title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Marijuana Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sammy Olague, age 36, of Clovis, California, pled guilty today to conspiring to distribute marijuana. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf; and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. Olague admitted that he was a member of a marijuana-trafficking organization that shipped marijuana from Fresno, California, to locations through the United States, including the Capital Region, between 2016 and February 2020. The marijuana was shipped through UPS and FedEx from a shipping store, Fast Pack & Ship, in Fresno. The defendant owned and operated Fast Pack & Ship from 2016 through June 2018, when he sold the business to Nehemiah Fane, aka “Neil.” A portion of the purchase money was paid in cash by Dwight A. Singletary II, aka “Nutt” and “Mike Jones,” whom the defendant called “New York.” Before selling Fast Pack & Ship, Olague shipped approximately 86 kilograms (189 pounds) of marijuana from Fast Pack & Ship to Ruskin, Florida. He also shipped marijuana to, among other locations, the Capital Region and New York City for Singletary. Between April 2016 and May 2018, Olague shipped at least 104 packages—55 of which contained over 340 kilograms (750 pounds) of marijuana—from Fast Pack & Ship to the Capital Region. In the same period, he received money transfers from and cash, cashier’s checks, and money order deposits into his bank accounts in the Capital Region. As payment for marijuana from Singletary, in May 2018, McKenzie Merrialice Coles, aka “Kenzie,” sent a $1,650 money transfer from the Capital Region to Olague in Fresno; in July and August 2018, three $5,000 cashier’s checks purchased by Isiah Ti-Quan Clements, aka “Zay,” were deposited into Olague’s bank account at a bank in the Capital Region. After selling Fast Pack & Ship to Fane, between July 2018 and February 2020, Olague shipped at least 30 packages containing approximately 56 kilograms (123 pounds) of marijuana from Fast Pack & Ship to Ruskin. Olague was charged in an indictment with Singletary, Coles, Fane, Clements, and 19 other people charging marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, firearms offenses, and other crimes. Singletary, Coles, Fane, and Clements have pled not guilty, and are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. Olague faces at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million at sentencing. He will also be required to serve at least 4 years and up to a lifetime term of supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The ATF, DEA, Troy Police Department and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cyrus P.W. Rieck and Dustin C. Segovia are prosecuting the case. 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.


title: Worcester Man Indicted for Receiving and Possessing Machinegun While Under Indictment

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Worcester man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester on two firearms charges. Jose Rivera, 24, was charged by indictment with unlawful possession of a machine gun and receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a felony. Rivera was initially charged on March 7, 2023 for possession of a machinegun. According to the charging documents, during a search of Rivera’s Worcester residence on March 7, 2023, three Glock switches – including one attached to a Glock .40 caliber firearm were recovered. Glock switches convert semi-automatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machine guns and are considered machine guns under federal law. The indictment alleges that Rivera received the Glock .40 caliber firearm at some point on or after Oct. 9, 2021, while he was under indictment in state court for a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of over a year. The charge of unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of receipt of a firearm while under felony indictment provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent; and John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Salem Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—On March 29, 2023, a Salem, Oregon man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after he was caught transporting several dozen pounds of methamphetamine. David Contreras, aka Jorge Castillo-Gomez, 51, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents, on April 9, 2019, Contreras and an accomplice were traveling north on Interstate 5 near Central Point, Oregon when they were stopped by an Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper for speeding. As the trooper approached the vehicle, he observed a cardboard box inside containing a clear package with a substance resembling methamphetamine. While the trooper processed the traffic violation, he determined that the driver had a suspended Oregon driver’s license and Contreras, a passenger, did not possess a license. After an OSP narcotics canine alerted on the vehicle, troopers conducted a search. Inside the cardboard box they found several packages containing more than 33 pounds of methamphetamine. In addition to the drugs, they located a firearm concealed on the driver’s person, more than $3,000 in cash on Contreras’ person, and an additional $6,000 in cash in a backpack. The driver explained that he reported to Contreras who provided the troopers with a false name and identification documents. On May 1, 2019, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Contreras and his accomplice with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On November 8, 2021, Contreras pleaded guilty to the single charge. This case was investigated by OSP with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Renay Williams, 62, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and at least 500 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between September and November 2020, Williams sold large quantities of heroin and methamphetamine on numerous occasions to an undercover agent. At the time of his arrest, he was in possession of approximately 3 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Vallejo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case. Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. He faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Charges are pending against co-defendant, Clarence Courtney, 57, of Vallejo. Courtney is scheduled for a jury trial to begin on March 11, 2024. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Raleigh Man Sentenced for Healthcare Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Identity Theft from Elderly and Disabled Medicare Beneficiaries

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced today to 204 months in prison for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, ten counts of wire fraud and ten counts of aggravated identity theft. On October 19, 2022, Furman Alexander Ford, 53, was convicted by jury trial of all of the charges. “We live in a generous nation, but some choose to feed their greed at the expense of those in need. This defendant stole the identities of Medicare beneficiaries to defraud a taxpayer-funded program intended to help elderly, poor and disabled citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This 17-year sentence is fitting for a defendant who stole from the most vulnerable in our society.” According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Furman Alexander Ford, was the owner and operator of IAM Healthcare based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The investigation and trial evidence showed that Ford oversaw a scheme to trick group homes located in Wake, Durham and Johnston Counties into providing client Medicare information. Ford also targeted small community churches in Bladen County by offering food in exchange for Medicare information. Ford then used the information from these schemes to submit Medicare claims on behalf of these elderly and disabled beneficiaries who did not receive any services from IAM Healthcare. Specifically, Ford submitted fraudulent claims from December, 2018 to February, 2020, to Medicare for reimbursement. In total, Ford caused more than $500,000 to be billed to Medicare through IAM Healthcare. At least 74 beneficiaries whose information had been stolen had claims submitted to Medicare for services not rendered. Those claims alone totaled at least $251,508, of which $166,928 was paid to Ford. In reflecting upon the need to deter Medicare providers from abusing the trust placed in them by taxpayers, the Court stated, “if they are caught, the consequences will be time in a penitentiary, and that’s fair and that’s just, and that what is going to happen today.” Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Department of Health cand Human Services – Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan A. Ontjes and William Gilmore prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00351-FL-1.


title: Brooklyn High School Teacher Sentenced to 20 Years' Imprisonment for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Jonathan Deutsch was sentenced today in federal court in Brooklyn by United States District Judge Frederic Block to 20 years in prison for four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and six counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Deutsch is employed as a teacher by the New York City Department of Education, and immediately prior to his arrest, he was teaching at Leon M. Goldstein High School for the Sciences in Brooklyn. The defendant was convicted in June 2022 following a one-week trial. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence. “The defendant will be incarcerated for many years and deservedly so because he is the most dangerous type of predator, a teacher who enjoys victimizing children. Instead of using his training and skills as a teacher to enrich children, he used those skills to gain the trust of minors in order to sexually exploit them,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will continue to do all that we can to protect our children from sexual exploitation.” “Deutsch was convicted at trial of sexually exploiting children as young as 10-years old, and with today’s sentence, he learned the consequences of his depraved actions. He will rightfully serve a lengthy term in federal prison, where he will no longer pose a threat to our society’s most vulnerable members,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “Mr. Deutsch violated, in a truly reprehensible way, the sacred trust that exists between teachers and young people,” stated NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “Today’s sentencing sends an unequivocal message that the NYPD and our law enforcement partners will never tolerate the appalling acts of such criminal predators. I commend and thank all of the involved investigators at the city, state, and federal levels, and everyone at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District and the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, for their critical efforts on this important case.” As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and related court proceedings, in 2016 and 2017, Deutsch used multiple Facebook accounts to meet minors online. In one of his Facebook accounts, Deutsch posed as a 33-year-old teacher from New York, and in another account, he posed as a 14-year-old boy. Deutsch joined Facebook groups frequented by LGBTQ+ minors who were struggling with their sexuality and gender identity. After meeting in groups, Deutsch directly messaged children to develop relationships with them. When chatting with children, the defendant flattered them to gain their trust, and he offered support, comfort and affirmation when they expressed sadness, insecurity or pain. Then, Deutsch engaged the children in hyper-sexual conversation and enticed them to engage in sexually explicit conduct so that he could get videos and photos of that conduct. He also sent minors sexual photos that he represented to be of himself. Ultimately, Deutsch requested and received sexually explicit images or videos from at least four children, ranging in age from 10 to 16 years old. This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell and Rachel A. Bennek are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Adam Bernard. The Defendant : JONATHAN DEUTSCH Age: 39 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-502 (S-1) (FB)


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jasper Wemh, 38, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, Wemh admitted to conspiring with several other people to distribute methamphetamine for several months prior to December 5, 2022. Wemh obtained methamphetamine from his supplier on consignment and often provided methamphetamine to his customers on consignment, knowing they were redistributing the methamphetamine he sold them. Wemh further admitted to obtaining several pounds of methamphetamine from his supplier on December 3, 2022. Wemh distributed the methamphetamine to multiple customers and paid his supplier $250,000 over time from the proceeds from distributing the supplier’s methamphetamine. Wemh also admitted to conspiring with other people to distribute cocaine base, also known as “crack,” that he received from his supplier on occasions prior to December 3, 2022. Wemh stored quantities of methamphetamine, crack and cocaine at a Greenbrier Street residence in Charleston. Wemh admitted that he frequently obtained these drugs from a safe in the residence, and that a pistol was kept in that safe as well. Wemh is scheduled to be sentenced on July 20, 2023 and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. Wemh is among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement has seized of well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash. Co-defendant Larry Wayne Legg, 55, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on March 6, 2023. Another co-defendant, Justin Allen Bowen, 40, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on February 23, 2023. The remaining defendants are scheduled for trial. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-4. ###


title: Ecuadorian Woman Sentenced to Prison of Participating in Tax Refund Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; announced that OLGA AUCAPINA, also known as Olga Aucapina Paredes, 53, a citizen of Ecuador residing in Woodbridge, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to five months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a tax refund fraud scheme. According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately May 2013 to April 2017, Aucapina and several other Ecuadoran nationals participated in a scheme to illegally obtain tax refunds from the IRS. In order to obtain the refunds, Aucapina and others filed fraudulent federal tax returns, in the names of other foreign nationals (“claimants”), with the IRS. The fraudulent tax returns stated that the claimants resided in the U.S., earned wages from companies in the U.S., and had federal income tax withheld from the claimants’ wages. In truth, the claimants never worked for or earned income from those companies. In addition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection have no records of the claimants even being present in the U.S. during the tax years for which the returns were filed. Based on these false tax returns, the IRS issued tax refunds, which were then deposited into bank accounts that were controlled by Aucapina and her associates Through this scheme, Aucapina and her associates obtained 142 tax refunds, totaling approximately $435,500. Aucapina personally deposited 59 of those refunds, totaling approximately $177,589, into her own bank accounts. Aucapina and her associates spent some of the proceeds for their personal use, and they wired some of the proceeds to relatives in Ecuador. Judge Arterton ordered Aucapina to pay restitution of $177,589. Aucapina, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on May 30. On July 16, 2021, Aucapina and three others with were arrested on an indictment charging them with various offenses stemming from this scheme. On February 14, 2022, Aucapina pleaded guilty to theft of public money. Her co-defendants pleaded guilty to related charges. This matter has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.


title: Jefferson County Felon Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Multiple Firearms Charges

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss – A Jefferson County felon was sentenced to 295 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Boris Ward, 50, conducted two sold methamphetamine in Jefferson County on June 1st and June 13th, 2018. After the two sales, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and other agencies executed a search warrant at Ward’s residence and recovered 10 firearms and over a half kilogram of 100% pure methamphetamine. Ward was previously convicted in Cook County, Illinois, of two counts of armed robbery, two counts of attempted murder and distribution of cocaine. He was previously convicted in Jefferson County, Mississippi, of escape from a correctional facility and possession of cocaine. U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bert Carraway and Andrew W. Eichner prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Raleigh County Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Sean Hafesh, 34, of Daniels, Raleigh County, was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2021, Hafesh sold approximately 3.7 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant at a residence in Daniels. Hafesh admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling additional quantities of suspected heroin to confidential informants on two other occasions in October 2021 On October 13, 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Daniels residence and found 355 grams of suspected heroin, 24.5 grams of methamphetamine, a revolver, and a bolt-action rifle. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the suspected heroin from the controlled buys and the search contained fentanyl. On October 21, 2021, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hafesh, who admitted to possessing 36 grams of heroin and $1,460 found by the officer on Hafesh’s person and in the vehicle. On April 7, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Beaver, Raleigh County, where Hafesh was present. Officers found 56 grams of suspected heroin, 33 grams of methamphetamine, 62 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” several firearms and $1,042. The suspected heroin found during the search was later determined to contain fentanyl. Hafesh admitted to telling officers on the day of that search that he had been selling a significant amount of suspected heroin during the previous several months. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and former Assistant United States Attorney Alex Hamner are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-68. ###


title: Former Partner at Broker-Dealer Firm Charged with $3.4 Million Insider Trading Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, NJ. – A former partner at a New Jersey broker-dealer firm was arrested today and charged with engaging in an insider trading scheme that netted millions of dollars in illegal trading profits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Christopher Matthaei, 44, of Brielle, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of securities fraud conspiracy and one count of securities fraud. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court and was released on $250,000 unsecured bond. “As alleged, Christopher Matthaei illegally exploited his relationship with a close friend to gain access to confidential information about yet-to-be-announced mergers and acquisitions involving special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. Matthaei is alleged to have made trades on seven SPACs that netted him $3.4 million in illegal profits. SPACs may have been a hot trend on Wall Street, but the District of New Jersey will continue to be relentless in bringing inside traders to justice, no matter the market trends.” “Federal laws targeting insider trading are designed to protect the general public from those who attempt to cash in on private information,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “We allege Matthaei used his knowledge to make more than $3 million, disregarding the rules and policies everyone is required to follow. His position doesn't give him, or anyone else, the power to break the law.” According to the complaint and statements made in court: Matthaei was a partner and senior salesperson at a Charlotte, North Carolina-based broker-dealer with offices in Red Bank, New Jersey. From May 2020 through February 2021, Matthaei illegally traded on material, non-public information, or MNPI, that he received from a conspirator, a friend who worked at a large Canadian asset management firm. The MNPI pertained to SPACs that were engaged in confidential merger negotiations and shared information with the asset management firm as a potential investor in the SPAC deals. The conspirator received this MNPI every time a SPAC was placed on his firm’s confidential restricted list, meaning that the firm’s employees were prohibited from buying or selling the SPACs’ securities, either personally or via another person or third party. Despite knowing about these trading restrictions, the conspirator shared the MNPI with Matthaei, who then purchased securities in the SPACs using his personal brokerage accounts. In June 2020, Matthaei paid for a private plane and extended trip with the co-coconspirator and their families to a luxury resort on the island of St. Barth, where they continued to engage in the insider trading scheme. Matthaei made more than $3.4 million in illegal trading profits from the insider trading scheme. The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine, and the securities fraud conspiracy count carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also filed a civil complaint against Matthaei today based on the same conduct. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Kozar and Marko Pesce of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. matthaei.complaint.pdf


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kentrell Dupri McKenzie, 22, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2022, McKenzie was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by a law enforcement officer on Interstate 77 in Jackson County. The officer detected the odor of marijuana, prompting a search of the vehicle. Officers found approximately 373 grams of methamphetamine in a sealed bag hidden inside the gear shift area. McKenzie admitted to possessing the methamphetamine. McKenzie is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Ripley Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-30. ###


title: Significant sentence imposed in multiple-man robbery crew

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The 11 th member of a 12-person robbery crew has been ordered to prison for his role in a string of armed robberies including one in which shots were fired, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Denzell Devoe Lucious, 31, Houston, pleaded guilty in March 2022. Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen imposed a total of 168 months in federal prison - 84 months for the robberies and a consecutive 84 months for aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentence will be to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Others previously convicted and sentenced include Lontay Lavelle Young, 39, Deshaun Devon Waldrup, 27, Edward Ray Lavergne Jr., 39, Jesse Markise McQueen, 32, Kevin Craig Gray, 38, Louis Jerome Hines, 44, Terry Dwight Washington, 37, Tony Dontrel Young, 32, Barry Lloyd Jones, 30, Ross White-Leonard, 33, and Kenneth Dewayne Cooper, 34. All are from Houston. Lontay Young, Tony Young, Waldrup, Lavergne, McQueen, White-Leonard and Jones received respective sentences of 209, 132, 125, 114, 180, 102 and 156 months, respectively. Gray and Washington both received 147-month-terms of imprisonment, while Hines was ordered to serve 171 months. Cooper is still pending sentencing. This group conducted at least six robberies over the course of six months at various commercial establishments. On Oct. 22, 2015, Lontay Young and Hines robbed the Family Dollar store on Wayside in Houston while wearing masks and carrying handguns. Then, on Jan. 11, 2016, Jones, Cooper, Lucious and McQueen traveled outside of Houston to rob the Ben Bridge Jewelers at Barton Springs Mall in Austin. There, they stole a significant amount of Rolex watches and jewelry. Less than two weeks later, this group, along with Tony Young, also robbed the Kay Jewelers located at the Houston Premium Outlet Mall. While Jones, Cooper and Young accosted the employees at gunpoint, Lucious sat outside acting as a lookout. McQueen distracted the security guard while the robbery occurred. They again stole numerous watches and jewelry. On March 3, 2016, Lontay Young, Washington, Gray and Lavergne also held up the ANF Auto Finance on North Shepherd Drive. They entered the business acting as customers until Gray pulled out a gun. They then stole cash and property of the business, employees and customers. Lontay Young later proceeded to commit two more robberies. Those included the March 9, 2016, robbery of Cash America Pawn on Jensen Drive with Waldrup and the Affordable Furniture store on the North Freeway on March 17, 2016, along with Jones and White-Leonard. At the time of the furniture store robbery, authorities arrived on scene and shots were fired. All have been and will remain in custody. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted the investigation in conjunction with police departments in Houston and Austin and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Hanes and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case.


title: Greene County Men Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Dennis Radcliffe, age 51, and Kenneth Radcliffe, age 49, each of Elka Park, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring to evade taxes on income earned from stock sales. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement. Dennis Radcliffe and Kenneth Radcliffe, who are cousins, each pled guilty to two conspiracies. In the first conspiracy, they conspired with each other to avoid taxes on their personal income, by failing to report to the IRS several million dollars of income earned principally from sales of penny stocks, from 2014 through 2017. The stock sales occurred in brokerage accounts that Dennis Radcliffe and Kenneth Radcliffe controlled, and which stood in the names of their companies Crackerjack Classics LLC (“Crackerjack”) and Universal Consulting LLC (“Universal”). In the second conspiracy, Dennis Radcliffe and Kenneth Radcliffe conspired with each other and with Joseph Radcliffe, Dennis’s father, to avoid taxes on approximately $500,000 in compensation that Crackerjack and Universal paid to Joseph, from 2013 through 2019. When they are sentenced on August 10, 2023, Dennis Radcliffe and Kenneth Radcliffe each face up to 5 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Dennis Radcliffe has agreed to pay $77,552 in restitution to the IRS, and Kenneth Radcliffe has agreed to pay an additional $152,274 in restitution. Joseph Radcliffe, age 76, of Elka Park, was sentenced in August 2022 to three years of probation , to spend four consecutive weekends in jail as a condition of his probation, and to pay $109,106 in restitution to the IRS, following his guilty plea to tax evasion conspiracy. IRS-CI investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case.


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 10+ Years in Prison for Fentanyl, Guns

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man caught twice in St. Louis, Missouri with guns and fentanyl after police chases that ended in crashes was sentenced Thursday to 10 years and 10 months in prison. Geno Armstrong, 28, pleaded guilty Nov. 30, 2022 to two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of one or more drug trafficking crimes. He admitted that he and three others, Deondre Hill, Terryon McDonald and Phillip Robinson, were spotted on Oct. 12, 2021 in a stolen Audi A8 by members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Anti-Crime Task Force Using spike strips, task force officers flattened the two front tires but McDonald sped off. Hill threw a gun out of the front passenger seat window on Goodfellow Avenue during the chase. The Audi eventually crashed into a concrete planter and electrical signal at Goodfellow and Delmar avenues. McDonald, Hill and Robinson fled on foot. Armstrong was found in the rear of the Audi with a Kel-Tec 5.56 rifle with a large capacity magazine and a Coach man bag containing fentanyl. Cash totaling $6,779 and methamphetamine was also found in the car. On Nov. 5, 2021, after another crash, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers found a Glock .40-caliber pistol, marijuana and fentanyl in a Chevrolet Malibu that Armstrong had been driving. Armstrong’s co-defendants have also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Hill, 30, of Georgia, was sentenced January 5 to seven years in prison on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of one or more drug trafficking crime. McDonald, 20, of Florissant, was sentenced February 28 to three years in prison on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Robinson, 28, of St. Louis was sentenced February 28 to five years in prison on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke is prosecuting the case.


title: Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty  to Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain Employment

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS –FIDADELFO ANTONIO CAMEY-ESPANA , age 36, pled guilty to a one-count indictment on March 30, 2023 for illegally using a social security number to enroll in a safety class to qualify for employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, FIDADELFO ANTONIO CAMEY-ESPANA (“ CAMEY-ESPANA ”) admitted to illegally using a social security number to enroll in a safety class to gain employment eligibility. CAMEY-ESPANA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal Judge Sentences Florida Man To Over 21 Years In Prison For Drug And Gun Charges

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Jorge Luis Perez, 36, of Wimauma, Florida, to 260 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on drug and gun charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to court documents and court proceedings, between May and July 2020, Perez distributed methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in Jackson and Swain Counties. Law enforcement conducting an investigation into drug trafficking networks operating in Western North Carolina learned of Perez’s drug trafficking activities in the area. Court records show that Perez obtained his drugs from drug distributors in Mexico by way of Georgia. Perez then distributed the drugs in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. According to court records, on May 21, 2020, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Perez’s vehicle in Sylva, North Carolina. Over the course of the stop, law enforcement recovered a distribution quantity of methamphetamine, a firearm, and $10,384 in U.S. currency. Perez falsely claimed that he won the money at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. According to court records, on July 13, 2020, law enforcement stopped Perez’s vehicle for a traffic violation. In the vehicle, law enforcement found a larger distribution quantity of methamphetamine and a set of digital scales. Later the same day, a search warrant was executed at Perez’s camper. Law enforcement seized from the camper two firearms, more methamphetamine, a money counter, and several AR-15 magazines and ammunition. Law enforcement also found several wire transfer receipts indicating that Perez was wiring money to Mexico, under false names and addresses. In the camper, Perez also had a shrine dedicated to Santa Muerte, who has been adopted by drug traffickers as a folk “patron saint.” Perez was arrested in Florida on January 5, 2022, on charges arising from his criminal conduct in North Carolina. Perez was in possession of another distribution quantity of methamphetamine at the time. During the course of the trial, several more ounces of methamphetamine and a kilogram of heroin were attributed to Perez. A federal jury convicted Perez on November 9, 2022, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of “actual” methamphetamine. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court enhanced Perez’s sentence, after the Court found that Perez obstructed justice on a number of occasions. First, Perez filed a petition falsely claiming that the $10,384 seized by law enforcement was the result of several days of winnings at the Casino. Then again during his federal trial, Perez lied under oath that he was a tomato farmer and had never been involved in drug trafficking activities. Perez also lied about owning the camper and claimed that he had not lived in the camper for over a year. Over the course of the trial, Perez lied again about the source of the $10,384 seized by law enforcement. Perez is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney King credited today’s sentence to the investigative efforts of the Asheville, North Carolina and Tampa, Florida Offices of the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Jackson County, Swain County, and Transylvania County Sheriff’s Offices in North Carolina; and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Kent, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.


title: Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Role in International Human Smuggling and Cocaine Distribution Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Honduran national pleaded guilty today to his role in a scheme to illegally bring Honduran nationals to, and to distribute cocaine in, the United States. According to court documents, beginning in as early as January 2021, Josue Flores-Villeda, 36, and six co-conspirators schemed to bring Honduran nationals and cocaine from Honduras to the United States. In February 2022, Villeda and his co-conspirators attempted to illegally bring 23 Honduran nationals and at least 24 kilograms of cocaine from Utila, Honduras, to Cocodrie, Louisiana, by boat. At some point, the vessel developed engine trouble in the Gulf of Mexico. Villeda and his co-conspirators then chartered a boat and attempted to bring fuel to the disabled vessel so that it could complete its journey to the United States. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Coast Guard located the vessel adrift approximately 95 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, and towed it to shore. Villeda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to unlawfully bring aliens to the United States for financial gain and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and Special Agent in Charge David Denton of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans Field Office made the announcement. HSI Houma is investigating the case with assistance from HSI Pittsburgh, HSI Atlanta, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations, Louisiana State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, North Huntington Township Police, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carter Guice and Ben Myers for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Acting Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) are prosecuting the case. The investigation is being conducted under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the HRSP, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. The investigation is also supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), as well as the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.


title: Methamphetamine Wholesaler Is Sentenced To More Than 15 Years In Prison

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Arthur Shane Douville, 33, of Canton, N.C., was sentenced to 188 months in prison today followed by three years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to documents filed with the court and today’s sentencing hearing, law enforcement investigating methamphetamine trafficking rings operating in Haywood, Jackson and Buncombe Counties identified Douville as a wholesale methamphetamine trafficker who supplied local drug distributors. Court records show that in May 2020, Douville was driving through Haywood County, after he had travelled to Georgia to buy methamphetamine. Law enforcement stopped Douville’s vehicle, and over the course of the traffic stop they seized nearly two ounces of methamphetamine hidden in a false vehicle compartment. Court records show that the methamphetamine seized was part of a larger eight-ounce quantity obtained in Georgia, some of which Douville had already distributed. Douville had made a similar trip one week earlier, obtaining four ounces of methamphetamine at that time. At today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger enhanced Douville’s sentence after he found that the defendant had attempted to obstruct justice and derail his prosecution by producing forged letters and fake messages supposedly written and sent by a co-defendant, in which the co-defendant allegedly admitted that the seized methamphetamine belonged to him and not Douville. On October 26, 2022, Douville pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney King credited today’s sentence to an investigation led by the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative efforts. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Kent, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.


title: Snapchat Predator Is Sentenced To 17.5 Years In Prison For Distribution Of Child Pornography

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man who used Snapchat to coerce a minor to share child pornography was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Sean Matthew Burney, 28, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, between February 21 and February 24, 2021, Burney used Snapchat to coerce a minor male victim to create and share videos and images that contained child pornography. The criminal investigation began once the minor victim’s mother contacted CMPD to report that her 14-year-old son was being blackmailed via Snapchat and was forced to send the blackmailer images and videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. According to court records, Burney represented himself as a female via Snapchat and contacted the victim. When the victim sent the sexually explicit images to Burney, the victim was under the impression that he was communicating with a female. Court records show that from that point on, Burney demanded additional child pornography from the victim, and threatened to post the victim’s sexually explicit images and videos on social media if the victim did not comply. Burney continued to ask the victim for additional child pornography, knowing the victim was 14 years old. According to court documents, when the victim didn’t respond to Burney, the defendant posted on Snapchat the victim’s account name and a caption to contact him if people wanted videos. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement determined that the suspect Snapchat account belonged to Burney. A search warrant for the minor victim’s and Burney’s Snapchat accounts was executed. During a forensic analysis of material seized pursuant to the search warrants, law enforcement located the child pornography. On October 19, 2022, Burney pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. He is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In announcing today’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney said that Burney’s predatory actions not only targeted a minor, but sought to take over his free will. The FBI and CMPD handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Spaugh, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: Coon Rapids Man Sentenced to Prison for Threatening a U.S. Senator

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Coon Rapids man has been sentenced to one year and one day for making interstate threats against a U.S. Senator, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on June 11, 2022, Brendon Michael Daugherty, 35, left two voicemail messages on the field office telephone of a U.S. Senator located outside the state of Minnesota. Both messages contained threats of violence directed at the U.S. Senator. In his first message, Daugherty stated, “You and the Republican Party should be proud that you’re pushing me to become a domestic terrorist. Have a nice [expletive] day; can’t wait to kill ya.” In his second message, Daugherty stated, “I also just wanted to note, thank God the Republican Party is against gun control laws because it would keep guns out of the hands of a person that was disabled and volatile like I am, but you guys are totally against that. So, I may actually get to carry out my nefarious goals.” Field office staff retrieved and recorded the messages and reported them to U.S. Capitol Police. Daugherty pleaded guilty on November 1, 2022, to one count of interstate transmission of a threat to injure the person of another. Daugherty was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud. In handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud emphasized that threats directed at elected officials pose a “pernicious threat to our democratic institutions.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen prosecuted the case.


title: Brooklyn Park Felon Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Brooklyn Park man was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on September 19, 2021, Marlin Lavar White, 27, possessed a Springfield Armory, model XDM-9, 9mm caliber, semiautomatic pistol while in downtown Minneapolis. When White saw police officers he ran and placed the firearm into a planter near a hotel. The firearm was later recovered from the planter. Because White has several prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing any firearms or ammunition. White pleaded guilty on December 1, 2022, to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced yesterday by Senior Judge Ann D. Montgomery. This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David P. Steinkamp, Justin A. Wesley, and Craig R. Baune prosecuted the case.


title: Man Who Ran Twitter, Reddit And Telegram Accounts Selling Intimate Photos Hacked from Female Victims’ Accounts Charged with Possession, Distribution and Sale of Child Pornography; Cyberstalking; and Conspiracy to Hack Computers

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 29, 2023, a grand jury charged Brian Luis Valentín-Ramos with five counts related to the possession, distribution and sale of child pornography; conspiring to illegally obtain information from protected computers; and cyberstalking, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1030(a)(2), 2252(a)(4)(B), 2252A(a)(2), 2252A(a)(4)(B), and 2261A(2)(B), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. According to the Government’s allegations, since at least 2020 through 2023, Valentín-Ramos conspired with others to gain unauthorized access to social media accounts, including SnapChat, of female victims primarily in Puerto Rico. These included victims at the University of Puerto Rico. The conspirators would then steal intimate pictures of the victims from those accounts, which Valentín-Ramos would publicize and sell using Twitter, Reddit and Telegram. Valentín-Ramos would claim that “I sell my content because it was obtained via hacking making it exclusive.” Valentín-Ramos is further charged with cyberstalking one of his adult victims. Valentín-Ramos also possessed, distributed, and sold sexually explicit photos of two female minors, including one who was fifteen years old. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement. The sale and distribution of child pornography charges carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of twenty years. Cyberstalking carries maximum sentence of five years of imprisonment. Possession of child pornography carries a maximum 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 defendant was arrested on Friday, March 24, and ordered detained pending trial due to an adjudication that he is a danger to the community. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette Collazo is in charge of the prosecution of the case. FBI Special Agent Christian Nieves of the San Juan Cyber Division is in charge of the investigation. # # #


title: Flint Convenience Store Operator Pleads Guilty to $1.1 Million Nutrition Benefits Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: FLINT – A Flint convenience store operator pleaded guilty this week to engaging in more than $1.1 million in fraudulent transactions involving food and nutrition benefit programs, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Midwest Region. Ranjit (“Nancy”) Ghotra, age 33, formerly of Swartz Creek, Michigan, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before United States District Judge F. Kay Behm. Ghotra assisted in the operation of Cheers Market, a convenience store in Flint, Michigan. According to the information provided to the Court at the guilty plea hearing, Ghotra engaged in a fraud scheme involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. These programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and provide benefits to raise the level of nutrition of low-income households and children. As part of the scheme, Ghotra permitted beneficiaries of the SNAP and WIC programs to use their benefits to buy ineligible items, such as alcohol and tobacco, or allowed them to obtain cash instead of food products, in violation of program regulations. In each case, Ghotra charged program beneficiaries approximately double the amount in benefits as the price of the ineligible items purchased or the cash provided. Between 2017 and 2020, Ghotra carried out more than $1.1 million in fraudulent SNAP and WIC transactions. While the federal prosecution was pending, Ghotra purchased an international plane ticket and attempted to leave the country in violation of her bond conditions. She was arrested at the gate at Chicago O’Hare International Airport with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol agents, and returned to Michigan. Ghotra faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud. Judge Behm will ultimately determine the appropriate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “Ranjit Ghotra spent years defrauding benefits programs that were intended to assist low-income households, and especially children,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “This guilty plea reflects my office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of federal programs that help ensure that everyone can afford to provide their families with healthy, nutritious food.” “This investigation and prosecution should serve as warning to all stores participating in the WIC and SNAP programs as vendors that fraud and trafficking—the purchase of WIC and SNAP benefits for cash—will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the USDA-OIG, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and its stakeholders. The USDA-OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney's Office, who prosecuted this case, Homeland Security Investigations, and Genesee County Sheriff’s office for their assistance with the investigation,” said Shantel R. Robinson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Midwest Region. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Genesee County Sheriff’s office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Nee and Adriana Dydell.


title: Tuscola Man Sentenced to 27 years in Prison for the Sexual Exploitation of Children

body_text: BAY CITY – A Tuscola County man, who went by the online moniker “thefundad,” was sentenced this week to 27 years in prison for sexually exploiting two 13-year-old girls, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Field Office. Brian Siwka, age 39, of Reese, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas L. Ludington. Siwka sexually exploited two 13-year-old girls that he found through the “Kik” social media application. He engaged in sexual chats with both girls and made them take sexually explicit photographs of themselves and send them to him over the internet via Kik. Siwka further admitted that he had produced nearly two dozen recordings of other minors online, whom he had also made engage in sexually explicit conduct for him. At the time of his arrest in September 2020, Siwka was in possession of 178 images of child pornography and 21 videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct at the urging of Siwka on his laptop. “This defendant repeatedly sought out, groomed, and sexually exploited multiple children whom he met online,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Our work rooting out these online sexual predators seems never-ending, but my office will not stop bringing online sexual predators and all who prey on our children to justice.” “Our agents and partners will continue to identify and apprehend these predators within our communities and work to bring them to justice,” said Angie M. Salazar, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit Field Office. “It is my hope that this sentencing brings some measure of peace to these victims and deters others from targeting children online.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Nee.


title: California Pharmacist Agrees to Settle Allegations of Fraud

component: Civil Division

body_text: Gisele Nguyen, a pharmacist residing in Huntington Beach, California, has agreed to pay $3,933,993 to resolve allegations that she fraudulently billed the Medicare Program for medications that were never dispensed. The United States alleged that, from at least Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 31, 2018, Nguyen, by and through the operation of Gisele Nguyen, Inc., doing business as Natico Pharmacy, which was located in Garden Grove, California, fraudulently submitted claims to Part D of the Medicare Program for prescription medications that were never dispensed to beneficiaries. According to the United States, inventory records showed that Natico Pharmacy did not purchase enough of these medications from wholesaler distributors to fill all of the prescriptions billed to Medicare. “Federal health care programs provide critical health care services to millions of Americans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will hold accountable those who seek to defraud these programs, including by billing for goods or services that they did not provide.” The resolution obtained in this matter was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The matter was investigated by Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon, with assistance from Assistant U.S Attorney Zoran J. Segina for the Central District of California. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Odessa Woman Sentenced for False Statements During Firearm Purchases

body_text: MIDLAND, Texas – An Odessa woman was sentenced in a federal court in Midland Wednesday to 18 months in prison for providing false statements during purchases of firearms. According to court documents, Delma Vitela, 45, purchased at least six firearms between December 2020 and March 2022 from various gun stores in the Midland/Odessa area for her then-boyfriend, a Mexican national. Vitela's then-boyfriend was prohibited from possessing firearms based on his immigration status. By representing on the purchase forms that she was the intended buyer of the guns, Vitela knowingly made false or fictitious written declarations when purchasing the firearms. In March 2022, an individual was stopped by law enforcement in Laredo, Texas while attempting to cross into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. This individual had in his possession two firearms that Vitela had straw purchased, one of which she’d purchased less than two weeks prior. Vitela was arrested by federal authorities on Oct. 21, 2022 and was released on bond on Oct. 26. “This defendant’s conduct posed a serious threat to the safety and security of people in our communities on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I am thankful our law enforcement partners were able to locate and recover some of the firearms before they reached Mexico.” “Straw purchasing is not an act of love; it is an act that fuels violence across our country and our neighbors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “ATF and our partners in the Permian Basin are steadfast in our fight to keep firearms out of the hands of those that shouldn’t have them. Ms. Vitela thought she was being a good girlfriend when she was actually helping to arm vicious Mexican drug cartels. I hope that others don’t make this same mistake.” ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mahoney prosecuted the case. ###


title: Southern District Of New York Court Employee And Practicing Attorney Charged With Bribery And Making False Statements

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of charges against DIONISIO FIGUEROA, a/k/a “Dionicio,” an employee of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (“the SDNY District Court”), and TELESFORO DEL VALLE, JR., a/k/a “Ted,” a criminal defense attorney practicing in the SDNY District Court and elsewhere, for their participation in a scheme in which FIGUEROA referred criminal defendants to DEL VALLE and encouraged those defendants to retain DEL VALLE as counsel in exchange for cash payments from DEL VALLE to FIGUEROA. FIGUEROA was arrested, and DEL VALLE surrendered earlier today, and both will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in the SDNY District courthouse in White Plains, New York. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The public, the Court, and the bar all rely on the integrity and honesty of the professionals who work for the Court and the lawyers who appear there. For years, Figueroa and Del Valle allegedly violated their duties and undermined the fair administration of justice, all for their personal gain. This Office will do its part to uphold the high standards of conduct expected of all those who play a role in the criminal justice process.” According to the allegations in the Indictment: [1] As a clerk in the SDNY Magistrate Clerk’s Office since in or about 2002, FIGUEROA was responsible for performing duties that included, among other things, making data entries regarding official case events in criminal cases; making summary entries of documents and proceedings on case dockets; and performing inquiries and furnishing information, either in person or by correspondence, regarding the status of cases. FIGUEROA also played a role with respect to the intake of criminal cases, including by preparing appearance bonds, advising defendants and their family members about the conditions of the bonds, and ensuring that appearance bonds were signed by all parties prior to a defendant’s release. SDNY District Court personnel policies prohibited FIGUEROA from having outside employment that would pose a conflict of interest; receiving payments, gifts, or other benefits from persons having business before the SDNY District Court; and recommending particular attorneys to members of the public. FIGUEROA also was subject to the United States Courts’ Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees (the “Code of Conduct”), which cautioned judicial employees that “[a] number of criminal statutes of general applicability govern federal employees’ performance of official duties. These include: 18 U.S.C. § 201 (bribery of public officials and witnesses) ….” The Code of Conduct likewise admonished, among other things, that “[a] judicial employee should never influence or attempt to influence the assignment of cases, or perform any discretionary or ministerial function of the court in a manner that improperly favors any litigant or attorney, nor should a judicial employee imply that he or she is in a position to do so.” DEL VALLE is a private attorney who has appeared in numerous federal criminal cases pending before the SDNY District Court. Between at least 2011 and 2022, FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE engaged in a scheme whereby FIGUEROA used his position as an employee of the SDNY District Court to encourage criminal defendants to retain DEL VALLE to represent them in pending criminal cases. In return, DEL VALLE paid FIGUEROA a portion of the fees clients paid to DEL VALLE. Over the course of more than a decade, FIGUEROA referred at least 45 SDNY criminal defendants to DEL VALLE, and DEL VALLE paid FIGUEROA tens of thousands of dollars in referral fees. DEL VALLE paid FIGUEROA directly and through an intermediary, who would pick up envelopes of cash for FIGUEROA from DEL VALLE’s law office. Many of the clients who ended up retaining and paying DEL VALLE were assigned free, court-appointed counsel. Nevertheless, FIGUEROA encouraged those individuals to change counsel, including by vouching for DEL VALLE’s abilities as a lawyer. For example, in July 2018, FIGUEROA told family members of one defendant (“Defendant-1”), in substance, that FIGUEROA knew a good attorney who was a specialist in similar cases and could get Defendant-1 out of trouble. He then provided FIGUEROA’s contact information to Defendant-1’s relative. Similarly, in February 2020, FIGUEROA told a family member of another defendant (“Defendant-2”), in substance, that if anyone could help Defendant-2 in Defendant-2’s case, it was DEL VALLE. At the time, Defendant-2 was represented by court-appointed counsel. FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE are also charged with making false statements to law enforcement during the investigation. In November 2022, federal law enforcement agents separately interviewed both FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE. After advising each that lying to federal law enforcement agents is a federal crime, FIGUEROA and DEL VALLE each made materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations in response to the agents’ questions. In particular, FIGUEROA denied making any referrals to DEL VALLE, except on a small number of occasions concerning close relations or friends, and further denied ever having received payments from DEL VALLE for referrals. As to DEL VALLE, upon being served with a federal grand jury subpoena requiring the production of records from his law firm, DEL VALLE denied having any records reflecting client referrals from, or payments to, FIGUEROA or anyone else. * * * FIGUEROA, 66, of New York, New York, and DEL VALLE, 65, of Leonia, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to bribe a federal employee and pay illegal compensation to a judicial employee, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; one count of bribery of a federal employee, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of illegal compensation to a judicial employee, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; and one count of false statements, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Balsamello, Andrew Rohrbach, and Jarrod L. Schaeffer are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Swiss Executive Pleads Guilty To Tax Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and James C. Lee, Chief of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), announced that DANIEL WÄLCHLI pled guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with a scheme to help wealthy American clients conceal more than $60 million in income and assets held in undeclared offshore bank accounts and evade U.S. income taxes. WÄLCHLI was a member of the executive board of a Swiss holding company that owned, among other entities, a Zurich-based private bank called Privatbank IHAG Zurich AG (“IHAG”). WÄLCHLI pled guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods. According to the allegations in the Indictment, court filings, and statements made in Court: From in or about 2009 to in or about 2014, WÄLCHLI and his co-conspirators defrauded the IRS by concealing income and assets of three wealthy U.S. clients with undeclared bank accounts at IHAG. In order to assist the U.S. clients, WÄLCHLI and his co-conspirators devised and implemented a scheme dubbed the “Singapore Solution” to fraudulently conceal the bank accounts of the U.S. clients, their assets, and their income from U.S. authorities. In furtherance of the fraudulent scheme, WÄLCHLI and his co-conspirators agreed to transfer more than $60 million from undeclared IHAG bank accounts of the U.S. clients through a series of nominee bank accounts in Hong Kong and other locations before returning the funds to newly opened accounts at IHAG in the name of a Singapore-based asset-management firm that WÄLCHLI helped establish. The U.S. clients paid large fees to IHAG and others to help them conceal their assets and evade U.S. income taxes. * * * WÄLCHLI, 55, of Switzerland, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as WÄLCHLI’s sentence will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of IRS-CI. Mr. Williams thanked the Department of Justice’s Tax Division for their partnership on this case. This prosecution is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Tax Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney Christopher Magnani of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and European Commission Hold Third U.S.-EU Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: DOJ Assistant Attorney General Kanter (left), European Commission Executive VP Vestager (middle), and FTC Chair Khan (right) meet for TCPD. The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina M. Khan, and Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager of the European Commission met today in Washington, D.C., for the third meeting of the U.S.-EU Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue (TCPD). The principals and senior staff met to continue work on cooperation in ensuring and promoting fair competition in the digital economy. “Agencies around the world are adjusting their competition enforcement and regulatory regimes to account for new market realities and in particular the challenges of the digital economy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kanter. “Sharing best practices with the European Commission through the TCPD has been extraordinarily valuable to the U.S. agencies.” “The Joint Dialogue continues to provide an invaluable forum for the U.S. agencies to engage with the European Commission on challenges in digital markets,” said FTC Chair Khan. “At this moment of unique risk and opportunity, it is especially critical that we deepen our cooperation with key enforcement partners.” “Today’s meeting has proven once again how fruitful it is to keep engaging in a close cooperation between the European Commission and the U.S. competition authorities,” said European Commission Executive Vice President Vestager. “Exchanging our experiences and ideas on how best to anticipate and address the fast-moving trends in tech markets is vital for achieving the shared goal of a fair, inclusive and pro-competitive digital transformation, to the benefit of consumers and businesses in both the EU and U.S.” The discussions centered on critical themes the agencies are facing, including the reasons mergers between digital players may lead to competition concerns. The agencies also shared policy reflections in the area of abuse of dominance and monopolization in the digital sector and presented recent policy initiatives in this field. They also exchanged views on the evolving business strategies of big tech companies as well as on their implications for enforcement. The agencies also announced planned liaisons of agency experts from the Antitrust Division and the FTC in Brussels, with each agency sending an official to assist with implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). On Dec. 7, 2021 , the Justice Department, the FTC, and the European Commission launched the TCPD to further boost transatlantic cooperation on competition policy and enforcement in the digital sector in light of the common challenges facing the three authorities. Upon its launch, the Commission and U.S. competition agencies issued a statement regarding the TCPD and reaffirming their longstanding tradition of close cooperation on competition matters. On June 15, 2021, President Biden and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The TTC serves as a forum for the United States and European Union to coordinate approaches to key global trade, economic and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations based on shared democratic values. The Justice Department, the FTC, and the European Commission have a longstanding tradition of close cooperation in antitrust enforcement and policy, beginning even before the formal 1991 cooperation agreement between the European Commission and the United States regarding the application of their competition laws.


title: Jury finds Cincinnati man guilty of gun crimes, dealing drugs from his Betts Avenue home

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A federal jury has convicted a Cincinnati man of one drug and two firearms crimes. The defendant was found guilty on all counts as charged. Ieben Ewing, 39, is convicted of possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and illegally possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon. He will face a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison. The verdict was announced on March 29 following a trial that began on March 27 before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. According to court documents and trial testimony, Ewing distributed bulk amounts of narcotics from his residence on Betts Avenue in Cincinnati. While executing a search warrant at Ewing’s home in March 2022, investigators discovered 770 grams of powder cocaine, 100 grams of crack cocaine, $75,000 in cash and various firearms. The firearms included an AK-style gun with a 100 round “drum” style magazine attached. “The residents of the North College Hill community should not have to tolerate the illegal activities of Ieben Ewing in their neighborhood. Now he is looking at a lengthy prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. As a previously convicted felon, Ewing is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Ewing was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2022. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future sentencing hearing. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Hamilton County Charmaine McGuffey and members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Regional Narcotics Unit announced the guilty verdicts. Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Dornette and Timothy D. Oakley are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Jacksonville Tax Preparer Charged with Filing False Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Jacksonville, Florida, returned an indictment today charging a Florida woman with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, filing a false tax return and failing to file a tax return. According to the indictment, between 2017 and 2019, Gloria Gray, who at times resided in Jacksonville, prepared false income tax returns, first while working at two Jacksonville tax preparation businesses, and then at her own business, Triple X Tax Services. The indictment alleges that Gray prepared individual income tax returns for multiple clients that collectively reported hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent expenses and deductions, including false charitable deductions and unreimbursed employee business expenses. In addition, Gray allegedly filed a false 2018 tax return that did not report all her income and she allegedly did not file a personal income tax return for 2019. If convicted, Gray faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for each false return count. A federal district court judge 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 made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Richard (R.J.) Hagerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Swiss Executive Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS

body_text: An executive of the holding company that owns Privatbank IHAG pleaded guilty today to conspiring to conceal over $60 million of undeclared assets held by wealthy American clients of the Swiss private bank. According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately 2009 to 2014, Daniel Wälchli, a member of the bank holding company’s executive board, worked with others to help Privatbank IHAG conceal the accounts of American customers who did not want to disclose their Swiss bank accounts to the IRS. The scheme involved a number of steps designed to obscure these undeclared accounts by stripping them of any indicia of U.S. ownership. Known as the “Singapore Solution,” members of the conspiracy sent over $60 million dollars on “round trips” across the globe. The money was sent from Privatbank IHAG accounts in Switzerland to a bank in Hong Kong before returning to Privatbank IHAG in accounts held by a Singaporean asset manager owned and controlled by the Swiss bank’s holding company. Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement, Wälchli will not dispute that the tax loss was $531,524, and he agrees that a sentencing enhancement for “sophisticated means” is appropriate. Wälchli faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge 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 Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Nanette Davis and Trial Attorney Christopher Magnani of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga Zverovich of the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.


title: United States Attorney Jane E. Young Announces New Criminal Division Leadership

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – United States Attorney Jane E. Young announced the appointments of Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth R. Aframe to serve as the Criminal Division Chief and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis to serve as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief. “I am delighted to announce Seth Aframe as the Criminal Division Chief and Jennifer Davis as the Deputy Criminal Chief,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “Together, Seth and Jen have diligently served the office for more than half a century. Each bring strong legal, analytical, and mentorship skills. Additionally, they have demonstrated an unparalleled devotion to this outstanding office. I am confident that under their leadership the Criminal Division will continue to thrive.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Aframe has served the U.S. Department of Justice since 2007 in the District of New Hampshire’s criminal and civil divisions, most recently serving as the Deputy Criminal Division Chief. Over the course of his esteemed career, Mr. Aframe prosecuted a variety of federal violations, including fraud, drug, firearm, and child exploitation crimes. He also litigated over 100 appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Mr. Aframe has served as the District’s Elections Coordinator and Civil Rights Coordinator since 2018. Mr. Aframe is a respected member of his community. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Hampshire Law School, and previously served as a School Board Member in Hopkinton. Mr. Aframe is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Davis has nearly 30 years of experience serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of New Hampshire. Most recently, she has conducted complex long-term narcotics investigations as the District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Coordinator and National Opioid Coordinator. Since 2022, she has served as a mentor for her colleagues as the District’s Senior Litigation Counsel. Ms. Davis has prosecuted and tried cases related to health care and security fraud, firearm and narcotics, immigration, and white-collar crimes. Earlier in her career, Ms. Davis received a detail appointment as the Assistant Director for Criminal Programs at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Education, where she oversaw the implementation of trainings for the country’s federal prosecutors. She is a graduate of Marquette University Law School. ###


title: Ypsilanti Man Pleads Guilty to Lying About His Work on a Classified Naval Project for a Foreign Country During Application Process for a U.S. Navy Job

body_text: DETROIT – An Ypsilanti man pleaded guilty this week to making several false statements in his security clearance application for a job working with the United States Navy overseas, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to court records, Yifei Chu, age 57, a naturalized U.S. citizen and recent employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), applied for a three-year detailed assignment to the United States Embassy in Singapore working for the United States Navy. To obtain this position, Chu was required to apply for and obtain a security clearance. Chu made several false statements in his security clearance application during an interview with federal background investigators and in an affidavit he signed regarding his security clearance application. Chu’s false statements were made to hide his extensive contacts with members of the Taiwanese Navy and a Taiwanese company. These contacts included the fact that Chu was hired by the Taiwanese company to provide consulting services on a “classified” Taiwanese Navy project, was paid money by the Taiwanese company, and that he traveled to Taiwan on multiple occasions to meet with members of the Taiwanese Navy on a military base in Taiwan in performance of his consulting services. Chu pleaded guilty to both counts charged in the indictment: (1) making false statements and (2) falsifying records in a federal investigation. Chu faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the false statements charge, and a maximum of twenty years in prison on the false record in a federal investigation charge. Sentencing is set for August 15, 2023 before United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts. “It is vital that those individuals who gain access to classified information related to our national defense are truthful and honest about their connections to foreign governments so that our nation’s military secrets do not end up in the wrong hands,” said United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “This case is about more than just lying on a job application,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “In order to obtain a position with the U.S. Navy, Chu attempted to hide his extensive contacts with the Taiwanese government, potentially giving them access to our nation’s classified information and military technology. The FBI continues to work tirelessly to ensure only the most trusted people have access to the U.S. Government’s sensitive information.” The case was investigated by the FBI and handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald Waterstreet.