title: Attorney pleads guilty in drug-trafficking conspiracy

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Matthew Taylor Morris, 38, a local attorney and resident of Virginia Beach, pled guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of marijuana. According to court documents, beginning in at least January 2021, Donald Thomas Rogers, 35, of Portsmouth, the owner of a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL), allegedly became involved in the interstate trafficking of bulk quantities of marijuana. Working with Nicholas Cameron Capehart, 30, of Norfolk, and Jeffrey Donald Sines, 39, of Portsmouth, the Rogers Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) stored approximately 1,000 pounds of marijuana and cash proceeds at Morris’s Top Tier Law firm located on South Independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach. At the time, the street value of the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products stored at Morris’s law office ranged in value between $800,000 and $1.6 million. Rogers was the owner of VA Premier Pawn, an FFL authorized to sell firearms. Rogers allegedly purchased wholesale quantities of THC products, including marijuana, THC vape pens, THC wax, and THC edible products, from sources outside Virginia. Rogers allegedly transferred the products in smaller quantities to his co-conspirators, including Capehart, Sines, and Morris, for retail sale. Morris introduced Capehart to Rogers, initially believing that Capehart could supply Rogers with THC products. Rogers allegedly bought and sold marijuana products in larger quantities than Capehart, so Rogers began to supply Capehart, as well as others, including Morris, with THC products. After Morris first met Rogers in 2021, Morris referred customers, including his legal clients, to Rogers for the illegal purchase of THC products. Eventually, Morris offered Rogers the use of a room in his law office to store Rogers’ THC products. In exchange for his use of the law office, Rogers allegedly paid the law office’s monthly rent for several months, and Morris gave Rogers a key to the law office to facilitate access. Additionally, Rogers allegedly agreed to supply Morris with 15 pounds of THC products per month for a total of approximately 70 pounds so that he could sell marijuana to his own retail customers. Morris also allegedly received a 9mm handgun from Rogers, despite Morris being an unlawful user of Adderall, cocaine, opiates, and THC. On April 20, 2021, Capehart, who was vacationing in Las Vegas, allegedly sought advice from Morris on sending marijuana products back to the Tidewater region because Capehart knew that Morris was an attorney. In text messages, Morris told Capehart to commingle the marijuana products among “some type of souvenirs and buy some Saran Wrap and wrap whatever you put it in well.” Morris also advised Capehart to address the package to Morris’ law firm and to “[w]rite legal mail on there somewhere too,” reasoning that this would “make it privileged and the cops would have a hell of a time getting a warrant to get around that privilege.” On Oct. 17, 2022, law enforcement allegedly observed Capehart in the parking lot of the FFL retrieve a large black bag from the back seat of Rogers’ car, place it in the back seat of Capehart’s truck, and leave. Capehart allegedly drove to his residence and brought the bag inside the residence. Law enforcement identified vehicles belonging to Sines and Capehart at a storage unit in Suffolk. On Oct. 27, 2022, law enforcement legally observed several duffel bags in the storage unit consistent with the type that Rogers and Capehart allegedly possessed on Oct. 17, 2022, each of which contained between seven and 18 pounds of marijuana. They also found boxes containing marijuana, THC vape pens, THC wax, THC edible products, and marijuana seeds. In all, the storage unit contained 193 pounds of marijuana, 1,410 THC vape pens, 136 jars of THC wax, 228 bottles of THC syrup, and 514 THC edible products. On Nov. 3, 2022, Rogers and another individual allegedly entered the storage unit with Sines, and Sines exited with a duffel bag and the other individual allegedly carried a cardboard box. Sines transported the duffel bag to his residence, which was next to Rogers’ residence. On Nov. 9, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the storage unit and recovered a total of 141 pounds of marijuana, 400 THC Vape cartridges, 196 containers of “Hi-Cubes” THC edibles, 82 containers of “Dangerously Delicious Nerds” THC edibles, 116 containers of “Dangerously Delicious Gummy Worms” THC edibles, 16,684 grams of THC Wax, and 196 bottles THC Cough Syrup. On Nov. 10, 2022, agents executed ten additional search warrants on the suspected locations, vehicles, and members of the Rogers DTO. At Rogers’ residence agents recovered four firearms, one silencer, $23,980, 1,899 grams of marijuana products, and three cellphones. At the FFL, agents recovered 145 firearms, $181,000, and $80,879 in gold and silver. At Sines’ residence, agents recovered 10 firearms, 36,676 grams of marijuana, 529 grams of mushrooms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and $7,686. At Capehart’s residence, agents recovered 13,042 grams of marijuana, $14,036, 16 firearms, and three black bags consistent with the bags in the storage unit. Morris and Sines pled guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Morris is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2025, and faces up to ten years in prison. Sines is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. Rogers is scheduled to plead guilty on Sept. 30 and Capehart is scheduled to plead guilty on Oct. 3. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John F. Butler and Anthony C. Marek and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-94 (Rogers), 2:24-cr-95 (Capehart), 2:24-cr-96 (Sines) and 2:24-cr-97 (Morris).


title: Former President of Beverly Hills-Based Publisher Found Guilty of Embezzling At Least $1.3 Million from Company and Its Owner

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County woman has been found guilty by a jury of defrauding a Beverly Hills-based independent publishing company and its owner by embezzling at least $1.3 million from the company and the owner’s personal bank account over several years for her own personal expenses, including spa treatment, veterinary bills, and designer handbags. Kimberly Ann Miletta, 51, of Ventura, was found guilty late Monday of three counts of wire fraud. According to evidence presented at a five-day trial, from 2009 to 2018, Miletta was president of Phoenix Books, an independent book and audio publisher owned by a victim identified in court documents as “J.O.” As the president of Phoenix Books, Miletta had full control over the business, including its finances, but she only was authorized to use company funds to pay for legitimate business expenses. From October 2013 to January 2018, Miletta embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars by using the company credit card – over which she had exclusive control – to pay for personal items, and then paid for the credit card bills out of the company’s owner’s personal bank account. Miletta used the company credit card to pay for, among other things, personal spa treatments, designer handbags, high-end clothing, a multi-thousand-dollar mattress, and years’ worth of veterinary bills and pet products for her cats. Miletta fraudulently charged more than $185,000 worth of purchases at clothing and department stores to the company credit card. Miletta also made a fraudulent wire transfer out of the personal account of the company’s owner of nearly $1 million, which Miletta used to buy an ocean-view home in Ventura. The jury found Miletta not guilty of two additional counts of wire fraud. United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled a January 10, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Miletta will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jenna G. Williams of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Declan T. Conroy of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Two men sentenced to prison for armed robbery of a check-cashing business

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men have been sentenced to prison for the armed robbery of a check-cashing business in Chantilly. According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2023, Antonio Chester Lewis, 49, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Al Gibran Taylor, 42, of Reston, entered the store intending to rob it of its cash. Lewis had entered the store previously to survey it. Lewis was armed with a .223/5.56 mm caliber semi-automatic rifle, which he pointed at customers and ordered them to put their hands in the air. Taylor attempted to open a cashier booth, which contained the store’s register and safe. When Taylor found the booth locked, Lewis identified the store’s cashier, grabbed her by the neck, and brought her to the cashier booth. The cashier opened the booth, and Taylor removed a large amount of cash from the store’s safe. Lewis was arrested on March 26. That day, law enforcement conducted a search of Lewis’ residence and recovered the rifle used during the robbery as well as a privately made firearm with no serial number, a shotgun, and ammunition. On April 4, law enforcement also searched Lewis’ vehicle and recovered a handgun and additional ammunition. On June 13, Lewis pled guilty to interference with commerce by robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. Lewis was sentenced on Sept. 3 to 15 years and eight months in prison. On June 21, Taylor pled guilty to use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Taylor was sentenced today to 25 years in prison. Both Lewis and Taylor have multiple prior convictions. On Aug. 9, 1994, Lewis was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On May 30, 1997, he was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine while armed. On Oct. 20, 2005, Lewis was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base. As a previously convicted felon, Lewis cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition. Taylor previously was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia on Dec. 21, 2006, of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence during which the firearm was discharged. On June 30, 2006, Taylor was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after Taylor was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel K. Amzallag prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Cases No. 1:24-cr-139 and 1:24-cr-130.


title: Ryan Wesley Routh Indicted for Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note : View the indictment here . A federal grand jury in Miami late this afternoon returned an indictment charging Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, with attempting to kill former President Donald J. Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15. “Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop.” “This alleged attempted assassination of the former President at his golf course was a direct attack on our democracy. Political violence has no place in this country — not then, not now, not ever,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The charges today reflect the Department’s continued resolve to deploy every available resource to ensure public officials remain safe and to hold accountable those who target public officials to the fullest extent of the law.” “Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach. In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.” According to allegations in a complaint affidavit and a factual proffer filed with the court, former President Trump was golfing at Trump International on Sept. 15, and a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter security sweep saw the partially obscured face of a man — later identified as Routh — in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole. The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him. As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired at Routh. A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Court documents allege that in the area where Routh had been hiding in the tree line, FBI agents located an SKS semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. The serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable. Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag that each contained a plate capable of stopping small arms fire. According to the allegations filed with the court, FBI agents found documents that contained a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago. According to the factual proffer filed with the court, a civilian witness contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months ago. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.” Routh was charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer (a Secret Service Agent), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. At a detention hearing on Sept. 23, Routh was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Routh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. According to court records, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010. The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Secret Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section 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: San Diego Man Receives First Conviction in Nation for Illegally Importing Harmful Greenhouse Gases into the United States

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Michael Hart of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting he conspired to illegally import potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Mexico and sell them for a profit in violation of regulations intended to slow climate change. In addition to greenhouse gases, Hart admitted to conspiring to illegally import hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), namely HCFC 22, an ozone-depleting substance banned under the Clean Air Act. HFCs are used in applications such as refrigeration, air-conditioning, building insulation, fire extinguishing systems, and aerosols. The global warming impact of an HFC can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide. Because of this, there has been an international phasedown of HFCs by 85 percent, resulting in an increase in the illegal smuggling and importation of HFCs. This case is the first prosecution in the United States under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act). The AIM Act prohibits importing HFCs without allowances issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and also prohibits selling, distributing, or offering for sale or distribution HFCs imported without allowances issued by the EPA. “Congress made it illegal to import certain refrigerants into the United States without allowances because of their documented and significantly greater contribution to climate change,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the AIM Act and other laws that seek to prevent environmental harm.” As set forth in court documents, from about June to December 2022, Hart offered HFCs and HCFCs for sale via OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and other internet sites. He then communicated with conspirators in the United States, who placed purchase orders for the refrigerants with Hart. Once the orders were placed, Hart purchased the refrigerants in Mexico with the help of his conspirators and illegally imported them into the United States concealed in his vehicle. Thereafter, Hart illegally sold the refrigerants to others in the United States, profiting from the black market for such refrigerants in the United States. “Clean air is not for sale to the highest bidder,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The Department of Justice will use every tool at our disposal to protect air quality and hold criminal polluters accountable.” “During Climate Week, the United States recognizes the urgent need to limit climate super pollutants like HFCs to help address the existential threat of climate change," said David M. Uhlmann, EPA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Today's guilty plea for the first-ever HFC arrest demonstrates EPA's commitment to vigorously enforcing our laws at all U.S. borders and ports to prevent illegal HFC canisters from entering the U.S." Hart is scheduled to be sentenced December 9, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Pletcher and Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section Senior Trial Attorney Stephen DaPonte. DEFENDANTS Case Number 24-CR-0383-H Michael Hart Age: 58 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Violate the Clean Air Act Regulations (Title 42, U.S.C., Secs. 7671, 7413) and the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act Regulations (Title 42, U.S.C., Secs. 7675, 7413) – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371 Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division Homeland Security Investigations


title: Burlington County Man Charged with Drug and Firearm Crimes

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man has been charged with drug and firearm offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Daniel Garcia Jr., 27, of Maple Shade, is charged by complaint with possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. His initial court appearance will be scheduled for a later date. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On June 23, 2024, at approximately 12:35 p.m., Garcia and another individual rushed a minor to the hospital because the minor was not breathing, was having seizures, drooling, and unresponsive. The minor was treated at the hospital and was later flown to a children’s hospital, where care continued. Drug screening tests for the minor were positive for benzodiazepine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Medical personnel at the children’s hospital informed law enforcement officers that the minor had been administered benzodiazepine and fentanyl during treatment, but that cocaine had not been administered. A doctor at the children’s hospital also informed law enforcement officers that the minor’s symptoms, including seizure, cardiac arrest, and cardiac arrythmia, were all symptoms of a cocaine overdose. On June 24, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Garcia’s residence and found cash, drug packaging paraphernalia and an envelope containing both 9mm and .357 magnum ammunition. On June 25, 2024, a search of a vehicle that Garcia had been seen operating revealed a laundry bag that contained $150,000 cash, 329.1 grams of methamphetamine, 767 grams of cocaine, 41 amphetamine tablets, 102 alprazolam tablets, 272 oxycodone tablets, 2.6 grams of MDMA powder, 1,341 grams of marijuana, 9.9 grams of psilocin and psilocybin mushrooms, 192 grams of crystalline cutting agents commonly used for illegal drug preparation, three digital scales, drug packaging material, two 9mm handguns and a .357 magnum revolver. The three firearms were loaded. Law enforcement officers also reviewed surveillance video from the apartment complex that showed Garcia returning to the apartment after leaving the hospital and placing the laundry bag inside the trunk of the vehicle. The charge of possession with intent to distribute over 50g of methamphetamine carries a minimum statutory term of 10 years, a maximum statutory term of life, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms carries a maximum statutory term of 15 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, and the Maple Shade Police Department, under the direction of Chief Christopher Fletcher. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Johns of the Criminal Division in Camden. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. garcia.complaint.pdf


title: Sussex County Man Sentenced to 146 Months in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 146 months in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced today. Steven R. Kristiansen, 54, of Byram Township, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas, to a five-count information charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution and possession of methamphetamine, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Bibas imposed the sentence on Sept. 20, 2024, in Camden federal court. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In January 2022, law enforcement determined that Kristiansen was a member of a drug trafficking organization and distributed methamphetamine. From Jan. 14, 2022, to Jan. 18, 2022, Kristiansen sold over 60 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover police office. On Jan. 25, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at Kristiansen’s residence and car and recovered over 50 grams of methamphetamine and ammunition. In addition to the prison term, Judge Bibas sentenced Kristiansen to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the diection of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the sentence. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Linares of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.


title: Bulgarian National Admits Assaulting ICE Deportation Officer

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Bulgarian national today admitted assaulting a U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Vasil Petrov, 40, of Bulgaria, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Dec. 27, 2023, Petrov was in the lawful custody of ICE at an ICE facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, pending removal from the United States. While being processed for removal, Petrov struck the deportation officer in the chin with a closed fist. As a result of Petrov’s assault, the deportation officer sustained bodily injury, including a laceration on his chin that required liquid stitches. The charge to which Petrov pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chana Y. Zuckier of the OCDETF Unit in Newark. petrov.information.pdf


title: ST. CROIX MAN INDICTED AFTER THREATENING TO MURDER FEDERAL AGENTS

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jamoi Weekes, 30, of St. Croix, with making threats to assault and murder federal and local law enforcement officers. “Heinous threats of violence that target our partners in law enforcement will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Smith. “Law enforcement officials must be free to perform their duties without fear or intimidation, and as evidenced in the case against Weekes, we will steadfastly prosecute threats against public servants and aggressively seek penalties against those who engage in such abhorrent crimes.” According to court documents, on August 31, 2024, Weekes attempted to board a flight at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix. Weekes was referred to Customs and Border Protection for a secondary inspection before boarding his flight. Weekes then became extremely irate and combative and began threatening to murder and retaliate against the officers if he ever saw them again. Weekes was then determined to be unsuitable to board his flight and was ordered to leave the airport. While exiting the airport, Weekes encountered two Virgin Islands Port Authority officers who he also threatened to murder. Rather than leave the airport, Weekes then followed two Customs and Border Protection officers from the airport terminal to the parking lot and again threatened to murder the officers. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye. United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Meriwether County Resident Convicted of Armed Drug Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – A resident of Meriwether County with several previous felony convictions was found guilty of illegal gun possession and drug trafficking charges following a bench trial this week. Howatdrick Jamal Jones, 30, of Woodbury, Georgia, was found guilty of one count of possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Clay Land that began and ended on Monday, Sept. 23. Jones faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 12. There is no parole in the federal system. “Repeat armed felons tied to violent criminal gangs will find themselves being held accountable at the federal level,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement across the Middle District of Georgia is working closely with our office to bring the most dangerous offenders in our communities to justice and make our communities safer for all.” “Guns, drugs and violence are unfortunately all too common tools of the drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the DEA to hold violent drug traffickers accountable.” “I would like to thank all of the law enforcement entities involved for their hard work on this case,” said Waverly Hall Police Chief Jason Durham. “This is another proven example that illegal drugs and guns will not be tolerated.” According to the evidence at trial, Jones was stopped by a Waverly Hall Police Department officer on Oct. 16, 2019, after the officer’s automatic license plate reader triggered an alert that the owner of the car had active arrest warrants. The officer smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle, finding cocaine, a digital scale and a razor blade next to the drugs. Jones was concealing a .45 caliber pistol. At the time, Jones had several prior felony drug convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Jones was convicted of bank robbery on Sept. 20, 2023, in the Superior Court of Pike County, Georgia and is serving a life sentence for his crime. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Waverly Hall Police Department with valuable assistance from the FBI and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Williams and Crawford Seals are prosecuting the case for the Government.


component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: Note : View the indictment here . A federal grand jury in Miami late this afternoon returned an indictment charging Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, with attempting to kill former President Donald J. Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15. “Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy, and we will find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it. This must stop.” “This alleged attempted assassination of the former President at his golf course was a direct attack on our democracy. Political violence has no place in this country — not then, not now, not ever,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The charges today reflect the Department’s continued resolve to deploy every available resource to ensure public officials remain safe and to hold accountable those who target public officials to the fullest extent of the law.” “Routh is charged with attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, which strikes at the very heart of our democratic system,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI is continuing our investigation into this alleged plot and will use the full weight and resources of the FBI to uncover and provide as much information as possible about what led to the events in West Palm Beach. In our country, we have to hold accountable people who resort to violence.” According to allegations in a complaint affidavit and a factual proffer filed with the court, former President Trump was golfing at Trump International on Sept. 15, and a Secret Service agent conducting a perimeter security sweep saw the partially obscured face of a man — later identified as Routh — in the brush along the fence line near the sixth hole. The agent observed the barrel of a rifle aimed directly at him. As the agent began backing away, he saw the rifle barrel move, and the agent fired at Routh. A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Court documents allege that in the area where Routh had been hiding in the tree line, FBI agents located an SKS semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. The serial number on the rifle was obliterated and unreadable. Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag that each contained a plate capable of stopping small arms fire. According to the allegations filed with the court, FBI agents found documents that contained a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the former President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago. According to the factual proffer filed with the court, a civilian witness contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months ago. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.” Routh was charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer (a Secret Service Agent), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. At a detention hearing on Sept. 23, Routh was ordered to remain in federal custody pending trial. If convicted, Routh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. According to court records, Routh was convicted of felonies in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010. The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Secret Service. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section 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. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80116. ###


title: Felon Who Ran from the Police While Armed and Resisted Officers Sentenced to Serve Time in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison. Lawrence Lamar Newell, III, age 20, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 12, 2024 guilty plea to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon. Newell had previously been convicted of burglary in the second degree and assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. During a traffic stop, Newell, who was a passenger in a car, tried to run from police on foot. Newell and a law enforcement officer struggled on the ground and Newell tried, multiple times to reach for a gun located in his waistband. During the struggle, Newell retrieved the firearm from his waistband and continued to resist commands to drop the gun. Newell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Newell was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Newell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-00007. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Nicaraguan Man Sentenced to Prison for Document Fraud

body_text: A man who used a fraudulent social security card was sentenced today to four months in federal prison. Sen Sequeira-Miranda, age 45, a citizen of Nicaragua residing in the Cresco, Iowa, area, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document and one count of misuse of a social security number. At the guilty plea, Sequeira-Miranda admitted he used a fraudulent Social Security card bearing an alias name, to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in April 2024 at a business in Charles City, Iowa. The number on the Social Security card was assigned to the person whose name was on the Social Security card. On January 11, 2024, Sequeira-Miranda was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol after he illegally entered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. On February 8, 2024, defendant was released from immigration custody with a GPS ankle bracelet and ordered to report to immigration officials in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. GPS data appeared to show Sequeira-Miranda was working and ICE agents were able locate him at his place of employment in Charles City. As an alien, Sequeira-Miranda was not authorized to work in the United States. ICE officers were able to obtain copies of the fraudulent documents Sequeira-Miranda used from his employer, which included the fraudulent Social Security card and a fraudulent California ID card with his alias name and bearing his photo. Sequeira-Miranda was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sequeira-Miranda was sentenced to 125 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Sequeira-Miranda is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-2022. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Virginia-Based Defense Contractor  To Pay $2.25 Million Fine for Bribery Conspiracy

number: CAS24-0924-Cambridge International Systems, Inc

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Cambridge International Systems, Inc., a defense contractor headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, was sentenced in federal court today to pay a criminal fine of $2,250,000 after admitting that it participated in a scheme to bribe a public official at Naval Information Warfare Center in exchange for winning and maintaining hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts. According to Cambridge’s April 2024 plea agreement, the company – acting through its former Executive Vice President Russell Thurston and an unnamed employee – gave various things of value to former Naval Information Warfare Center employee James Soriano, including jobs for Soriano’s family and friends, meals, and a ticket to the 2018 MLB All Star Game held at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. In return, Soriano, acting in his position as a contracting officer’s representative at the Naval Information Warfare Center, ensured that Cambridge was awarded two large task orders. Soriano further ensured Cambridge was able to capture a steady stream of government funds by approving various additional projects on the task orders, including more than 70 projects on one of the task orders. As a result of the conspiracy, the government obligated more than $32 million on one of the task orders and more than $100 million on the other. Although $132 million was obligated, only $1,672,102.23 had been paid out by the government at the time the fraud was uncovered. Since pleading guilty, Cambridge was ordered to forfeit $1,672,102.23. The fine imposed today further penalizes the company for its criminal scheme, while acknowledging its diminished financial condition as a result of its guilty plea. The company was also placed on a two-year period of probation, during which time it will be closely monitored. As a condition of probation, the company is also setting up a fund to benefit the family of a slain employee. “With a fine of over $2 million, the court sent a message to government contractors,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Cheating the system doesn’t pay out in the end.” “Cambridge International Systems’ sentencing brings closure to its part in an illicit scheme to enrich the company and others with the assistance of corrupt government officials,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “This outcome, and others associated with this investigation and prosecution, should serve as a warning to those who would subvert the proper government acquisition process for their own personal gain at the expense of the American taxpayer and our nation’s warfighters.” “The sentencing of Cambridge International Systems, Inc. should serve as an example and a warning to other companies seeking defense contracts that corrupting the acquisition process will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “The culture of complicity demonstrated by Cambridge International is just as detrimental to national security as actively handing over bribes, and IRS CI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect our warfighters from such corruption.” “Cambridge deserves to be held accountable for perpetuating an illegal bribery scheme that undermined the fairness of the defense procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS appreciates our investigative partners for their continued efforts to protect our nation's warfighters from the threats posed by such corruption.” Thurston is separately charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery in case number 24CR341-TWR; a motion hearing is scheduled for April 11, 2025. Soriano pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery in case numbers 23CR2282-TWR and 24CR341-TWR; his sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2025. DEFENDANT Case Number 24-cr-759-TWR Cambridge International Systems, Inc. Arlington, VA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Commit Bribery - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371 Maximum penalties: Five years corporate probation; a maximum $500,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Defense Criminal Investigative Service Naval Criminal Investigative Service Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General If you have information regarding fraud, waste, or abuse relating to Department of Defense personnel or operations, please contact the DoD Hotline at 800-424-9098.


title: Former Omaha Woman Sentenced for Theft from a Program Receiving Federal Funds

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Carolynne R. Parker, also known as Carolynne R. Noffsinger, age 51, formerly of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced September 23, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for theft from a program receiving federal funds. Parker currently resides in Maineville, Ohio. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Parker to 21 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Parker’s release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, Senior Judge Gerrard commented that in 24 years as a Judge, he had “never had anyone take less responsibility” for their actions than Parker. In December 2017, a local family practice medical clinic, Fallbrook Family Health Center, hired Carolynne Parker as a consultant. Parker had reached out to the medical community advertising her consulting business – Acute Practice Solutions (APS). As a consultant with the medical clinic, Parker assisted with a government program called CPC+, which provided medical practices with financial resources to improve quality of care and reduce the number of unnecessary services for patients. Parker’s responsibilities included reaching out and reminding patients to schedule preventative care appointments, as well as documenting and then reporting to the government that care so that the clinic would be reimbursed. Parker’s consultant contract ended in March 2018. However, Parker expressed how much she enjoyed working at the clinic and, in July of 2018, was hired as the clinic’s chief operating officer (COO) to continue to expand the clinic’s value-based care practice, as well as handle general office management duties. The job duties included handling staffing issues, paying the bills, billing insurance, managing employee benefits, payroll, and general accounting. As the COO, Parker had significant authority over the business of the clinic. For example, she exclusively did their payroll and banking. In August of 2019, IRS agents showed up at the clinic and told the doctors they were behind on employment tax payments. Parker told the doctors she would fix the issue, telling them she had forgotten to send in a piece of paper. Concerned that the IRS generally did not stop by to pick up paperwork, staff members at the clinic became concerned about Parker’s activities. That same month, at a monthly staff meeting, Parker told the clinic they had $300,000 more in additional expenses then in the previous year and she could not explain why. Concerned about the state of the clinic’s finances under Parker, the Fallbrook’s owners asked for an explanation. Parker was unable to provide an answer and was terminated from her employment. After Parker was terminated, several accountants were consulted to help run the business side of the clinic. Their review indicated that the clinic’s finances had been horribly mismanaged by Parker. Further investigation uncovered that Parker had repeatedly changed her salary over the course of her employment, at times inflating it by as much as 45%. Parker also directly deposited money from the clinic into her personal account without permission on multiple occasions. These transactions ranged from $500-$2,800. Finally, Parker continued to write checks to her consulting company, even though the contract had ended in March of 2018. The first fraudulent check was written by the defendant the day after the previous office manager left. Investigators found a total of $27,800 in unauthorized direct deposits from the clinic to Parker, $16,608.38 in overpayment of wages, after Parker set her salary for payroll purposes higher than agreed upon and $64,960 in unauthorized checks written by Parker to her consulting firm for work that she never did. In sum, the evidence showed that the defendant stole $109,368.38 from the clinic. A review of Parker’s personal accounts showed most of the stolen funds were spent on travel or retail expenses such as clothes or coffee to benefit herself. In addition to directly stealing from Fallbrook, Parker neglected to fulfill many of her job duties. At the time of her termination, she had run up around $50,000 in fines and penalties for the clinic payable to the IRS due to her non-payment of various taxes. She also left many other bills unpaid, leading several venders to terminate contracts with the clinic and attempt to send them to collection. Parker also did not bill insurance correctly and it is estimated that over a million dollars was withheld from Fallbrook for medical work done because of her actions. Parker entered a plea of no-contest to the charges. Evidence was presented during the course of her sentencing hearing. In reviewing Parker’s version of the events, Senior Judge Gerrard observed that Parker was “incapable of telling the truth.” At the time of her sentencing, Parker was working with a health care agency in Ohio, working with substance abuse patients. This case was investigated by agents and investigators with the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, both of whom would remind local businesses to carefully divide office management duties and to rely on a series of checks and balances.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Pills

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Zacharie Stinson, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced September 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Stinson to 57 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Stinson’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On three occasions in March and April of 2023, DEA agents and task force officers saw Stinson meet with an individual who later sold fentanyl pills to a cooperator and an undercover agent. On April 7, 2023, agents executed a search warrant at Stinson’s residence in Omaha. Inside, agents found approximately 250 fentanyl pills. Agents also recovered approximately 135 fentanyl pills from Stinson’s person. During a post-Miranda interview, Stinson admitted that he was a fentanyl pill user who had started selling pills within the last year. Stinson told agents that he would purchase approximately 500 pills every two weeks and sell some to other people. Co-defendants Rafael Magana and Lucas Ehly, both 31 and from Omaha, have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in December. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Metro Drug Task Force.


title: Winnebago Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Richard T. Walker II, 31, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for failure to register as a sex offender. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Walker to 33 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Walker’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On December 11, 2020, Walker was convicted in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska of abusive sexual contact with a child under 12. As a result of his 2020 federal conviction, Walker is required to register as a sex offender for life, to include in-person appearances every 3 months to update his registration information. After his release from prison for the 2020 conviction in May 2023, Walker registered a specific address as his residence with the Winnebago Police Department in Winnebago, Nebraska. Walker later appeared at the Winnebago Police Department in July 2023 and certified the same address was still valid, yet Walker had not lived at the registered address since the end of May 2023. Walker lived in a variety of locations during June and July of 2023 and failed to update his sex offender registration to reflect his change in address. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.


title: Former Partner Of Investment Management Firm Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Two Fraud Schemes Totaling Over $2.4 Million

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSHUA HENNER was sentenced Friday, September 20, 2024, to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl for running two separate fraud schemes that stole over $2.4 million from victims. HENNER previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joshua Henner deceived victims into loaning him millions of dollars across not one, but two fraud schemes. Henner’s crimes ruined the lives of his victims: some have postponed retirement, others lost their life savings, while others have been forced to change professions or work multiple jobs to account for their significant financial losses. This sentence sends the message that those who defraud others will receive significant prison sentences.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the plea agreement, and other public filings and statements made in court: From at least in or about March 2022 through at least in or about December 2022, HENNER ran two schemes that defrauded victims out of at least $2.4 million. In the first scheme, HENNER solicited and obtained funds from victims based on representations that he had been an angel investor in a start-up (the “Company”) and that he needed funds to purchase additional shares in the Company to maintain his investment position. To induce victims to give him funds, HENNER routinely made materially false oral and written statements, including lies about his previous investment in the Company and his ownership interest in the Company. Without their knowledge or authorization, HENNER misappropriated his victims’ funds by, among other things, transferring the funds to himself and other individuals. HENNER also used, without authorization, the name and email address of a lawyer purportedly involved in the investments to communicate via email with his victims and foster the illusion that he was using the funds that his victims lent him for their intended purposes. In a second scheme, HENNER also induced at least six victims to lend him money to renovate an apartment that he did not own. To carry out this fraud, HENNER, among other things, informed victims that he had contracted with a renovations company and created a fraudulent email address with the real name of an employee of the renovation company. In truth and in fact, HENNER rented and did not own the apartment, HENNER was prohibited from renovating the apartment, and HENNER did not use the funds that his victims gave him to renovate the apartment. * * * In addition to the prison term, HENNER, 37, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $2,452,480 and make restitution in an amount to be determined. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon C. Thompson is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Medical Practice Administrator Sentenced for Stealing Nearly $600,000 From Her Employer, TDI Benefits Program

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A former office manager and bookkeeper for a Pawtucket medical practice has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for misappropriating nearly $570,000 in medical practice funds and more than $11,000 in TDI benefits she fraudulently applied for and received, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Tianna Keller, 59, previously pleaded guilty to two charges of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The defendant was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 27 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Additionally, at the request of the government, Keller was ordered to pay restitution totaling $579,857 to the medical practice, an insurance company that covered some of the loss to the medical practice, and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training Temporary Disability (TDI) Benefits program. As reflected in court documents and information presented to the court, Ms. Keller, who managed all aspects of the medical practice’s finances, developed and executed schemes to add family members and friends as unauthorized paid employees; collected and converted patient co-payments and other business funds to pay her own personal expenses; pay tens of thousands of dollars in personal credit card debt; pay wireless phone bills; and pay college tuition payments for a family member. According to information presented to the court, once her fraud was discovered, Keller left the practice on medical leave. Upon expiration of her medical leave, she was terminated from the practice and applied for and was granted TDI benefits. Shortly thereafter, Keller gained new employment but continued to report to the Department of Labor and Training that she was unable to work, and she continued to collect TDI benefit payments she was not entitled to receive. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron. The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Rhode Island State Police. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Rhode Island Department of labor and Training for their assistance in the investigation of this matter. ###


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Hays County to Ensure Polling Place Access to Voters with Disabilities

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas announced today that the United States has reached a settlement agreement with Hays County to ensure that the county provides accessible polling places to voters with disabilities. The agreement resolves the United States’ investigation into Hays County’s compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by a state or local government in any of its programs or services. Investigators from the Department of Justice surveyed the 14 polling places the county used during the 2023 Uniform Election. The United States observed that the polling places contained architectural or equipment barriers that rendered the facilities inaccessible to voters with disabilities, such as a lack of van accessible parking; excessively sloped ramps, some without handrails and edge protection; excessively sloped portions of parking spaces, access aisles, and exterior routes to the entrance; numerous gaps and level changes along exterior routes; and protruding objects. In addition, the observers documented a lack of knee and toe clearance at the accessible voting machines and at other voting stations at some locations. “The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy and must not be diminished or restricted,” said U.S. Attorney Esparza. “People with disabilities are entitled to equal opportunity and full inclusion at the ballot box. Under this agreement, eligible voters with disabilities in Hays County will be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote and participate in our democracy. Our office will continue working to ensure that all eligible Americans have access to the ballot.” Under the settlement agreement, the county will engage the technical assistance of an accessibility expert and use an evaluation form for each current and prospective polling place based on ADA architectural standards. The agreement requires the county to make polling places more accessible through a variety of measures. In addition, Hays County will train its poll workers and other elections staff on the requirements of the ADA and how to use temporary measures to ensure each polling place is accessible during elections. For more information about the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liane Noble, Matthew Mueller, and Robert Green represented the government in this investigation and resolution. ###


title: Allport Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Role Directing Large-Scale Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Allport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 204 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Alexis Brolin Jr., 55, on September 20, 2024. According to information presented to the Court, from in and around July 2019 to in and around April 2020 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Brolin conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Brolin, who directed the drug trafficking organization’s activity in Clearfield and surrounding areas, was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining kilogram quantities of methamphetamine that he distributed to others, and was arrested in possession of more than 650 grams of methamphetamine destined for Clearfield during an April 2020 interdiction stop. Executing a search warrant at Brolin’s residence on the day of his arrest, law enforcement agents seized additional quantities of methamphetamine, as well as 11 firearms and ammunition, including five shotguns, two rifles, an AK-style rifle, and three pistols, with numerous of the firearms not having serial numbers. Under federal law, Brolin was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition based on his earlier felony conviction for robbery. Brolin also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. Additionally, from in and around July 2019 to June 2020, Brolin conspired to commit money laundering by having various distributors pre-pay him for the drugs he was to provide them through money wires to and from various locations within Western Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Brolin. Additional agencies participating in this investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies. 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: U.S. Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement to Ensure  Effective Communication at McLaren Health Care Corporation Facilities Throughout Michigan

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – McLaren Health Care Corporation (McLaren) has agreed to enter into a Settlement Agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan to resolve its investigation under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. McLaren owns and operates multiple hospitals and outpatient health centers throughout the state of Michigan, including through its subsidiary, the Karmanos Cancer Institute. The U.S. Attorney’s Office opened the investigation into McLaren after receiving complaints about the provision at multiple facilities of auxiliary aids and services to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. McLaren fully cooperated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office throughout the investigation. The settlement agreement requires McLaren to provide auxiliary aids and services free of charge to ensure effective communication with their patients and their companions, consistent with the ADA. Under the terms of the settlement, McLaren will provide a combined $220,000 in monetary relief to fourteen affected individuals. McLaren will also review its policies and, as necessary, revise its policies to be consistent with the ADA’s requirements regarding effective communication and the terms of the settlement agreement. McLaren will enhance existing notices within their facilities to clearly alert patients and their companions of the availability of ASL interpreters or other auxiliary aids and services free of charge. Furthermore, McLaren will contract with additional vendors to provide both virtual and in-person interpretive services as needed. McLaren will also train its staff on its updated policies and will report any future complaints from individuals who have disabilities to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “It is critical that patients who are deaf or hard of hearing have the ability to communicate effectively with their health care providers,” U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said. “McLaren and its staff provide medical services to individuals throughout Michigan, including many rural areas with limited access to care. Therefore, I am especially proud of this resolution and what it means for equal access to health care.” The investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael El-Zein and Sunita Doddamani of the Civil Rights Unit. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or visit www.ada.gov. Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan by email at usamie.civilrights@usdoj.gov or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.


title: Valley National Bank Resolves Civil Liability Relating To Self-Disclosure Of Its Role In The Impermissible Use Of PPP Loan Proceeds By Bank Customer

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – Valley National Bank (VNB), a national bank and member of the Federal Reserve System, has agreed to pay $216,784.50 to resolve its civil liability under the False Claims Act for its self-disclosed role in the administration of two loans to a bank customer made under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES), the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act (Economic Aid Act). Congress created the PPP in March 2020 as part of the CARES Act to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized these businesses to seek forgiveness of the loans if they spent the loan funds on eligible expenses. The PPP was administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This settlement resolves VNB’s civil liability related to a bank customer who had applied for two PPP loans with VNB. VNB, through a bank relationship manager, assisted the customer in the impermissible use of a portion of the PPP loan proceeds from its first PPP loan to repay an outstanding loan to a third party. After learning of this conduct, VNB conducted an independent investigation and review of those issues and provided the United States with a detailed and thorough written self-disclosure. VNB cooperated fully with the government’s investigation of the conduct, disclosing relevant documents, facts, and information gathered during its investigation. Although PPP lending has ended, VNB took steps to remediate and improve the issues with its PPP lending policies and practices, including requiring PPP borrowers to open a deposit account to undergo depositor screening, retaining an accounting firm to serve as a PPP loan help desk, and utilizing a company to interface with the SBA E-Tran platform. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to investigating and holding responsible those who failed to follow the rules of the PPP program,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to seek civil redress and, where appropriate, federally prosecute those individuals and entities that engage in improper uses of PPP loan proceeds.” SBA’s General Counsel Therese Meers stated, “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, other federal law enforcement agencies, as well as financial institutions or private individuals who uncover borrower misconduct to recover the lending program’s damages.” The resolution obtained in this case was the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Small Business Administration. The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen, with assistance from the Small Business Administration - Office of General Counsel. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination or admission of liability by VNB. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl that Caused the Death of a Transgender Activist

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Michael Kuilan pled guilty before United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan to a charge that he distributed and possessed with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. The plea arises out of Kuilan’s distribution of narcotics that led to the death of Cecilia Gentili. Kuilan also pled guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On July 30, 2024, Kuilan’s co-defendant, Antonio Venti, pled guilty before Judge Cogan to the same drug offense. Kuilan and Venti were indicted together in March 2024. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the plea. “The perpetrators of the tragic poisoning of Cecilia Gentili, a prominent leader of the New York transgender community, have now both admitted their guilt in selling the lethal drugs that have caused this heartbreaking death,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “These drugs, heroin and fentanyl, have caused so much pain throughout our community. I hope this case will bring a sense of closure to Gentili’s family and serve as a warning that this Office will be relentless in holding fentanyl dealers accountable.” “While these guilty pleas can't undo the tragic loss of transgender rights activist Cecelia Gentili, it sends a message that we will do everything we can to make sure those responsible for drug related deaths face the consequences for their actions, and the families of those who lost their lives receive justice. The men and women of DEA New York Division, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to target those responsible for poisoning our communities” stated DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “The resolution of this case should serve as a warning to those who seek to profit from the distribution of fentanyl-laced drugs in our communities,” stated Interim NYPD Commissioner Donlon. “Dedicated investigators from all levels of government are working together every day to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals involved in these heinous crimes. I commend the collaborative efforts of the NYPD, DEA, and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York for their ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of all New Yorkers.” According to court documents and facts presented at the guilty plea proceeding, on February 6, 2024, Gentili was found dead in her bedroom in Brooklyn. Gentili died due to the combined effect of controlled substances, including fentanyl, xylazine, cocaine, and heroin. Text messages, cell site data, and other evidence revealed that Venti sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili on February 5, 2024, and that Kuilan supplied Venti with those lethal narcotics. As part of their plea agreements, Kuilan and Venti agreed that they caused Gentili’s death. In addition, law enforcement searched an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn belonging to Kuilan and found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, as well as a handgun and ammunition. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Amir is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti. The Defendants : MICHAEL KUILAN Age: 44 Brooklyn, New York ANTONIO VENTI Age: 52 West Babylon, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-130 (BMC)


title: Two Bucks County Men Convicted at Trial in Connection With Multiple Fraud Schemes

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Alan Kane, 59, of Jamison, Pennsylvania, and Derrell Johnson, 42, of Bensalem, Pa., were convicted Friday at trial for their actions linked to multiple fraud schemes. A federal jury convicted Kane, an attorney, on two counts of bankruptcy fraud, one count of filing a false claim in a bankruptcy proceeding, and one count of making a false statement to the FBI. Johnson was convicted on two counts of making a false statement to the FBI. In January of this year, they and codefendant Jonathan Barger, 55, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., the owner of a local plating company, were charged in a 12-count indictment that laid out three different fraud schemes: (1) a scheme to steal a house from a dead man’s family; (2) a scheme to defraud the City of Philadelphia out of property taxes that were due on the stolen house; and (3) a scheme to defraud Barger’s creditors through bankruptcy. Barger was implicated in all three schemes and pleaded guilty in June to all counts with which he was charged. In a suit filed by the family to get their house back, Kane represented the party who had stolen the house, Joseph Ruggiero [1] , and made repeated false statements supporting Ruggiero’s claim to good title, despite knowing that the deeds transferring the property away from the family were fraudulent. Kane also filed a false counterclaim against the family, claiming Barger’s company was entitled to more than $133,000 for work purportedly done to improve the house after it had been stolen. After claiming in the state court suit that Ruggiero had good title to the house, Kane represented Ruggiero before the Social Security Administration and represented that Ruggiero did not own the house because the deeds were fraudulent. This was done to ensure Ruggiero would still receive SSI benefits. Kane next filed a bankruptcy for Ruggiero, in which they claimed that Ruggiero had valid title to the house. The bankruptcy served to stay the family’s state court suit and prevent them from winning back the house. Kane then filed a false claim against Ruggiero in the bankruptcy, on behalf of Barger’s company, in an effort to steal some of the equity in the house for Barger in the event that Ruggiero lost the house to the family. Johnson had helped with the preparation and filing of two fraudulent deeds used to steal the house, and also helped with the filing of a false claim with the City of Philadelphia to avoid a large tax bill that was due on the house. Johnson was paid with two checks for his services in helping steal the house and the tax avoidance scam. When Johnson was interviewed by the FBI, he lied, claiming that he didn’t recognize the fraudulent deeds and had nothing to do with the theft of the house. He also claimed the two checks he received were really meant to provide payment to another person. Kane and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced on January 28, 2025. Kane faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $1 million fine, and a $400 special assessment, and Johnson faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and $200 special assessment. “The fraud schemes in which the defendants were involved differed in their details,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But they shared a common goal: scheming, cheating, and lying for illicit financial gain — be it at the expense of a family, a city, or a creditor. We will continue to hold accountable those involved in misappropriating money like this or caught lying to the FBI.” “White collar crimes, such as bankruptcy fraud, erode confidence in our financial systems,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our partners remain committed to protecting the integrity of our financial institutions and bringing to justice those who seek to deceive and defraud the public through devious financial schemes.” The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Dubnoff and Special Assistant United States Attorney Hannah McCollum. [1] Mr. Ruggiero died in June 2020.


title: Leader Of Sunset Trinitarios Responsible For Murdering Two Teenagers In 2013 And 2014 Convicted Of Racketeering And Murder

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that on Friday, September 20, 2024, a jury found CARLOS RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Guerra” guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and firearms-related charges. RAMIREZ was found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 9, 2025. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For more than a decade, the family members of Michael Beltre and Jordanny Correa have waited for justice. Their wait is now over. With its verdict, the jury has now held Carlos Ramirez, a/k/a “Guerra,” a leader of the Sunset Trinitarios, responsible for nearly a decade of drug trafficking, robberies, and violence, including the murder of these two young men, both teenagers at the time that they were shot to death. It does not matter how long ago their lives were lost to the scourge of gang violence in this city. I promise you that the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners will never stop investigating and prosecuting these righteous cases. If any member of the public has information that they wish to share with us about any unsolved murder in this city, then we encourage you to come forward.” According to the Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial: From 2010 to 2024, members of the Sunset Trinitarios, a violent drug trafficking organization and street gang founded in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York, committed a terrifying number of violent crimes, including multiple murders and attempted murders and numerous gunpoint robberies all across the metropolitan area. RAMIREZ was one of the members of the Sunset Trinitarios during this period, and he rose to multiple positions of leadership within the gang, both out on the street and when he was incarcerated in the custody of state and federal detention facilities in New York City. As a “devil soldier messenger” of the Sunset Trinitarios, which came to celebrate the murder of innocent victims and their purported delivery to the devil, RAMIREZ obtained two identical tattoos memorializing the two murders he committed on behalf of the gang. On October 23, 2013, RAMIREZ participated in the murder of Michael Beltre, who was seventeen years old. Beltre was shot multiple times on the street in the Bronx after RAMIREZ struck him and held him for another gang member to shoot. On November 2, 2014, RAMIREZ murdered Jordanny Correa, who was nineteen years old. RAMIREZ shot Correa multiple times at point-blank range inside an apartment in the Bronx. On February 28, 2023, RAMIREZ attempted to murder a former leader of the Sunset Trinitarios inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. RAMIREZ committed this attack because he believed that this former leader had previously supplied information to law enforcement. With the help of others, RAMIREZ slashed and stabbed the victim with a knife, causing severe injuries to the victim’s face and the rest of his body in multiple locations. 10 others of RAMIREZ’s co-conspirators and fellow members of the Sunset Trinitarios previously pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing or have been sentenced, receiving sentences to date that have ranged from multiple years through life in prison. If you believe you have information related to RAMIREZ or the Sunset Trinitarios, please consider reporting using the following link: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/report-crime . * * * RAMIREZ, 29, of the Dominican Republic, was convicted of conspiracy to commit racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, and the use of a firearm to commit murder. Each of the three offenses carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and murder in aid of racketeering carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The mandatory and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York City Police Department, which also supported the prosecution through trial. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bureau of Prisons and the New York City Department of Correction for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas John Wright, Brandon D. Harper, and Timothy Ly are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists William Coleman and Kiersten Luger.


title: Stevensville timber frame home builder convicted by federal jury of defrauding customers of more than $2 million

body_text: MISSOULA — A federal jury convicted a Stevensville timber frame home builder on Sept. 20 of wire fraud and money laundering crimes in an alleged scheme in which he defrauded customers of more than $2 million by obtaining payments to build them homes but instead used the money for personal expenses and to pay other debts, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. After a five-day trial that began on Sept. 16, the jury found the defendant, Brett Mauri, 61, guilty of four counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Mauri faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release on the wire fraud counts, and a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction, and three years of supervised release on each count of money laundering. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2025. Mauri’s release was continued pending further proceedings. “Mauri stole nearly $2 million from people who trusted him to build their dream homes. He consistently lied to them and made excuses about the lack of progress on each project, some of whom didn’t have anything to show despite paying Mauri thousands and thousands of dollars. They didn’t just suffer monetary losses, but mentally and emotionally, too. I hope his forthcoming federal prison sentence gives them comfort knowing he can’t scam anyone else again,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that Mauri is the owner and operator of Bitterroot Timber Frames (BTF) and Three Mile Creek Post & Beam, LLC. According to Mauri and the company’s website, BTF built custom timber frame homes across the United States. Mauri claimed credit for large projects in some of America’s most popular ski towns between the 1990s and 2010s. The government alleged that between 2018 and 2022, Mauri defrauded nine individuals who hired him to build their timber frame homes. Many of the agreements were made by written contract, while some were formed by email or over the phone. Mauri obtained payments from these customers and lied to them about his operations and what he was doing with their money. Mauri ultimately provided little to nothing in return. The scheme involved Mauri inducing customers to send him funds, which were ultimately deposited into his or his wife’s bank accounts. Mauri, and his wife, Carrie McEnroe, primarily used the money for personal living expenses and to pay other debts instead of building the homes as he promised. What work Mauri did perform on victims’ projects gave his operation the hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme. He frequently solicited new money from a victim and used the funds, in part, to cover past expenses that were often incurred on earlier projects. The scheme resulted in victims paying Mauri more than $2 million. In exchange, Mauri provided very little materials or services, and some victims received nothing at all. Victims had hired Mauri to build homes in the Montana communities of Whitehall, Victor, Corvallis and Missoula, and in New York, Utah, and Louisiana. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: North Carolina Man Sentenced For Defrauding Attorneys Through International Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Omoyoma Christopher Okoro, age 50, was sentenced on September 19, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 100 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $22,565,929.18 in restitution. In September 2023, Okoro was found guilty of all charges against him following a five-day jury trial. Okoro was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, mail fraud affecting a financial institution, and bank fraud. In addition, Okoro was charged with two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of mail fraud affecting a financial institution, and one count of bank fraud. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Okoro, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Nigerian origin, resided in Nigeria before moving to the United States around 2013. Between 2006 and 2010, Okoro conspired with others to defraud attorneys located in the United States through what became known as the “attorney collection scheme.” Through this scheme, attorneys in the United States were contacted by a prospective “client” in a foreign country who purported to be in need in legal representation. The client would typically claim to be owed money from someone in the United States resulting from a business transaction, settlement from a dispute, or an accident. If the attorney responded to the initial inquiry, the attorney would then be told that the other party had agreed to settle the matter and was prepared to make a payment. Soon after that, the attorney would receive a counterfeit “official check” supposedly issued by a U.S. bank in the mail. The attorney was directed by the client to deposit the check into his or her law firm escrow account, keep a portion of the funds as payment for services, and wire the balance to a foreign bank account, typically located in an East Asian country. Once the funds reached the foreign bank account, they were immediately withdrawn by a member of the conspiracy, generally before the attorney victim realized that he or she had been defrauded. The attorney and the attorney’s bank would then be left responsible for the loss once they realized that the official check was counterfeit. The evidence at trial showed Okoro communicating with numerous other members of the conspiracy, including individuals responsible for furnishing the financial accounts in East Asia used to receive victim funds, as well as individuals who appeared to be in contact with attorney victims. On numerous occasions, Okoro was either the sender or recipient of emails confirming that an attorney victim had wired funds to a foreign bank account. In addition, evidence at trial showed funds flowing back to Okoro from coconspirators located in the area of Toronto, Canada, where several key members of the conspiracy resided. In total, it is believed that over $23 million in fraudulent proceeds were actually obtained through the attorney collection scheme, and over $80 million in attempted fraud occurred. Okoro represents the latest defendant to be prosecuted in this district for his role in the attorney collection scheme. Prior defendants include Emmanuel Ekhator and Yvette Mathurin, previously residents of Canada and Nigeria, and Kingsley Osagie of Nigeria. For more information, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/nigerian-national-sentenced-100-months-involvement-scheme-defraud-lawyers-out-millions. They also include Henry Okpalefe, previously a resident of Toronto, Canada and Nigeria. For more information, please see https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa/pr/canadian-man-sentenced-18-years-imprisonment-multi-million-dollar-fraud-targeting-us. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma, Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams, and Shaunik R. Panse, previously a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, prosecuted the case. This case and other prior cases related to the attorney collection scheme were previously handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christy Fawcett, Kim Douglas Daniel, Chelsea Schinnour, and Paul J. Miovas, Jr. # # #


title: Southern Indiana Mining Company Ordered to Pay $110,000 for Unpaid Penalties Relating to Worker Safety Violations

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced today that the Justice Department has secured a judgment against Eagle Stone, Inc., a Southern Indiana mining company, for Eagle Stone’s failure to pay civil penalties imposed against it for violations of federal mining health and safety standards. Eagle Stone operated Gosport Stone, a crushed limestone mining operation in Owen County, Indiana. Between 2019 and 2022, the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration imposed scores of civil penalties against Eagle Stone for violations of worker safety requirements at the Gosport Stone operation. The violations ranged from faulty brakes on vehicles, to failure to insulate electrical wiring, to unsafe storage practices for hazardous chemicals, all of which endangered the health and safety of the employees working at this facility. Eagle Stone stopped operating in or around 2022 and no longer has any employees. In 2023, the Department of Justice and Department of Labor sued Eagle Stone in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, seeking judgment for the unpaid penalties along with interest. Eagle Stone agreed to a court order requiring it to immediately pay $110,000 to resolve the civil penalties against it. On September 19, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana entered a consent judgment in favor of the United States and against Eagle Stone, requiring the company to pay $110,000 to the government. “Miners and other professionals in the field deserve a safe workplace as they do important jobs of our communities and our economy,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “When companies disregard safety standards, they must be held accountable. This judgment and recovery on behalf of the public demonstrates that the Department of Justice and Department of Labor are committed to ensuring that companies pay fines for endangering workers and do not evade accountability.” Department of Labor officials echoed U.S. Attorney Myers’s remarks. “When employers avoid their legal obligations, the U.S. Department of Labor will use its enforcement powers to hold them accountable,” said Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda. “We are pleased to partner with the Department of Justice in implementing vigorous enforcement strategies to ensure that mine operators are held accountable when they cut corners on mine safety and health.” “Civil penalties are one of the primary mechanisms MSHA uses to compel operators to improve safety and health conditions at their mines,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “I thank Zachary Myers and his office for their efforts to pursue unpaid civil penalties. Those efforts will make miners in Indiana, and across the country, safer and healthier.” U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Taylor Kirklin and Jason Grover, Counsel for Trial Litigation in the Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor, who litigated the case. Members of the public who have concerns about environmental matters, including matters involving environmental justice issues, in the Southern District of Indiana can report them to the U.S. Attorney’s office via email to USAINS-Environmental@usdoj.gov . ###