III, an inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary during the conspiracy time frame, is also charged with one count of attempted possession of prison contraband and one count of possession of prison contraband. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former Correctional Officer at The Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison For a Racketeering Conspiracy Related to a Smuggling Scheme

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Shanese Butler, age 35, of Baltimore, a former Correctional Officer at the Metropolitan Transition Center (“MTC”) in Baltimore, to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a racketeering conspiracy related to a scheme to smuggle contraband the MTC. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. According to court documents and her guilty plea, from June 2020 to November 2020, Butler engaged in a romantic relationship with Christopher Mann while he was a detainee at the Metropolitan Transition Center, and conspired with Mann, other employees, detainees, and associates of MTC to participate in a pattern of racketeering activity, including drug distribution and bribery. Specifically, Butler, Mann and at least two other conspirators, including outside facilitator, Cania Jefferson, age 35, and Correctional Officer Thomas Green, worked together to smuggle contraband into MTC in exchange for bribe payments. At Mann’s direction, Butler sent $1,000 bribe payments to Green on multiple occasions. In exchange for these bribe payments, Green smuggled contraband into MTC and delivered it to Mann. For example, in July 2020, after receiving a bribe payment from Mann, Green smuggled two cell phones, suboxone, and K2 into MTC but was apprehended by law enforcement on their way to MTC. The evidence showed that Butler controlled Mann’s Cash App account, through which multiple payments were made to Green and facilitator Cania Jefferson; and multiple payments from and on behalf of Mann’s customer’s inside MTC were received. The government presented evidence that, not only did Butler assist in managing the day-to-day financial aspects of Mann’s contraband smuggling organization, she assisted in liquidating the operation’s proceeds. Cash App records confirm that between September 16 and October 3, 2020, Butler withdrew approximately $33,000 from the account. The FBI recovered approximately 10 percent of that amount, $3,020, while searching Butler’s home on October 2, 2020. The balance of the proceeds is unaccounted for. According to court documents, in September 2020, law enforcement intercepted a series of phone calls in which Butler and Mann devised a scheme to spray liquid K2 onto a piece of paper, and to smuggle the paper into MTC through the United States mail service. Butler sent the piece of paper to another detainee as a “trial.” The mailing was seized by jail administrators, tested by a chemist, and found to have been soaked in synthetic marijuana. When the FBI raided Butler’s home in October 2020, they recovered a spray bottle containing liquid K2, as well as multiple pieces of paper that had been soaked in liquid K2. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Co-defendants Christopher Mann, age 40, of Baltimore; Thomas Green, age 34, of Pikesville, Maryland; and Cania Jefferson, age 36, of Lansdowne, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme and were sentenced to between a year and a day and three years in federal prison. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI and DPSCS Intelligence and Investigative Division for their work in this joint investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Martinez and Aaron S.J. Zelinsky who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: East Rochester Man Sentenced for Defrauding Elderly Family Member

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – An East Rochester man was sentenced in federal court for defrauding a 79-year old family member of almost $84,000, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Craig Corriveau, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 12 months in prison. Corriveau was also ordered to pay $83,629.69 in restitution to the victim. On December 21, 2022, Corriveau pleaded guilty to wire fraud. “The defendant targeted an elderly family member, which is particularly insidious,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “The victim and their family placed their trust in Corriveau, and he abused that trust over the course of two years. I thank the Rochester Police Department and FBI for their excellent investigative work in bringing the defendant to justice. Our office will continue to work to protect the elderly population in our communities.” Between March 2019 and late 2021, the defendant stole approximately $84,000 from the victim and left them with almost $20,000 in credit card debt. He spent more than $31,000 of the stolen funds at a Rochester gun store to purchase ammunition, a knife throwing set, and 32 firearms. He only stopped stealing after he breached the credit limit on the victim’s credit cards and emptied their bank accounts. The defendant lied to the Rochester Police Department by claiming the victim had authorized him to spend the stolen money. Corriveau used his knowledge of the victim’s personal identifying information to gain access to their bank accounts and credit cards. The defendant set up paperless bank and credit card statements, so the victim was unable to detect the fraud. The Rochester Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov. ###


title: Montana Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing $134,000 from Her Elderly Mother-in-law and Father-in-law

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on April 13, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Carol Ann Feist, age 57, from Whitehall, Montana, to serve 65 months in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and payment of $134,000.00 in restitution after she pleaded guilty for committing Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft against her elderly mother-in-law and father-in-law. As part of this sentence, Judge Hovland imposed a $134,000.00 money judgment against Feist. On October 26, 2021, Feist called a customer service representative at a US Bank, located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and pretended to be her elderly mother-in-law. Feist fraudulently provided US Bank Representatives with her mother-in-law’s personal identifying information and deceitfully initiated a $134,000.00 wire transfer from her mother-in-law and father-in-law’s US Bank checking account to a title company located in Helena, Montana. The $134,000.00 transaction represented the life savings of Feist’s mother-in-law and father-in-law, and Feist initiated this wire transfer without her mother-in-law or father-in-law’s knowledge or permission. Thereafter, Feist utilized the $134,000.00 wire transfer as a down payment on a home she purchased in Whitehall, Montana. Prior to Feist stealing $134,000 from her mother-in-law, she also fraudulently impersonated her father-in-law by listing him as a co-borrower on the Whitehall, Montana property. Specifically, during the purchase of the property, Feist presented real estate closing documents which contained both her father-in-law’s forged signature and a fraudulent State of North Dakota notary stamp. Feist conducted the transactions without her father-in-law’s knowledge or permission. During the timeframe of Feist’s criminal actions, her father-in-law was in hospice care and has since passed away. “Financial abuse of the elderly is a serious crime,” Schneider said. “Whether it is foreign-based scammers or a family member, federal law sets forth serious penalties for those who defraud senior citizens. Today’s strong sentence is a credit to our career prosecutors and partners in law enforcement.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bismarck Police Department, and the Jefferson County (Montana) Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek prosecuted this case. ######


title: Leader of Multistate Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – On April 11, 2023, Judge Ralph Beistline of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska sentenced a Mexican national to 14 years imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for his role as the head of a drug trafficking organization that spanned multiple states. Judge Beistline also sentenced a lower-level coconspirator based in Alaska to a term of seven years of imprisonment on April 12, 2023. According to court documents, Rene Alejandro Pompa-Villa pleaded guilty to continuing criminal enterprise and money laundering conspiracy for his role in a drug trafficking and distribution enterprise that stretched from Alaska to Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. From 2016 through October 2020, Pompa-Villa, the leader of the organization, regularly mailed large amounts of drugs to distributors throughout the country, including mailing parcels to drug dealers in Anchorage, and deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds into various bank accounts. During the nearly three-year investigation, law enforcement officers seized about six kilograms of heroin, four kilograms of methamphetamine and four kilograms of fentanyl sent through the mail. The Alaska drug distributor, Kyle Redpath, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for receiving drugs through the mail from the drug trafficking organization. Redpath also deposited thousands of dollars into bank accounts owned by the organization. The continuing criminal enterprise statute that Pompa-Villa was convicted of violating applies to high-level leaders of large and organized criminal organizations. Pompa-Villa and Redpath were indicted in April 2021 along with 8 other members of the enterprise located in Anchorage, San Diego, and Tucson. Dustin Noonan was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment on March 23, 2023. Tyler Landroche was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment on February 23, 2023. Kimberly Renee Mackey was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment on February 22, 2023. Jessica Twigg was sentenced to time served on May 16, 2022. Carlos Camacho, Christopher Pompa-Villa, and Heydimar Marrero are awaiting sentencing. Victor Pompa-Villa remains at large. “Today’s sentence disrupts a continuing criminal enterprise that spanned coast-to-coast and border-to-border,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker. “The United States Attorney’s Office, in concert with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively prosecute and seek justice against traffickers of fentanyl and other illegal drugs that are poisoning our communities.” “The sentence imposed today underscores the commitment of the DEA to tirelessly pursue, and go wherever an investigation leads, to ensure those who traffic poison into our communities are held accountable,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The US Postal Inspection Service will continue to aggressively investigate individuals like Pompa-Villa who use the US Mail in support of their criminal activities.” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, “This should also serve as a reminder to those who abuse our community by peddling dangerous narcotics; law enforcement will find you and bring you to justice. Cases like these don’t come together without teamwork and we thank all agencies involved.” “A rockstar once said ‘I’ve never had a problem with drugs. I’ve had problems with the police.’ Though not a rock star, Mr. Pompa-Villa, because of his drug trafficking, also has problems with the police,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Illegal drugs are a tremendous plague on our communities. Because of that, IRS:CI will continue to work with our partners in the community and in law enforcement to stop the flow of drugs and cause as many problems for drug traffickers as possible, rockstar or not.” U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); U.S. Department of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Alaska State Troopers and the Anchorage Police Department are investigating the case. The U.S. Marshals had a significant role in making the arrests and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Tucson and San Diego played a critical role in the indictment of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher D. Schroeder and Karen Vandergaw prosecuted the case. This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which 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. Beware of pills bought on the street: One Pill Can Kill . Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is a highly potent opiate that can be diluted with cutting agents to create counterfeit pills that purport to mimic the effects of Oxycodone, Percocet, and other drugs, but can be obtained at a lower cost. However, very small variations in the amount or quality of fentanyl create huge effects on the potency of the counterfeit pills and can easily cause death. Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills are usually shaped and colored to resemble pills that are sold legitimately at pharmacies. For example, the counterfeit pills involved in this case, known as M30s, mimic Oxycodone, but when sold on the street they routinely contain fentanyl. These tablets are round and often light blue in color, though they may be made in many colors, and have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. ### usao/ak/23-025


title: Harrison County man guilty of firearms and witness tampering charges

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Shinnston, West Virginia, man was found guilty this week of illegally having an assault rifle and tampering with a witness to cover up the crime. Charles Raymond Wable, 62, was found guilty by a federal jury after a two-day trial. Wable, a person prohibited from having firearms because of prior drug convictions, was under supervision by the U.S. Probation Office. During a home check, officers found a loaded assault rifle hidden under his bed. During a hearing in federal court to revoke his probation, Wable had someone falsely testify about the ownership of the firearm. Wable will be sentenced on August 2, 2023. He faces up to 10 years in prison for the firearms charge and faces up to 20 years for witness tampering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Probation Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Andrew Cogar prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Steal Firearms from Second Amendment Outdoors in Derry

body_text: CONCORD – A Lawrence, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Jaythean Diaz, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for July 25, 2023. Diaz was indicted on July 11, 2022. On December 8, 2021, the Diaz and his co-conspirators broke into Second Amendment Outdoors in Derry, New Hampshire and stole 12 firearms—11 pistols and one rifle. Videos recovered from the phone of a co-conspirator show Diaz holding the stolen firearms, and messages recovered in another search show attempts by Diaz to sell at least one of the stolen firearms. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a maximum fine of $250,000 and restitution in an amount to be determined at sentencing. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lawrence Police Department, Methuen Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Derry Police Department, Atkinson Police Department, Plaistow Police Department, Kingston Police Department, Windham Police Department, Hooksett Police Department, and Salem Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results. ###


title: Grant County residents sentenced to a combined 50 years for child porn

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Petersburg, West Virginia, residents have been sentenced for creating and distributing sexual images of a minor under the age of 12. Christine Shook, age 34, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison. Jasper E. Shook, age 35, was sentenced in February to 365 months. Both defendants pleaded guilty in 2022 to child pornography charges. Jasper Shook messaged an undercover FBI agent using the KIK app, bragging about sexual contact with a minor and sending sexually explicit images of the child. A search warrant was later executed at the Shook home, where officers seized electronic devices that contained child pornography, with some of the images also identifying Jasper Shook and Christine Shook. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Virginia State Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Adobe Inc. Agrees to Pay $3 Million to Settle Kickback Allegations Involving Federal Software Sales

component: Civil Division

body_text: Adobe Inc. has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it made payments in violation of the Anti-Kickback Act in return for influence over the sale of Adobe software to the federal government. “Those who do business with the government are prohibited from paying kickbacks, which can result in unnecessary purchases and increase costs to taxpayers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to use all appropriate tools to safeguard the integrity of the federal procurement process.” The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Adobe made improper payments under its Solution Partner program to companies that had a contractual or other relationship with the government that allowed them to influence federal purchases of Adobe software. Between January 2011 and December 2020, Adobe allegedly paid the companies a percentage of the purchase price of the software. The United States contends that these payments constituted prohibited kickbacks that resulted in Adobe causing false claims for payment to be submitted to federal agencies. “A fair market relies heavily on an even playing field,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “When a company, vendor, or business owner tips the scales to their advantage, it undermines the system. When government dollars are involved, it means taxpayers ultimately bear the burden. Whistleblowers – like those in this case – are to be commended for trying to return the playing field to level.” “The General Service Administration Office of the Inspector General (GSA-OIG) will continue working to protect taxpayer dollars and the integrity of federal contracting,” said Inspector General Carol F. Ochoa of the GSA. “I appreciate the hard work of the special agents, auditors, and attorneys on this case.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Alan Dowless, Barbara Evans, and Carrie Whalen, who are all former Adobe managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of this resolution, Dowless, Evans, and Whalen will receive $555,000. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Dowless v. Adobe, Inc. , Civil Action Number 17-cv-02039 (D.D.C.). The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the GSA-OIG and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Senior Trial Attorney Greg Pearson of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benton Peterson for the District of Columbia handled the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Three Nigerian Nationals Facing Federal Charges Related to a Fraud Scheme With Losses of More Than $6 Million

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – The first of three defendants, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo, age 29, has been extradited from Canada to the United States to face a federal indictment, and is scheduled to have his initial appearance on Friday, April 14, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amjel Quereshi. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Simon-Ebo, James Junior Aliyu, a/k/a “Old Soldier,” and “Ghost,” age 28 and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, age 31, all Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering and for wire fraud and money laundering charges related to a business email compromise (“BEC”) scheme with losses of more than $6 million. The indictment was returned on June 24, 2019, and unsealed on July 6, 2022, upon the defendants’ arrests outside the United States. The indictment was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; and Special Agent in Charge Matthew R. Stohler of the U.S. Secret Service - Washington Field Office. According to the seven-count indictment, from February 2016 until at least July 2017, the defendants conspired with others to perpetrate a BEC scheme. Specifically, the indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators, including co-conspirators residing in Maryland, gained unauthorized access to email accounts associated with individuals and businesses targeted by the conspirators. The co-conspirators then allegedly sent false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts from “spoofed” emails, which are emails with forged sender addresses, to deceive the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme, called “drop accounts.” The indictment also alleges that the defendants conspired to commit money laundering by disbursing the fraudulently obtained funds in the drop accounts to other accounts by initiating account transfers, withdrawing cash, obtaining cashier’s checks and by writing checks to other individuals and entities, to hide the true ownership and the source of those assets. For example, defendant Aliyu is alleged to have made a $350,000 wire transfer from one of the drop accounts in Maryland to an account he controlled in South Africa, knowing that the funds were the proceeds of a crime and that the transaction was designed to conceal the nature, source and ownership of those funds. Finally, the defendants are charged with wire fraud, related to the BEC scheme. Specifically, Simon-Ebo is charged in three wire fraud counts involving $6,343,533.10 in victim funds being wired to accounts controlled by conspirators. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud conspiracy, for the money laundering conspiracy, and for each count of wire fraud. If convicted, Aliyu also faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for money laundering. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI’s Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force and the U.S. Secret Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Making Threats to Maricopa County Election Official and to Official with Office of Arizona Attorney General

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An Iowa man pleaded guilty today to sending a threatening communication to an election official on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and to sending a threatening communication to an official with the Office of the Arizona Attorney General. According to court documents, on or about Sept. 27, 2021, Mark A. Rissi, 64, of Hiawatha, said the following in a voicemail message he left for Clint Hickman, an election official with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors: “Hello Mr. Hickman, I am glad that you are standing up for democracy and want to place your hand on the Bible and say that the election was honest and fair. I really appreciate that. When we come to lynch your stupid lying Commie [expletive], you’ll remember that you lied on the [expletive] Bible, you piece of [expletive]. You’re gonna die, you piece of [expletive]. We’re going to hang you. We’re going to hang you.” Additionally, on or about Dec. 8, 2021, Rissi said the following in a voicemail message he left for then-Attorney General of Arizona Mark Brnovich: “This message is for Attorney General Mark Brnovich . . . . I’m a victim of a crime. My family is a victim of a crime. My extended family is a victim of a crime. That crime was the theft of the 2020 election. The election that was fraudulent across the state of Arizona, that the Attorney General knows was fraudulent, that the Attorney General has images of the conspirators deleting election fraud data from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors computer system. Do your job, Brnovich, or you will hang with those [expletive] in the end. We will see to it. Torches and pitchforks. That’s your future, [expletive]. Do your job.” “Public officials who administer the most fundamental aspect of our democracy – elections – must be able to do their jobs free from illegal threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As today’s guilty plea demonstrates, our Election Threats Task Force, working with partners across the nation, will continue to hold accountable those who unlawfully threaten election workers.” “I’m proud of Arizona’s public servants who administer elections with integrity,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “When the people speak at the ballot box, all Americans should respect their voices.” “As part of the FBI’s mission to defend the democratic process, we are equipped with the expertise to respond to allegations of election interference – whether by fraud, cyber intrusion, or in this case, intimidation,” said Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “Election security is and will continue to be one of the FBI’s highest national security priorities.” Rissi pleaded guilty to two counts of making a threatening interstate communication. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with the assistance of the FBI Cedar Rapids Field Office. Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the Task Force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The Task Force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and United States Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the Task Force is continuing this work and supporting the United States Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun. Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Department of Justice, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo. To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at: tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Trafficking and Possession of a Machinegun

body_text: Defendant Faces Ten Year Mandatory Minimum Sentence WASHINGTON – Daniel Jahleel Thomas, also known as “dandue,” 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiring to distribute marijuana and oxycodone, illegal possession of a machinegun, and carrying a handgun during or in relation to drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell scheduled sentencing for August 4, 2023. The crimes to which Thomas pleaded guilty carry a combined mandatory-minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. According to court documents, Thomas advertised on Instagram that he had marijuana for sale. On February 25, 2022, MPD officers learned of the advertisement and responded to the location – outside the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments – knowing that Thomas had a court-ordered stay-away from the complex as a condition of a prior gun arrest. The officers saw Thomas standing outside the apartments and approached him. When Thomas saw the officers, he jumped into the back seat of a vehicle operated by a ride share service. As the officers attempted to speak with Thomas about the stay-away order, he resisted and pulled away. During the subsequent struggle, officers discovered a firearm in Thomas’ waistband. The firearm was later determined to be a Glock, Model 19, 9mm handgun loaded with one round in the chamber and 14 rounds in the magazine. The handgun was also fitted with a “giggle switch,” which made the handgun capable of fully automatic fire. Thomas was arrested that afternoon outside the Fort Chaplin Park Apartments in the 4200 block of Blaine Street, Northeast. During a search of the duffel bag he was carrying, officers found four large bags of marijuana, each containing approximately one-pound, as well as 81 pills, each of which contained 30mg of oxycodone. At the time of his arrest, Thomas was under investigation by the FBI for his role in a variety of federal offenses related to firearms and narcotic trafficking. Coordination between the FBI and MPD led to an indictment charging Thomas and two of his co-conspirators with numerous federal offenses. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jacobs, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case, including FBI and MPD. Finally, they cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Paralegal Specialist Genevieve de Guzman.


title: Bristol Man Sentenced to 46 Months Imprisonment For Possession Of Firearms And Impersonating A Deputy U.S. Marshal

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On April 13, 2023, Bobby Rowe Maggard, Jr., 47, of Bristol, Tennessee, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. On January 11, 2023, Maggard pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(3), and one count of impersonating a Deputy U.S. Marshal, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 912. Upon his release from imprisonment, Maggard will be on supervised release for 3 years. According to an Agreed Factual Basis filed with the Court on January 11, 2023, in August 2000, Maggard was convicted of the felony offense of Grand Larceny in Tazwell County, Virginia. In 2021, he became employed as a registered bonding agent for a bonding company in east Tennessee. In July 2021, law enforcement began receiving information that a person was representing himself as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, with one incident arising in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Maggard was identified as a suspect. When questioned by law enforcement, Maggard admitted that he was a felon and that he knew it was unlawful for him to possess a firearm. He also admitted that he used a fake Deputy U.S. Marshal’s badge and patch, which he had purchased on the internet, to pose as a Deputy U.S. Marshal when he was securing information from people. He stated that he impersonated a Deputy U.S. Marshal to people in order to “scare them in to telling the truth.” He also admitted to falsely using the identity of a Deputy U.S. Marshal to obtain repair services for an Apple watch. At the time of his questioning, Maggard was on supervised probation in Sullivan County, Tennessee, for Failure to Appear. Law enforcement conducted a search of his residence and recovered eight (8) firearms - three (3) Glock pistols, four (4) AR-style rifles in various calibers, and a 12-gauge tactical shotgun. This case was the result of an investigation by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). “The impersonation of a Deputy U.S. Marshal, while armed and after having been convicted of a felony offense, placed the public in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “Our office will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who engage in this conduct.” “The United States Marshals Service very much appreciates the great work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF and ATF Task Force Officer Farmer of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department for their excellent work on this investigation,” said United States Marshal David Jolley. “We are pleased with the outcome of this case and the work of our detectives and federal partners. Taking dangerous armed felons off our streets is imperative for the public’s safety,” said Sheriff Jeffrey Cassidy, of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States. This case also was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the 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: Readout of Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice’s Participation in the 2023 American Bar Association Public Defense Summit

component: Office for Access to Justice

body_text: Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice provided remarks today at the American Bar Association’s 2023 Public Defense Summit and named Nikhil Ramnaney as the Office for Access to Justice Senior Counsel, who will serve in a position dedicated to support for state and local public defense. Mr. Ramnaney brings over a decade of experience as a former county public defender and expert on public defense policy, and most recently served in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. In March, the Office for Access to Justice was joined by Justice Department senior officials to launch a National Public Defense Day Tour in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright , which held that criminal defendants are entitled to counsel. The Tour included stops in Miami; Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Nashville, Tennessee; Las Vegas; and Des Moines, Iowa, where Director Rossi was joined by Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. At the Des Moines listening session with local leaders, Associate Attorney General Gupta announced the creation of this new attorney position in ATJ dedicated to supporting, collaborating with and engaging the state and local public defense community.


title: New York Litigation Funder Convicted In Trip-And-Fall Fraud Scheme Sentenced To 36 Months In Prison

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ADRIAN ALEXANDER, a New York litigation funder, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for his participation in a scheme to obtain large insurance settlements and lawsuit recoveries from fraudulent trip-and-fall accidents. ALEXANDER is the 11th defendant to plead guilty or be convicted at trial for his participation in this fraud scheme and the fifth defendant to be sentenced. Defendants Ryan Rainford, Bryan Duncan and Robert Locust, who recruited patients into the scheme and were convicted at trial in May 2019, were previously sentenced on January 7, 2020, July 27, 2020, and July 9, 2021, respectively. Defendant Sady Ribeiro, a surgeon who participated in the scheme, was previously sentenced on March 23, 2023. U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein imposed all sentences. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Adrian Alexander knowingly exploited some of the most vulnerable members of society – many of whom were poor, drug addicts, or homeless – in order to enrich himself and his investors. Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to unscrupulous litigation funders that, together with our law enforcement partners, we will hold accountable those who engage in unlawful practices and prey on litigants without the means to avail themselves of the judicial process.” According to the Indictment, the Superseding Information, evidence presented in court, and statements made in court: ALEXANDER, among others, was involved in an extensive fraud scheme through which fraud scheme participants defrauded businesses and insurance companies by staging trip-and-fall accidents and filing fraudulent lawsuits arising from those staged trip-and-fall accidents. The fraud scheme participants recruited individuals (the “Patients”) to stage or falsely claim to have suffered trip-and-fall accidents at particular locations throughout the New York City area (the “Accident Sites”). In the course of the fraud scheme, scheme participants recruited more than 400 Patients. Members of the fraud scheme often recruited Patients who were extremely poor. For example, it was common for Patients to ask for food when they would appear for their intake meetings with the lawyers. Many of the Patients did not have sufficient clothing to keep them warm during the winter and had poor-quality shoes. Members of the fraud scheme also recruited Patients who were drug addicts, and it was common for scheme participants to recruit Patients from homeless shelters in New York City. In the beginning, scheme participants would instruct Patients to claim they had tripped and fallen at a particular location, when in fact, the Patients had suffered no such accidents. Eventually, at the direction of the lawyers who filed fraudulent lawsuits on behalf of the Patients, scheme participants began to instruct Patients to stage trip-and-fall accidents, i.e. , to go to a location and deliberately fall. Common Accident Sites used during the fraud scheme included cellar doors, cracks in concrete sidewalks, and purported “potholes.” After the staged trip-and-fall accidents, Patients were referred to specific attorneys who would file personal injury lawsuits (the “Fraudulent Lawsuits”) against the owners of the Accident Sites and/or insurance companies of the owners of the accident sites (the “Victims”). The Fraudulent Lawsuits did not disclose that the Patients had deliberately fallen at the Accident Sites or, in some cases, had not fallen at all. During the course of the fraud scheme, the defendants, together with others known and unknown, attempted to defraud the Victims of more than $31,000,000. The Patients were also instructed to receive ongoing chiropractic and medical treatment from certain chiropractors and doctors, including Ribeiro. The fraud scheme participants advised the Patients that if they intended to continue with their lawsuits, they were required to undergo surgery, which was critical to boosting the value of any potential settlement. Fraud scheme participants, including ALEXANDER, looked for doctors who were willing to perform surgeries, even when others would not. For example, in a May 2015 email, after one doctor informed ALEXANDER that a particular patient was “not . . . a surgical candidate,” ALEXANDER directed a Patient recruiter and case manager to “[t]ake him to [another doctor]—Nothing is done until its done.” As an incentive to getting surgery, the recruited Patients were offered a payment, in the form of loans, typically between $1,000 and $1,500 after they completed surgery (“Post-Surgery Loans”). Patients generally were told to undergo two surgeries. The Patients’ legal and medical fees were usually paid for by litigation funding companies (the “Funding Companies”), including a funding company owned by ALEXANDER, even if the Patient maintained medical coverage through an insurance company or a government-subsidized program. The Funding Companies also paid the fraud scheme organizers and participants referral fees, typically $1,000 to $2,500, for each Patient who signed a funding agreement. In an April 2015 email about a particular Patient’s staged accident, Alexander wrote to two of the recruiters and case managers, “I am sure you realize I want to do these deals; I am just trying to see how we can, without getting in trouble.” In exchange for funding Patients’ medical and legal costs, the Funding Companies charged the Patients high interest rates, sometimes up to 50% on medical loans and up to 100% on personal loans. The interest rates were so high that oftentimes the majority of the proceeds that were awarded in the Fraudulent Lawsuits were paid to the Funding Companies, lawyers, doctors, and others, with the Patients receiving a much smaller percentage of the remaining recovery. In addition to the high-interest rates charged by the Funding Companies, ALEXANDER also profited from the Fraud Scheme through an MRI facility that he owned and operated (“MRI Facility-1”). ALEXANDER pushed the case managers to send Patients to MRI Facility-1, which routinely prepared MRI reports that were “positive” for medical conditions justifying surgery, even though the Patients had not sustained any injuries. ALEXANDER received $1,000 per MRI that MRI Facility-1 prepared as part of the scheme. * * * In addition to the prison term, ALEXANDER, 76, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. ALEXANDER was further ordered to pay $659,011 in forfeiture. Restitution will be determined by the Court within 90 days. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau for their assistance in the investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas Chiuchiolo, Nicholas Folly, Danielle Kudla, and Alexandra Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Meeting with Security Cabinet of the Government of Mexico

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: Earlier today, following a bilateral meeting between the United States and Mexico at the White House, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco hosted a luncheon with U.S. and Mexican government officials focused on our partnership in fighting fentanyl and firearms trafficking. The Mexican delegation was led by Secretary for Security and Citizen Protection Rosa Icela Rodriguez, who was recently appointed as the chair of a presidential commission to combat illicit trafficking in synthetic drugs, firearms, and ammunition. Officials discussed law enforcement efforts in the fight against fentanyl trafficking and the illegal firearms smuggling that strengthens the cartels. They also noted the substantial progress that has been made on both issues through bilateral cooperation. Both delegations pledged to increase information-sharing and cooperation on criminal investigations and prosecutions focusing on disrupting the entire fentanyl supply chain, beginning with interdiction of precursor shipments from China and other countries, through takedowns of illegal laboratories, to arrests of members of distribution networks, to targeting money laundering facilitators. Attorney General Garland expressed his deep appreciation for all the sacrifices the Mexican military and law enforcement have made – including facing violence and death to fight the cartels. Deputy Attorney General Monaco thanked the Government of Mexico for their recent high number of extraditions to the United States. The Mexican delegation also included Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon, Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, Secretary of Defense General Luis Cresencio Sandoval González, Secretary of the Navy Admiral José Rafael Ojeda Durán, Secretary of Health Jorge Alcocer Varela, and Ambassador to the United States Esteban Moctezuma Barragán. Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monaco were joined by U.S. colleagues, including Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, who is leading the interagency efforts against fentanyl; U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar; Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien; Director of ONDCP Dr. Rahul Gupta; and State Department Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Todd Robinson. Both delegations agreed to further bilateral working groups focusing on the disruption of precursor chemicals shipments and illicit firearms smuggling. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco with U.S. and Mexican government officials


title: Minnesota Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ossie Bradley, 52, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 30 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. After he completes his prison sentence, Bradley will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On August 17, 2021, Bradley was stopped for a traffic violation by a Lincoln Police officer as Bradley was traveling on Interstate 80 in Lancaster County. The officer could smell the odor of burnt marijuana as he approached the car. The officer asked Bradley to come back to his patrol car to receive a traffic warning. Before Bradley entered the patrol car, the officer performed a pat-down search. During the pat-down, the officer located a handgun tucked in a small holster around Bradley’s waist. The firearm, a Ruger LCP II .380 caliber pistol, had six rounds in the magazine and came back as stolen out of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Bradley was prohibited from possessing firearms because of multiple prior felony convictions, the last of which was for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Minnesota. This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Career Offender Sentenced To More Than Twelve Years For Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Derek Wallace (46, Tampa) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Wallace had pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022. According to court documents, on January 5, 2022, Wallace arranged a drug transaction with a confidential source. Officers arrested Wallace when he arrived at the transaction location, he had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his possession. An additional 45 grams of fentanyl and 234 grams of methamphetamine were located in his residence. Wallace was on probation at the time. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.


title: Arkansas Doctor Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Accepting Kickbacks, Defrauding TRICARE, and Failed Attempts to Obstruct Investigation

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—An Arkansas doctor at the heart of a $12 million scheme to defraud TRICARE will spend the next 102 months in federal prison. Earlier today, United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker sentenced Joe David May, a.k.a. Jay May, 42, of Alexander, to 102 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay more than $4.63 million in restitution to TRICARE, the health insurer for our nation’s military. A 2020 indictment charged May with twenty-two counts, including conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, violating the anti-kickback statute, lying to the FBI, falsifying records, and aggravated identity theft. After a six-day trial in June 2022, a jury convicted May on all twenty-two counts. Proof at trial showed May stood at the center of a bogus prescription-drug assembly line and, later, went to great lengths in a failed bid to cover it up. As part of the scheme, recruiters found military personnel and veterans with TRICARE and filled out prescriptions for compounded drugs in their names—selecting which drugs to supply (usually the most expensive) and how many refills to authorize. All that was missing were prescriber signatures. So, middlemen routed the pre-filled prescriptions to medical professionals, like May, to be rubber stamped without consulting the ‘patient’ or any regard for whether drugs were needed. TRICARE paid over $12 million for prescriptions generated in this scheme, part of a wave of fraudulent schemes around the country that saw TRICARE spend over $2 billion for compounded prescription drugs in 2015. In exchange for thousands in cash kickbacks, May rubber stamped 226 prescriptions for which TRICARE paid over $4.63 million. All but one of his prescriptions were for ‘patients’ May did not know, never treated, and knew nothing about. Following the execution of search warrants at compounding pharmacies around the country, May visited the FBI to answer questions about his prescriptions. May lied by claiming he only signed prescriptions for people he evaluated and denying he received kickbacks. Obstruction continued when May got a subpoena for prescriptions and related ‘patient’ records. May turned over but a fraction of the prescriptions he signed and fabricated medical records to make it seem like the drug recipients were really his patients. Finally, as trial approached, May tried to mischaracterize a $5,000 cash kickback as Oaklawn winnings from the 2015 Arkansas Derby. All nine of May’s co-conspirators pled guilty to conspiracy and elected to cooperate with federal law enforcement, with several testifying at trial. All but one co-conspirator has been sentenced: Name Age Hometown Case No. Sentence Derek Clifton 41 Alexander, Ark. 4:20-CR-25 51 mos. imprisonment, $1.1M forfeiture Albert Glenn Hudson 42 Sherwood, Ark. 4:20-CR-129 48 mos. imprisonment, $1.5M forfeiture Donna Crowder 68 North Little Rock 4:20-CR-130 12 mos. 1 day imprisonment, $18K fine Jennifer Crowder 40 Little Rock 4:20-CR-131 12 mos. home confinement, $89K forfeiture Keith Benson 52 North Little Rock 4:20-CR-132 15 mos. imprisonment, $727K forfeiture Kenneth Myers, Jr. 44 Maumelle, Ark. 4:20-CR-25 3 years probation, $68K forfeiture Keith Hunter 54 Little Rock 4:20-CR-235 TBD Through the prosecution of May and his nine co-conspirators, the United States has recovered nearly $8 million in restitution, forfeiture, and fines. “Our healthcare system is built on trust, and those who abuse it do so at their peril,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “Dr. May accepted kickbacks, cheated TRICARE, and tried to deceive federal agents investigating his crimes. Now, he will trade hospital scrubs for a prison uniform. Let his case serve as a warning to others in the medical industry. Our office and our partners at the FBI and HHS-OIG are committed to rooting out anyone who succumbs to the temptation of ‘easy money.’” “By defrauding TRICARE, Dr. May stole from our service men and women, military retirees, and their families. He robbed Americans who had sworn an oath to defend our nation, and he pickpocketed American taxpayers,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “Today’s sentencing induces accountability, and demonstrates there is no place in our society for the behavior exhibited by Dr. May. The FBI and its partners will continue to aggressively investigate those who undermine the integrity of our nation’s healthcare system.” “Federal healthcare programs rely on the honesty and integrity of doctors to prescribe medically necessary medications to their patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “On the contrary, Dr. May signed pre-filled prescriptions filled out by a pharmaceutical rep for patients he had no doctor-patient relationship with and all on the backs of the American taxpayer. HHS-OIG is laser-focused on investigating doctors and other medical professionals who lie, cheat, and steal from American taxpayers for their own personal benefit, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold them accountable.” In addition to the 102-month prison sentence, Judge Baker sentenced May to three years’ of supervised release following imprisonment. May was also ordered to pay more than $4.63 million in restitution and a $2,200 special assessment. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and HHS-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander D. Morgan and Stephanie G. Mazzanti. This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar Twitter: @EDARNEWS