title: Arizona Man Appears in St. Louis Court to Answer Fraud Charges

body_text: ST. LOUIS – An Arizona car repair business owner pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that accuse him of defrauding at least four customers out of more than $500,000. Andres “Manny” Lopez, 35, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Oct. 11, 2023, on two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He was arrested December 11 in Arizona and appeared in court in St. Louis Wednesday. The indictment says Lopez ran All Performance Tuning and Diesel Repair LLC in Arizona but solicited customers across the country. The indictment alleges that Lopez defrauded at least four customers, including a Missouri man, out of more than $500,000 by falsely claiming that he would obtain cars for them at a discount and perform vehicle repairs and upgrades. After obtaining upfront payments, Lopez spent the money on personal expenses, the indictment says. The Missouri victim wired Lopez $45,000 for a Toyota RAV4 for his mother. Lopez then repeatedly falsely claimed that he’d bought the vehicle and that it would to be delivered, the indictment says. The indictment also alleges that Lopez impersonated the general manager of a Florida Toyota dealership in text messages to the client’s mother, falsely claiming that delivery delays were due to recall issues. The wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tyson Davis II, 28, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 8, 2021, Davis sold approximately 52 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant inside a vehicle on the 1600 block of Doulton Avenue in Huntington. Davis admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling approximately 27 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant on November 3, 2021, in Huntington. On November 9, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Davis’ vehicle and Fourth Street West residence in Huntington and seized approximately 399 grams of fentanyl and a loaded Glock 9mm pistol. Davis admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized fentanyl. Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:21-cr-241. ###


title: Former Law Enforcement Union Officials Sentenced To Prison For Defrauding Union’s Annuity Fund

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that KENNETH WYNDER Jr., a former New York State Trooper and the president of the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (“LEEBA”), a labor union for law enforcement officers employed by the City of New York (the “City”), was sentenced to 40 months in prison, and ANDREW BROWN, a/k/a “Drew Brown,” the former financial advisor for LEEBA, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, for defrauding union members by misappropriating money from LEEBA’s Annuity Fund. WYNDER was also sentenced for personal income tax evasion and conspiring to evade federal taxes, including payroll taxes owed by LEEBA and its employees. WYNDER and BROWN were convicted after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who imposed today’s sentence. In addition, STEVEN WHITTICK, LEEBA’s former treasurer and a former police officer for New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”), previously pled guilty to conspiring to commit tax evasion and making false statements to law enforcement and was sentenced to 28 months in prison. U.S. Attorney Damian William said: “Kenneth Wynder and Andrew Brown raided union-sponsored retirement accounts for years, placing their self interest over the hard-working public servants they represented as the president and financial advisor of the union, respectively. Wynder also evaded taxes on cash, checks, and other income he obtained from the union, including as a product of their theft from the union members’ retirement accounts. Union officials and advisors who violate their duties to the union members they represent will face serious consequences for their abuse of trust.” According to the Indictment, Superseding Indictment, the underlying complaints filed in this case, as well as other publicly available information, prior court filings, and evidence presented during the trial in Manhattan federal court: Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association and the Annuity Fund LEEBA is a labor union that has acted as the collective bargaining representative principally for law enforcement personnel at various City agencies and has entered into agreements on behalf of those law enforcement employees, including agreements for insurance and retirement benefits. The City agencies whose employees LEEBA represented included, at various times, DEP, the Department of Sanitation (“Sanitation”), and the Department of Transportation (“Transportation”). The Annuity Fund is a LEEBA fund that received monthly contributions from the City for the benefit of LEEBA’s members and maintained separate accounts for each fund member. These accounts were functionally similar to employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement accounts. WYNDER was a Trustee of the Annuity Fund and signatory to agreements that governed the fund, and BROWN was a Plan Administrator and Financial Advisor of the Annuity Fund. Under the relevant agreements and plans, the money in the Annuity Fund could be used for no purpose other than funding individual members’ retirement accounts and defraying reasonable administrative expenses of the Annuity Fund itself. WYNDER WYNDER, a former New York State Trooper, is the founder and former President of LEEBA and a former member of LEEBA’s board of directors. WYNDER also formerly served as the Fund Administrator of the Annuity Fund and as a member of the board of trustees of the Annuity Fund, pursuant to which he owed a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the Annuity Fund and its account holders. WYNDER also was on the board of trustees of the LEEBA Welfare Fund (the “Welfare Fund,” and collectively with the Annuity Fund, the “LEEBA Funds”), which provided supplemental insurance benefits to its members. While occupying those positions, WYNDER centralized and controlled major decision-making authority for LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds, often acting without the proper approval of their respective boards of directors or trustees. WYNDER’s de facto dominance of LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds enabled him to make decisions in his own self-interest and contrary to the interests of the Annuity Fund and individual members. BROWN BROWN, the founder of a Westchester-based financial services company, is the former Benefits Administrator and insurance broker for LEEBA and the LEEBA Funds. As a LEEBA Annuity Fund Plan Administrator and Financial Advisor, BROWN helped manage the investments in the Annuity Fund, receiving a commission for his services, and had a responsibility to act in the best interest of LEEBA’s members. WYNDER’s and BROWN’s Fraud Scheme From at least in or about 2012 up to and including 2020, WYNDER and BROWN participated in a scheme to steal, embezzle, and misappropriate money from the Annuity Fund and individual members’ retirement accounts. Specifically, WYNDER and BROWN made hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraudulent transfers from the Annuity Fund to LEEBA’s operating account, which WYNDER controlled, and WYNDER regularly used the funds, once transferred from the Annuity Fund, to enrich himself at union members’ expense, including through unauthorized and excessive checks to himself and cash withdrawals for his own benefit and to pay insurance benefits for which BROWN received commissions. In addition, WYNDER caused the union to pay for various personal expenses such as the purchase of a Lexus automobile, travel expenses to Dallas to watch a Dallas Cowboys football game, and a sailing trip, all paid for by the union, and none of which were contemporaneously reported to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), as required. To accomplish this fraudulent scheme, WYNDER and BROWN, acting in their capacity as the Annuity Fund’s Plan Administrators, repeatedly made false and misleading statements to a third-party retirement plan manager that served as the custodian for the Annuity Fund and the retirement accounts of individual union members, including through emails and faxes that WYNDER and BROWN used to withdraw increasingly large sums of money from the Annuity Fund, effectively causing such withdrawals to be made from the retirement accounts of individual members. From in or about 2014 through in or about 2019, WYNDER and BROWN caused the withdrawal of more than $500,000 from the individual retirement accounts that constitute the Annuity Fund, thereby wiping out the entire balance of certain members’ accounts. Without these improper withdrawals from the Annuity Fund, the LEEBA operating account would have been insolvent and would have had insufficient funds to pay for WYNDER’s excessive checks to himself and cash withdrawals and the personal expenses he caused to be charged to that account, as well as to pay for benefits for which BROWN made commissions as an insurance broker. In addition, throughout the duration of this scheme, WYNDER and BROWN repeatedly made and approved false and misleading statements to LEEBA’s members and prospective members about how they were purportedly using and protecting their retirement accounts and the LEEBA Annuity Fund. WYNDER further concealed the scheme by causing LEEBA to fail to timely file mandatory reports and financial disclosures with the City and public reports to the Annuity Fund’s members and by making false statements to the Annuity Fund’s auditors and accountants. WYNDER’s and WHITTICK’s Tax Evasion Scheme From at least in or about 2015 through 2019, WYNDER participated in a conspiracy with LEEBA’s then-Treasurer, WHITTICK, to cause LEEBA to make payments to WYNDER and WHITTICK, by check and in cash, and to conceal those payments from the IRS. WYNDER and WHITTICK further conspired to ensure that such payments were made outside of LEEBA’s payroll processor. WYNDER and WHITTICK then concealed these payments from the IRS — including off-the-books payments to WYNDER of more than $400,000 — in order to evade their own personal income taxes and to evade the payroll taxes that were owed by LEEBA and certain LEEBA employees. WHITTICK’s False Statements to Federal Agents In or about October 2019, while serving as LEEBA’s Treasurer and after learning of a federal investigation into LEEBA’s finances – including the investigation of an alleged embezzlement scheme that ultimately resulted in wire fraud charges against WYNDER – WHITTICK repeatedly lied to federal agents in an effort to obstruct that investigation. WHITTICK did so despite personal involvement in some of the financial improprieties with which WYNDER was convicted. For example, on at least two occasions, on or about February 1, 2018, and March 30, 2018, WHITTICK withdrew $16,000 in cash from a LEEBA bank account and on each occasion deposited $15,000 cash into Wynder’s personal bank account and $1,000 cash into WHITTICK’s own personal bank account. After the FBI executed a search warrant of LEEBA’s offices in September 2019, WHITTICK attempted to obstruct and to influence the ongoing federal investigation by making, in two different interviews with law enforcement agents, false statements about, among other subjects, cash withdrawals he made from LEEBA’s bank accounts, unauthorized withdrawals from LEEBA’s Annuity Fund and from the individual retirement accounts of Fund participants, and LEEBA’s payment for certain travel and entertainment expenses for union officers, including WHITTICK and WYNDER. * * * In addition to his prison term, WYNDER, 60, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was ordered to forfeit $529,000 and to pay $838,683 in restitution. In addition to his prison term, BROWN, 56, of Putnam Valley, New York, was ordered to forfeit $3,049 and to pay $529,000 in restitution. On November 17, 2021, WHITTICK, 54, of Kingston, New York, was sentenced to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay $179,766 in restitution. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards, and IRS, Criminal Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Comptroller’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli J. Mark is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Connor Hamill and Lauren Scarff.


title: Convicted smuggler heads to prison after second alien smuggling attempt

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old has been sentenced following another conviction for transporting undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. David Alberto Martinez, Laredo, pleaded guilty Oct. 12, 2023, to transporting and conspiring to transport undocumented non-citizens. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Martinez to serve a total of 42 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Martinez’s previous convictions for human smuggling. On Aug. 4, 2023, Martinez drove a personal vehicle to the primary inspection lane at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Interstate Highway 35 north of Laredo. The vehicle contained eight occupants including Martinez, an undocumented citizen of Guatemala and five juvenile children not related to either Martinez or the others. Martinez lied to authorities, stating the vehicle’s occupants were “all family,” attempting to pose as a familial unit to deceive law enforcement. One of the smuggled persons reported they had paid $8,500 to a human smuggling organization to be transported further into the United States. Martinez’ prior conviction arose after law enforcement responded to a major accident in Duval County, during which the vehicle he used to transport 10 individuals had overturned. The crash ejected two of the occupants and an additional six others required emergency medical treatment and transportation to the hospital. Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. BP conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Terence A. Check Jr. and AUSA Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case.


title: Willingboro Township Deputy Mayor and Associate Charged with Mortgage Fraud Scheme in Connection with Fraudulent Short Sale

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – The deputy mayor of Willingboro Township, New Jersey, and one of his business associates were charged with conducting a scheme to discharge the deputy mayor’s mortgage obligation on his property through a fraudulent short sale, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Nathaniel Anderson, 56, a town councilman and the deputy mayor of Willingboro in Burlington County, New Jersey, and his business associate Chrisone D. Anderson, 56, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, are charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of bank fraud, and two counts of making false statements on a loan application. Additionally, Chrisone D. Anderson is charged with two counts of making false statements to a federal agent. Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and were released on $50,000 each unsecured bond. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: From March 2015 through June 2017, Nathaniel Anderson and Chrisone D. Anderson conspired and agreed with one another to orchestrate a fraudulent short sale of a property in Willingboro from Nathaniel Anderson to Chrisone D. Anderson. As part of the conspiracy to defraud a government sponsored enterprise to discharge a mortgage obligation on Nathaniel Anderson’s property in Willingboro and to induce a mortgage lending business to issue a new mortgage on the property, Chrisone D. Anderson executed – and Nathaniel D. Anderson aided and abetted the execution of – mortgage documents containing materially false representations. These included that the short sale was an arm’s length transaction, that Chrisone D. Anderson did not have a prior business relationship with Nathaniel Anderson, that Nathaniel Anderson would not continue to occupy the property as his residence following the short sale, and that Chrisone D. Anderson would occupy the property as her primary residence. As a result of the fraudulent short sale, the government sponsored enterprise discharged Nathaniel Anderson’s mortgage obligation and suffered a loss of over $120,000, and the victim lender issued a new mortgage on the property. During a May 2022 interview, Chrisone D. Anderson made false statements to an agent of the FBI concerning the short sale. The charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, bank fraud, and making false statements on a loan application are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. The charges of making false statements to a federal agent are each punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Trenton Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and special agents of the Northeast Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton, working in conjunction with the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. anderson.complaint.pdf


title: Recidivist Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 13 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A former Belmont man was sentenced today in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. David Sweeney, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 160 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. On July 5, 2022, Sweeney pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office working in conjunction with our federal and state law enforcement partners is committed to investigating and prosecuting recidivist drug traffickers, like the defendant, who pose an ongoing danger to our state by flooding our communities with thousands of doses of methamphetamine,” United States Attorney Jane E. Young said. “The significant sentence imposed today will protect our citizens from Sweeney’s unabated drug trafficking.” “DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Sweeney accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” “David Sweeney pushed massive amounts of methamphetamine onto New Hampshire’s streets, and today’s lengthy prison sentence officially puts him out of business,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners are committed to taking down and locking up prolific drug traffickers like Sweeney – people with no regard for the incredible damage they inflict on so many lives and communities.” According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2016, United States District Court Chief Judge Landya B. McCafferty sentenced Sweeney to 54 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession with the intent to distribute heroin. Sweeney was released from federal custody in January 2018, and placed on three years of federal supervision in New Hampshire. On December 13, 2019, while under the term of his supervised release, Sweeney sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confidential informant. As the investigation continued, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the FBI determined that Sweeney conspired with other individuals located in New Hampshire, the Caribbean and Mexico to import multiple kilograms of methamphetamine into New Hampshire for distribution. This matter was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Hampshire State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . ###


title: Armed Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced last week to 180 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug-trafficking crimes. According to court documents, Clayton Eugene Brown, Jr., 43, was arrested on multiple occasions in November and December 2021 in possession of large amounts of methamphetamine and firearms. On November 3, 2021, sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at Brown’s apartment in Mobile, recovering 14 individually packaged baggies of pure methamphetamine weighing more than 382 grams. Near the drugs, deputies found two loaded pistols, one of which had previously been reported stolen in Moss Point, Mississippi. Brown admitted to deputies that the methamphetamine belonged to him. Two weeks later, on November 16, 2021, deputies executed another search warrant at Brown’s apartment. Brown fled as deputies entered to execute the warrant. Inside Brown’s apartment, deputies found two baggies of methamphetamine containing more than 272 grams of pure methamphetamine. On December 7, 2021, deputies encountered Brown at a hotel in Mobile. When Brown noticed deputies in the parking lot of the hotel, he fled the area. Inside Brown’s hotel room, deputies found two baggies containing more than 582 grams of methamphetamine that had been cut with a cutting agent. Nearby the drugs, deputies found two loaded pistols and drug paraphernalia. Finally, on December 18, 2021, deputies saw Brown at a gas station in Mobile and arrested him as he attempted to flee. Inside Brown’s SUV, deputies found a loaded pistol and two baggies containing more than 37 grams of pure methamphetamine. Deputies seized and searched Brown’s cell phone, which contained numerous incriminating text messages, pictures, videos, drug ledgers, and other evidence of Brown’s drug-trafficking conspiracy. In addition to the 180-month prison sentence, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Brown to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Brown to pay $200 in special assessments and forfeited Brown’s firearms to the United States. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Derick Russell Legg, 48, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about September 19, 2019, through on or about January 28, 2020, Legg used peer-to-peer file sharing programs to receive digital media files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Legg further admitted that he possessed 668 images and 321 videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on an external hard drive in Huntington on or about January 30, 2020. Legg also admitted to possessing additional images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone. Many of the images and videos possessed by Legg depict known child victims, prepubescent minors and minors subjected to sadistic or masochistic conduct. Legg is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-40. ###


title: Repeat Offender Admits Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Christopher Carvajal, 30, of North Bergen, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In April 2023, Carvajal’s iPhone was seized at Newark International Airport. A search revealed that Carvajal’s iPhone contained more than 900 video files and more than 400 image files depicting sexual abuse of minors, including infants or toddlers. Carvajal’s iPhone also contained communications in which Carvajal discussed his desire for sexual encounters with young children. Carvajal was previously convicted in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, of a child pornography offense. Possession of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison for a defendant with a prior conviction of a child pornography offense, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for XX. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark. carvajal_information.pdf


title: Six Members or Associates of Violent Street Gang Convicted of Federal Racketeering Offenses Including the Murder of Chicago Rapper

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted six members or associates of a violent street gang on racketeering offenses that included the murder of Carlton Weekly, a Chicago rapper also known as “FBG Duck.” The jury found that the defendants – all members or associates of the O-Block street gang – participated in a criminal organization that engaged in violence to protect the gang’s perceived territories on the South Side of Chicago. The O-Block gang publicly claimed responsibility for their violence and used social media and music to increase their criminal enterprise. The jury found that the defendants conspired to murder Weekly in order to maintain and increase their positions in the gang. Weekly was fatally shot on Aug. 4, 2020, while shopping in Chicago. Convicted of committing murder in aid of racketeering are Chicago residents CHARLES LIGGINS, 32, KENNETH ROBERSON, 30, TACARLOS OFFERD, 32, CHRISTOPHER THOMAS, 24, MARCUS SMART, 25, and RALPH TURPIN, 34. The jury returned its verdicts after a three-month trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The convictions carry mandatory sentences of life in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Martha M. Pacold set sentencings for Aug. 6, 2024, for Liggins; Aug. 8, 2024, for Roberson; Aug. 13, 2024, for Smart; Aug. 15, 2024, for Turpin; Sept. 4, 2024, for Offerd; and Sept. 17, 2024, for Thomas. The convictions were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Julien, Ann Marie Ursini, Caitlin Walgamuth, and Sean Hennessy. “People have the right to go about their lives and walk the streets in safety – free from violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “The jury’s verdicts today hold the six defendants accountable for a brutal murder that took the life of Carlton Weekly. Working with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to prioritize combatting the unacceptable level of gang violence in Chicago.” “All too often, our residents are held hostage to violence and other dangerous activity on our city streets," said FBI SAC Wheeler. "These convictions show that there are very real consequences for murder in the city of Chicago today, tomorrow, and every day going forward.” "The outcome of this case is a result of a shared commitment to public safety and longstanding partnerships at the federal, state, and local level," said CPD Supt. Snelling. "We will continue working side-by-side with our law enforcement partners to combat violence in every neighborhood because the safety of our communities and residents depends on it."


title: Warren County Man Indicted for Defrauding Investors, Failing to File Tax Returns

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael E. Conner, age 55, of Warrensburg, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with perpetrating a scheme to defraud investors. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement. According to the indictment, Conner held himself out to be an inventor of household products and to hold patents on his inventions, such as a knife with a heated blade and a rotatable refrigerator shelf. Starting in about 2008, Conner convinced other people to invest in his patents and loan him money that would help him market and sell his patents. The indictment alleges that Conner fraudulently sought and obtained loans from investors, who believed they were loaning money to Conner for business purposes, including to complete the sale of his patents, and to pay attorney’s fees and accountant’s fees associated with anticipated patent sales. But Conner had no intention of using the loaned funds for business purposes, and instead used the money for personal expenses and to fund his lifestyle. Since 2008, Conner has received, from investors, approximately $4 million in connection with this fraudulent scheme; he has also never sold a patent or earned revenue from any of his inventions. The indictment also alleges that Conner failed to file personal income tax returns, despite knowing he had an obligation to do so, during tax years 2017 through 2021. Conner, who moved from Virginia to New York in 2017, has not filed a personal income tax return since 2008. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Conner appeared today in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered released pending a bail hearing scheduled for January 19, 2024. Conner is charged with 23 counts of wire fraud and 5 counts of failing to file a tax return. On the wire fraud charges, Conner faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. On the tax charges, which are misdemeanors, Conner faces up to 1 year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. IRS-CI is investigating this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case.


title: St. Louis Man Caught on MetroLink with Gun Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who was caught with a gun on a MetroLink train to 33 months in prison. Lamont Walker, 30, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted possessing an American Tactical Omni Hybrid AR-15 pistol on a MetroLink train on Feb. 27, 2023. Riders alerted Metro security, who contacted St. Louis police. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Walker is prosecuting the case.


title: Browning man admits assaulting elderly small business owner on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of beating an elderly small business owner while demanding money admitted to an assault charge on Jan. 16, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Frederick Melvin Noon, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Noon faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 29. Noon was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on March 21, 2023, Noon assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, a small business owner who is in his 70s, while demanding money. Noon was intoxicated when he walked into the business and asked for money. At first, Doe refused, and Noon became progressively angrier. Doe eventually gave Noon a few one-dollar bills, but Noon was not satisfied. Noon wanted Doe to go into a storeroom for the “other money,” and Doe told him no. Noon grabbed Doe from a chair and threw him to the floor. Noon then grabbed Doe by the face and threw him into the back room. Noon took the money Doe had handed over and left. After the assault, Doe called for help and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services officers responded. Officers arrested Noon about 20 minutes later at a convenience store. Doe was transported to a Blackfeet Hospital and then transferred to another hospital for treatment of injuries. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Felony Bail Reform Act Violations

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ranjith Keerikkattil, 35, formerly of Catonsville, Md., was sentenced by the Honorable Heidi Pasichow to 12 months of incarceration, three years of supervised release and ordered to stay away from the stalking victim and her family following his jury verdict for felony violations of the Bail Reform Act, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced today. Keerikkattil was found guilty of stalking a former co-worker on July 9, 2018, following a jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno released Keerikkattil following the verdict, pending sentencing. The judge ordered him to appear the next morning to have a GPS monitoring device installed. However, he failed to appear, and fled the United States, instead, traveling through Iceland and ending up in Australia where he remained a fugitive for over four years. A grand jury subsequently indicted him on July 11, 2018, for a felony charge of violating the Bail Reform Act. The grand jury returned a superseding indictment on March 1, 2023, charging an additional violation of the Bail Reform Act for failing to return as ordered for his sentencing on September 14, 2018. On November 13, 2023, Keerikkattil was found guilty by a second jury for his failures to appear as ordered in 2018, resulting in felony convictions for violating the Bail Reform Act on July 10, 2018 and September 14, 2018. In announcing this sentencing result and convictions, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Lynda Randolph and Stephanie Siegerist, Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen, and Victim/Witness Services Coordinator La June Thames. Finally, he commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ethan Carroll, Kristina Wolf, and John Parron who assisted in investigating and preparing the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John G. Giovannelli and Rashmika Nedungadi who prosecuted and tried the case through the jury’s verdict and the sentencing today.


title: Bronx, New York Man, Admits Role in Distributing Heroin and Fentanyl from Two Drug Mills in the Bronx, Causing the Death of 15-Month-Old Child

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted distributing heroin and fentanyl into New Jersey from two drug mills in the Bronx, which resulted in the death of a 15-month-old child, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jhan Carlos Capellan Maldonado, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of distributing heroin and fentanyl from a drug mill in the Bronx in December 2018. Capellan Maldonado admitted that his distribution of fentanyl caused the death of a 15-month-old child. Capellan Maldonado also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl from a separate drug mill in the Bronx in February 2019. Six other individuals – Reimon Genao Rosario, 27; Dilson Vazquez Genao, 27; Eddie Urena Rodriguez, 39; Francisco Mercedes Gil, 35; Daury Contreras Ulerio, aka “Majimbou,” 38; and Jose Antonio Vazquez Pena, aka “Tono,” 51 – also of the Bronx, all have previously pleaded guilty to the same charge before Judge Salas. “The defendant admitted organizing and running a drug distribution operation that prepared and packaged deadly fentanyl and heroin for sale in New Jersey. The defendant’s drug mill directly led to the death of a toddler who was present inside the apartment where this poison was being prepared for distribution. This defendant will now face justice for his role in leading this drug trafficking organization and for causing the death of this 15-month-old child. The fentanyl epidemic has caused enormous pain and suffering to our communities, including the death of the child in this case. This office is committed to combatting this scourge and holding accountable those who traffic in this poison.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “The unimaginable tragedy caused by the actions of Jhan Carlos Capellan Maldonado is hard for anyone to fathom,” Homeland Security Investigations - Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso said. “The death of a toddler from fentanyl poisoning is heart-breaking and serves as a horrific reminder about the dangers illegal narcotics pose to our communities. HSI and our law enforcement partners remain dedicated to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations that seek profit at the cost of American lives.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Dec. 27, 2018, Capellan Maldonado was operating a drug mill at an apartment in the Bronx where he employed four individuals to store, mix, and package heroin and fentanyl in quantities for distribution into New Jersey. Capellan Maldonado admitted that while the group was preparing the heroin and fentanyl, a 15-month-old child present in the apartment ingested some of the fentanyl and died as a result. The four other individuals have been charged with homicide by the District Attorney’s Office in the Bronx. In early February 2019, law enforcement officers learned that Capellan Maldonado was again using an apartment in Bronx to store, mix, and package heroin and fentanyl in distribution quantities. Pena stayed at the apartment in order to safeguard the narcotics and narcotics supplies. Maldonado employed five workers at a time – including Rodriguez, Ulerio, Rosario, Gil, and Genao – to assist in preparing the heroin and fentanyl for distribution, which Maldonado then distributed to customers in New Jersey. On Feb. 27, 2019, law enforcement searched Maldonado’s apartment and found seven individuals inside, including Rodriguez, Ulerio, Rosario, Gil, Maldonado, Pena, and Genao. All seven defendants attempted to escape out a window, and all but one – Rosario – were apprehended and arrested by law enforcement officers waiting outside. Rosario was arrested at a later date. Law enforcement recovered nearly a kilogram of fentanyl from the apartment, along with materials to grind and package fentanyl for distribution. Capellan Maldonado faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine on Count One of the superseding information. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine on Count Two of the superseding information. Sentencing is scheduled for June 24, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of HSI Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. maldonado.sinformation.pdf


title: Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Huntington Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Denzil Roger Grant II, 50, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Grant admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area. According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 27, 2023, Grant called co-defendant Derrell Cashawn Massey and asked to purchase fentanyl and methamphetamine. Grant admitted that after arranging the transaction, he traveled from Hurricane to Huntington where he met with Massey and bought methamphetamine. Grant was returning to Hurricane from Huntington when law enforcement officers stopped his vehicle in Putnam County. Grant consented to a search of the vehicle, and a female passenger in his vehicle gave officers approximately 13.5 grams of methamphetamine. Grant admitted that he intended to distribute the seized methamphetamine and further admitted that the passenger had hidden the methamphetamine on her person at his request. Grant is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Grant is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. The indictment against Massey and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180. ###


title: Insurance Producer Admits Tax Fraud Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man today admitted his role in a $38 million employment tax fraud scheme involving nursing homes he owned across the country, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joseph Schwartz, 64, of Suffern, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. district Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to two counts of an indictment charging him with willfully failing to pay over employment taxes withheld from employees of his company, and willfully failing to file an annual financial report with the Department of Labor for the employee 401K Benefit Plan Schwartz sponsored. “Joseph Schwartz admitted to defrauding the United States by failing to pay over to the IRS more than $38 million in payroll taxes. As an employer, Schwartz was required to withhold trust fund taxes from his employees’ paychecks and then dutifully report and turn those monies over to the IRS. Schwartz broke the law when he willfully withheld trust fund taxes from his employees but pocketed the money he had withheld rather than turning it over to the government; he will now be held accountable for his criminal tax violations.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Today’s plea is just one more example of our commitment to investigate and prosecute those who fail to comply with their federal tax obligations,” Tammy Tomlins, IRS – Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office, said. “The defendant cheated taxpayers out of more than $38 million by failing to comply with the taxes he was beholden to pay on behalf of his employees. IRS Criminal Investigation will hold accountable individuals who willfully participate in tax fraud schemes.” “Schwartz admits he willfully failed to pay over employment taxes, basically stealing money from his employees and the IRS,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “These taxes are an incredibly important facet of how our government functions, making up a significant portion of revenues brought in by the Treasury Department. Other fraudsters currently committing the same fraud should pay attention to the lesson Schwartz learned the hard way – don't cheat the taxman.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From Oct. 31, 2017, through May 30, 2018, Schwartz was the owner of Skyline Management Group LLC and related entities with headquarters in New Jersey. Schwartz admitted that he was required to collect, truthfully account for and pay over to the IRS on behalf of employees of Skyline Management Group the trust fund taxes imposed on their employees by the Internal Revenue Service but failed to do so. The total amount of taxes was $38.9 million. Schwartz admitted he was also an administrator of the Skyline 401K plan and had an obligation to file an annual Form 5500 financial report with the secretary of Labor for calendar year 2018, but knowingly and willfully failed to file the report. The employment tax fraud count is punishable by a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The failure to file a Form 5500 related to the retirement plan count carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; investigators with the Department of Labor-Employee Benefits Security Administration, under the direction of Regional Director Thomas Licetti in the New York Regional Office; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Shawn Noud of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. schwartz.indictment.pdf


title: Federal Judge Sentences Drug Traffickers to Combined 56 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: MIDLAND, Texas – A Midland man and woman were sentenced in a federal court in Midland to a combined 56 years in prison for methamphetamine trafficking and firearm charges. According to court documents, Nikky Nicole Lujan, 37, and Raul Gonzalez, 38, possessed and distributed more than 11 kilograms of methamphetamine in and around Midland. Gonzalez was also sentenced for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Midland police officers located and recovered methamphetamine, firearms, body armor, and thousands of dollars in currency while executing a search warrant at Gonzalez’s residence in May 2023. Lujan and Gonzalez both pleaded guilty to multiple counts on Sept. 20, 2023. Lujan was sentenced to prison for 340 months, just over 28 years. Gonzalez was sentenced to prison for 334 months, just under 28 years. “I appreciate the efforts of our local law enforcement partners for disrupting the drug trafficking operations of a major meth supply chain in the Permian Basin,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “The severe sentences in this case should serve as a warning to drug traffickers who operate in our communities. You will be vigorously prosecuted in this district, and you risk meeting the same demise.” “This case serves as yet another example of the outstanding working relationship established between local law enforcement and our federal partners,” said Midland Police Chief Seth Herman. “I commend the efforts of our Midland Division Office and their unwavering dedication to protecting citizens throughout the Permian Basin.” Midland PD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mahoney prosecuted the case. ###


title: Former Randolph Man Charged with Conspiracy to Obtain a Passport Through False Statements

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Nigerian citizen, previously deported from the United States, has been indicted by a federal grand jury with conspiring to make a false statement in an application for a United States passport. Chukwunonso “Nonso” Obiora, 36, formerly of Randolph, was indicted on one count of conspiracy. Obiora was previously charged by complaint and detained in October 2023. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the indictment, Obiora and one of his brothers allegedly agreed to submit a fraudulent application for a United States passport. Specifically, it is alleged that in May 2023, the brother falsely reported that he had lost his passport and completed an application for a new passport at a United States Postal Service facility in Watertown. The application allegedly bore the brother’s name and Obiora’s photograph. It is alleged that, in or about August 2023, the brother mailed the passport to Obiora in Nigeria. The charge of conspiracy to obtain a United States passport through false statements carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit, is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Seven-Time Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition, Distribution Of A Controlled Substance

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Evan Ingram (42, Clearwater) has pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. For the distribution charge, Ingram faces up to 20 years in federal prison. For the possession of firearm charge, he faces a minimum mandatory of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, Ingram was previously convicted of seven felonies including possession of cocaine, sale or delivery of cocaine, robbery, aggravated assault, and sale of a counterfeit substance. On five dates in August and two dates in September 2022, Ingram distributed a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Court records also show that on four of those dates Ingram sold either a firearm or a firearm and ammunition. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Mexican man imprisoned for possessing almost 100 kilograms of cocaine

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 44-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to prison for possession with intent to distribute 98 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Gabriel Alejandro Aguirre-Garcia pleaded guilty Aug. 18, 2023. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Aguirre-Garcia to serve 108 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Aguirre-Garcia is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Aguirre-Garcia had been working for the drug trafficking organization for at least six months and during that that time, he received cocaine two to three times per week and stored it in a dresser in his daughter’s bedroom prior to delivering it to other individuals. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that he put his family in jeopardy by storing the drugs in his home and how lucky his family was that they were never victims of a home invasion by a rip crew. Judge Alvarez told Aguirre-Garcia that she would have hoped that it crossed his mind how dangerous his involvement this crime was. On Dec. 6, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Ford F-150 truck and identified the driver as Aguirre-Garcia. He granted consent to search his vehicle, and a K-9 alerted authorities to a toolbox in the truck for the odor of narcotics. A search of the toolbox revealed 20 bundles of cocaine. Law enforcement arrived on scene and Aguirre-Garcia also gave consent to search his house located in McAllen. That search led to the discovery of 66 bundles of cocaine in a dresser drawer. Aguirre-Garcia stated he was being paid to store and transport the narcotics. The 86 bundles of cocaine seized weighed approximately 98 kilograms and have a street value of $1,176,000. Aguirre-Garcia will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the McAllen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.


title: Two Russian Nationals Charged in Separate Indictments with Fraud and Other Offenses Related to Hacking Campaigns

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two indictments were unsealed in the District of New Jersey today charging two Russian nationals – Aleksey Timofeyevich Stroganov and Tim Stigal – with fraud and related offenses in connection with a series of computer intrusions, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. According to the indictments: Stroganov From at least May 2007 through July 2017, Stroganov – aka “Aleksei Stroganov,” “flint,” “flint24,” “Gursky Oleg,” “Oleg Gurskiy,” and “Строганов Алексей Тимофеевич” – was part of a criminal conspiracy to hack into the computer networks of individuals and companies and steal, among other things, debit and credit card numbers and personal identifying information associated with the cardholders. Stroganov and his conspirators harvested data associated with hundreds of millions credit card and banking accounts. To profit from the scheme, Stroganov oversaw a network of resellers and vendors, who Stroganov provided with access to databases containing personal identifying information and payment card data for hundreds of thousands of accounts. The vendors then sold that data over the dark net through cybercrime forums and dark net websites. The scheme resulted in losses to financial institutions exceeding $35 million. Stroganov is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, three counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The substantive and conspiracy charges of wire fraud are punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The charges of bank fraud are punishable by a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed by the court. Stigal From April 2014 to March 2016, Stigal, aka “Key” and “Тим Стигал,” was part of four separate conspiracies to traffic in stolen payment card information belonging to the customers of at least three different corporate victims located throughout the United States. In relation to one of the conspiracies, and in an attempt to extort one of the corporate victims, Stigal additionally transmitted a threat to impair the confidentiality of stolen personal data belonging to customers of the corporate victim if a ransom was not paid to Stigal. Stigal is charged with four counts of wire fraud conspiracy, 12 counts of wire fraud, one count of computer fraud extortion, three counts of access device fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The substantive and conspiracy charges of wire fraud are punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The charge of computer fraud (extortion) is punishable by a maximum of 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The access device fraud charges are punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed by the court. *** U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron Hatley, with the investigation leading to the charges against Stroganov and Stigal. He also thanked special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the charges against Stigal. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony P. Torntore, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Cybercrime Unit in Newark, and Assistant Deputy Chiefs William A. Hall Jr. and Adrienne Rose of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. stroganov.indictment.pdf stigal.indictment.pdf


title: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For Selling Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident who has prior felony convictions was sentenced Tuesday to 16 years in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, between October 26, 2021 and December 30, 2021, Dean Romero (55) conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine. On October 26, 2021, Romero sold 143.5 grams of methamphetamine,7.9 grams of liquid fentanyl, and a .22 caliber handgun in a store parking lot. On December 1, 2021, in the same parking lot, he sold 357 grams of methamphetamine and a 9mm pistol with no serial number. On December 30, 2021, he sold 470.7 grams of methamphetamine and a privately made AR-15-style firearm equipped with an extended magazine and a silencer in a hotel casino parking lot. Romero has been previously convicted of burglary, forgery, perjury, identity theft, possession or distribution of controlled substances, and firearms offenses. He pleaded guilty on July 6, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. In addition to the term of imprisonment, United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey sentenced Romero to five years of supervised release. “This prosecution exemplifies our outstanding partnership with the FBI in removing dangerous individuals who sell drugs and firearms from our communities,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Fentanyl and methamphetamine are deadly drugs that have taken too many lives. The two firearms sold did not have serial number markings which made them untraceable and even more dangerous for law enforcement.” “Our community is safer today,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI. “There is no doubt lives across our state were saved from the devastating impact of these dangerous drugs and firearms crimes. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate, disrupt, and hold accountable those who insist on sowing destruction in our neighborhoods.” The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Brister and Kimberly Sokolich prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF . ###


title: Texas man admits threatening to shoot neighboring guest while staying at Browning motel on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Texas man accused of threatening to shoot a neighboring guest while both were staying at a motel in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, admitted to a criminal charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Ronnie Wayne Bone, 57, of Bastrop, Texas, pleaded guilty to intimidation. Bone faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $50,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 29. Bone was released pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on Aug. 19, 2022, Bone, a non-Indian, was staying at a motel in Browning while on a motorcycling tour with a friend. The victim, identified as John Doe, who is a member of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe, and his family also were staying at the motel. Late that night, an unknown man knocked on the door to Bone’s room and then walked away. Bone, who was intoxicated, came out of his room and immediately started verbally accosting John Doe, who was outside his own room several doors away from Bone’s. Doe, who had been cleaning out his car, tried to explain to Bone that he was not connected to the man who had knocked on Bone’s door. The government further alleged that Bone continued to yell at Doe, telling him that he was from Texas and in Texas they shoot people like him. Bone called Doe racial slurs and then retrieved a .40-caliber pistol. Bone pointed the gun at Doe and his wife, who came outside to see what was happening. Bone continued to spew vitriolic and racist comments while threating to shoot them. In addition, the government alleged that when law enforcement arrived, officers recovered a pistol loaded with a .40-caliber hollow point bullet from Bone’s room. Bone claimed he was lying in his bed minding his own business when someone started beating on his door and being obnoxious. Bone told officers he grabbed his gun and was like, “hey what’s up dude?” He further claimed Doe used racist comments against him, that he felt threatened and that he did not point the weapon at anyone. Bone’s claims were disputed by several independent witnesses, who saw Bone’s intimidation of Doe and heard his racist comments while threatening Doe. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sherriff’s Office, and FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Justice Department Sues Nevada to Protect Pension Rights of Military Servicemembers

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Nevada, Nevada Attorney General’s Office and Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada (NVPERS) to protect the employment pension rights of servicemembers who are called to serve their country on military service. The Justice Department alleges that when state employees are reemployed after military service, NVPERS violates the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act of 1994 (USERRA) by overcharging those servicemembers when calculating their contribution to their pension plans. “When rehiring servicemembers, the law requires employers to not only return the veterans to their rightful positions, but also to protect their pension rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that those who sacrifice so much to protect this country do not have to sacrifice their civilian employment rights, including their pensions.” “USERRA protects a servicemember’s reemployment rights after returning from military service to their civilian employment,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Every person who has served in our country’s uniformed services deserves the full protection of our employment laws and we will continue to work with the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section to protect servicemembers’ rights.” According to the complaint , when Nevada state employees pass their five-year employment anniversary, they can purchase pension credits in the state’s pension system operated by NVPERS. NVPERS charges the employee for these pension credits based on the employee’s age and salary at the time of the purchase. USERRA requires employers to restore returning servicemembers’ pension benefits as if they had not been called away to military service. Servicemembers who are away on military service when they pass their five-year anniversary cannot purchase pension credits until they have returned from military duty. As alleged in the complaint, NVPERS violated USERRA by charging reemployed servicemembers based on their age and salary when they were reemployed, rather than their age and salary when they passed their five-year anniversary. As explained in the complaint, Major Charles Lehman was an employee in Nevada’s Office of the Attorney General who was called to active duty with the Nevada National Guard on a multi-year term of duty during which he passed his five-year anniversary with the Attorney General’s Office. When he was released from military service and returned to his civilian job, NVPERS overcharged him for his pension credits based on his increased age and salary, an amount that exceeded the amount he would have owed, had he not been away on military service, by more than $38,000. As alleged, NVPERS’ policy of overcharging for these pension credits impacted other state employees returning from military service. The Justice Department seeks to have NVPERS change its policy of overcharging servicemembers, and refund Lehman and any other affected reemployed servicemembers the amounts previously overcharged. USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/servicemembers and www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra . This case stems from a referral by the DOL after an investigation by the DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Senior Trial Attorney Jeffrey Morrison of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section is handling the case.


title: Newark Man Admits Carjacking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted carjacking in Montclair, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Andy Cook, 24, of Newark, pleaded guilty before Judge Julien X. Neals to an indictment charging him with one count of carjacking and one count of conspiracy to use a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Dec. 6, 2021, Cook’s accomplice approached the victim, who was inside her car that was parked on her driveway. The accomplice pointed a firearm at the victim and ordered the victim to leave her belongings and exit the car. Cook then entered the car and drove it away. After the victim called the police, law enforcement officers spotted the vehicle. Cook abandoned the vehicle in Newark and fled on foot before being apprehended. The count of carjacking carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of conspiracy to use a firearm during a crime of violence carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for May 30, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Newark Violent Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Narcotics/Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. cook.indictment.pdf


title: New Castle Resident Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl and Cocaine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Donald Snowden, 32, of New Castle, was sentenced by United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Judge Schwab ordered Snowden to serve three years of supervised release following the prison sentence. In August 2023, Snowden pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine between May 2021 and October 2022 and to distributing fentanyl in August 2022. In pleading guilty, Snowden acknowledged responsibility for the distribution of 100 grams of cocaine and 16 grams of fentanyl. He was on probation for a prior felony conviction when he committed the crimes in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Snowden.


title: ‘La Dank DMV’ Crew Member Sentenced to 74 Months  For Role in Sophisticated Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Akinduro, 30, of Washington D.C, was sentenced today to 74 months in prison for his role in a sophisticated and broad conspiracy that was responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of marijuana from California to the metropolitan area. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. Akinduro, a member of the “LA Dank DMV Crew”, pleaded guilty on October 3, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Akinduro to serve 4 years of supervised release. Seven LA Dank co-defendants have all pleaded guilty to various drug trafficking and/or firearms counts. The co-defendants include Abubakr Banire, Kavon Duncan, Joe Blyther, Isaac Akinduro, Avery Bost, Omar Butler, and Randall Lance, entered their pleas in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Lance was sentenced Oct. 10, 2023, to a 63 month prison term for conspiracy to distribute over 100 kilos of marijuana. The others are awaiting sentencing on similar counts. According to the government’s evidence, between May of 2021 and December of 2021, crew members operated a sophisticated conspiracy to traffic large amounts of high-grade marijuana from California to the DMV area for distribution to customers. As part of their distribution scheme, members of the crew relied heavily on mass marketing through three dedicated LA Dank websites, as well as social media platforms like Instagram where individual crew members advertised LA Dank branded clothing and LA Dank branded marijuana that could be bought directly online. Although the websites themselves appeared professional, LA Dank was not a licensed company to operate in the District of Columbia. Akindkuro and his fellow crew members also used short-term rental properties to set up stash houses or points of sale that were used to conduct drug distribution operations before moving on to different locations. Law enforcement executed its first residential search warrant on June 15, 2021, at the 1900 block of Whistling Duck Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD, after law enforcement observed multiple LA Dank crew members and purchasers traveling to and from the premises. Akinduro arrived at the location as while the search was in process. An FBI search of Akinduro’s vehicle revealed a loaded pistol in the center console, a suitcase in the trunk that was consistent with those found within the Whistling Duck house, and seven pounds of marijuana. Even after the seizure of his vehicle, Akinduro continued to participate in the conspiracy and to possess additional firearms. Akinduro and his LA Dank co-conspirators operated numerous stash houses in the D.C. area. Two of these locations, used by Akinduro himself, were separate long-term rentals in a hotel on the 300 block of N Street, Northeast. On December 21, 2021, the FBI executed search warrants on both units. In the first, the FBI recovered a Glock 19 9mm caliber pistol with a machine gun conversion device installed, an AR-style pistol, an AR firearm magazine loaded with 25 5.56 caliber rounds, 68 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and a laptop labeled “LA Dank Exotics.” In the second, the FBI recovered a Glock 26 9mm caliber pistol with a machine gun conversion device installed, a second Glock 26 9 mm caliber pistol, a 9 mm caliber ammunition box, 40 pounds of marijuana, a scale, a money counter, and approximately $18,000.00 in cash. Akinduro and defendant Duncan occupied the second unit at the time of the execution of the search warrant. Akinduro discussed a “switch on the glizzy” in an Instagram post, suggesting that he was aware of the fully automatic capabilities of firearms with machine gun conversion devices installed. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Department, and Anne Arundel County Police Department. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin F. Song and Meredith E. Mayer-Dempsey of the Federal Major Crimes Section and Thomas Strong of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Third Defendant Pleads Guilty in Case Involving the Unlawful Possession, Manufacturing, and Trafficking of Unregistered Ghost Guns Sold as Part of “Hit Kits”

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of New Paris, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a one-count Information charging conspiracy to deal and manufacture firearms without a license, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. His plea follows earlier guilty pleas from his two co-defendants in the case to charges of possession, manufacturing, and trafficking of firearms, among other offenses. Wayne Farabaugh, 55, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines. In December and October of 2023, respectively, co-defendants Craig Zahradnik, 52, of Altoona, and Harry Miller, 47, of Martinsburg, Pennsylvania, each pleaded guilty to seven counts before Judge Haines, with Zahradnik’s sentencing scheduled for April 10, 2024, and Miller’s for March 11, 2024. In connection with their guilty pleas, Farabaugh, Zahradnik, and Miller admitted that, between May 2022 and April 2023, they were part of a conspiracy to engage in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license. Specifically, Miller and Zahradnik were partners in an illicit business operation engaged in the manufacturing and trafficking of privately made firearms—so-called ghost guns—with Miller purchasing the components and maintaining many of the weapons at a storage unit that Zahradnik, a retired police detective, controlled. Beginning in July of 2022, Zahradnik provided $5,000 payments to Miller that Miller then deposited into his bank account, totaling $30,000. Miller used these funds to purchase the firearm components from outside Pennsylvania and repaid Zahradnik with the proceeds from the gun sales, including from the sale of what Miller marketed as “hit kits,” consisting of a 9-millimeter Polymer80 handgun with no serial number, a threaded barrel to attach a silencer, a silencer, subsonic ammunition, and latex gloves. Farabaugh admitted that he assisted Miller and permitted him to use machinery at Farabaugh’s place of employment to drill the components for ghost guns. Miller also used this equipment to manufacture untraceable weapons and weapon components that were required to be registered with the government under the National Firearms Act, including silencers, machineguns, and short-barrel rifles. Zahradnik transported the “hit kits” and other firearms to and from Miller for scheduled buys. On other occasions, Miller and Zahradnik transported firearms together. Zahradnik further admitted that, in March 2023, he transferred a firearm and ammunition to Miller, knowing that Miller intended to sell, dispose of, or transfer the firearm and ammunition in furtherance of a felony, and unlawfully transferred firearms that were not registered to him. As part of their guilty pleas, Zahradnik and Farabaugh both admitted that they knew Miller was a convicted felon and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. During their plea hearings, Zahradnik and Miller further pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machinegun, illegal trafficking in firearms, and unlawfully engaging in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms. “This case illustrates the extraordinary danger associated with the unlawful manufacturing and trafficking of ghost guns,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “These defendants admitted selling so-called ‘hit kits’ to anyone looking for an untraceable firearm packaged together with a silencer and even latex gloves. The potential for lethal consequences is staggering. As always, we will continue to work side by side with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement to ensure that those who put profit over public safety are held accountable.” “The unlawful sale of firearms is a primary focus of ATF,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “In this case, self-styled ‘hit kits’ pose a critical threat to the safety of our citizens. The result of this investigation is a testament to the longstanding collaboration with our local, state, and federal partners, including the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Altoona Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office. I would like to thank the dedicated work of the investigators and prosecutors for dismantling this illegal firearm distribution operation.” Farabaugh is scheduled to be sentenced May 15, 2024, with the law providing for a maximum sentence of five years. Zahradnik and Miller each face a maximum total sentence of 70 years in prison, a total fine of $1.27 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecutions. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: D.C. Rapper, a Fox 5 Gang Affiliate, Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison on Multiple Firearms Charges

body_text: WASHINGTON – Russell Campbell, 21, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 30 months in prison in connection with his possession of a Glock firearm and possession of an AK-style pistol recovered during a traffic stop by the U.S. Secret Service. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Special Agent in Charge Michael Buck of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Campbell is an influential rapper who performs as “Gizwop.” He is affiliated with a violent group originating in 37th Place SE that refers to themselves as the Fox 5 Gang. In addition to the prison term, Campbell was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper to serve three years of supervised release. Campbell pleaded guilty September 21, 2023, to a two-count indictment, charging him with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm while under indictment and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a felony. According to the government’s evidence, on November 8, 2020, Campbell was charged in D.C. Superior Court for carrying a pistol without a license. While on release in that case, on June 20, 2021, Campbell was armed with a loaded firearm while in the vicinity of a gas station on the 2200 block Bladensburg Road NE. Specifically, from Campbell’s waistband, officers recovered a Glock 45 with 23 rounds of ammunition loaded in an extended magazine. Four months later, on October 20, 2021, while still under court-ordered supervision, Campbell was involved in a shootout in the 200 block of 37th Place SE. Campbell was charged in D.C. Superior Court and ultimately plead guilty to carrying a pistol without a license in connection with this shootout on May 25, 2022. On June 7, 2022, Campbell was sentenced to six months in prison, with all that time suspended under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), and with 18 months’ supervised probation. Despite being a felon, and after having been ordered by the Court to not possess any firearms, on November 11, 2022, Campbell occupied a vehicle containing five firearms, one of which was forensically linked to him. On the evening of November 10, 2022, surveillance from the 200 block of 37th Place SE recorded Campbell entering a vehicle at about 5:30 p.m. carrying a green and black backpack, later found to contain an AK-style pistol. About 3 a.m. on November 11, 2022, Campbell, four others left the club in the vehicle. U.S. Secret Service performed a traffic stop on the vehicle Campbell occupied in the 800 block of 7th Street, NW. Therein, law enforcement found five different firearms and the green and black backpack. Inside the backpack was a Zastava AK-Style with an extended magazine holding thirty .556 caliber live rounds and one live round in the chamber. Campbell was included in the DNA profile from the AK-Style pistol and the attached magazine. This case was led by the FBI, with valuable support from the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with valuable assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Wang. ##


title: Former Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Federal Drug and Identity Theft Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Conestoga (Lancaster County), Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to nine months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on his conviction of violating federal drug and identity theft laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Andrew Black, 37, formerly of Pittsburgh, now of Conestoga. According to information presented to the court, on March 31, 2020, Black attempted to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine when he ordered two ounces of methamphetamine from a “dark web” site. The package was intercepted by United States Postal Inspectors. Further, from January 2018 through March 2020, Black used fraudulently obtained personal identifying information to open bank accounts and credit cards in the names of unknowing victims in an attempt to obtain money illicitly to purchase illegal drugs. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen R. Kaufman and William B. Guappone prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Black.


title: Justice Department Sues Nevada To Protect Pension Rights Of Military Servicemembers

body_text: LAS VEGAS – The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Nevada, Nevada Attorney General’s Office and Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada (NVPERS) to protect the employment pension rights of servicemembers who are called to serve their country on military service. The Justice Department alleges that when state employees are reemployed after military service, NVPERS violates the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act of 1994 (USERRA) by overcharging those servicemembers when calculating their contribution to their pension plans. “When rehiring servicemembers, the law requires employers to not only return the veterans to their rightful positions, but also to protect their pension rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that those who sacrifice so much to protect this country do not have to sacrifice their civilian employment rights, including their pensions.” “USERRA protects a servicemember’s reemployment rights after returning from military service to their civilian employment,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Every person who has served in our country’s uniformed services deserves the full protection of our employment laws and we will continue to work with the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section to protect servicemembers’ rights.” According to the complaint, when Nevada state employees pass their five-year employment anniversary, they can purchase pension credits in the state’s pension system operated by NVPERS. NVPERS charges the employee for these pension credits based on the employee’s age and salary at the time of the purchase. USERRA requires employers to restore returning servicemembers’ pension benefits as if they had not been called away to military service. Servicemembers who are away on military service when they pass their five-year anniversary cannot purchase pension credits until they have returned from military duty. As alleged in the complaint, NVPERS violated USERRA by charging reemployed servicemembers based on their age and salary when they were reemployed, rather than their age and salary when they passed their five-year anniversary. As explained in the complaint, Major Charles Lehman was an employee in Nevada’s Office of the Attorney General who was called to active duty with the Nevada National Guard on a multi-year term of duty during which he passed his five-year anniversary with the Attorney General’s Office. When he was released from military service and returned to his civilian job, NVPERS overcharged him for his pension credits based on his increased age and salary, an amount that exceeded the amount he would have owed, had he not been away on military service, by more than $38,000. As alleged, NVPERS’ policy of overcharging for these pension credits impacted other state employees returning from military service. The Justice Department seeks to have NVPERS change its policy of overcharging servicemembers, and refund Lehman and any other affected reemployed servicemembers the amounts previously overcharged. USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to retain their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations and provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations. The Justice Department gives high priority to the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s websites at www.justice.gov/servicemembers and www.justice.gov/crt-military/employment-rights-userra as well as on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra . This case stems from a referral by the DOL after an investigation by the DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Senior Trial Attorney Jeffrey Morrison of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant United States Attorney Ednin Martinez of the District of Nevada are handling the case. ###


title: Hornell restaurant owner sentenced to tax charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Theodore LaFrance, of Hornell, NY, who was convicted of aiding or assisting in the preparation of a false or fraudulent tax return, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation, to include six months of home detention, by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. LaFrance was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $36,040 to the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that LaFrance, who owned and operated T&J Country Kitchen Inc. in Hornell, hired Staff Leasing Inc. to provide payroll services for his business. Between 2014 and 2018, LaFrance provided false information to Staff Leasing Inc. regarding the wages T&J Country Kitchen Inc. paid to its cooking and cleaning staff. LaFrance did not report the wages that were paid in cash to staff members. As a result, Staff Leasing Inc. used the false information to complete and file quarterly Forms 941 on behalf of T &J Country Kitchen Inc. IRS. Between 2014 and 2018, T&J Country Kitchen’s 941s did not include a total of $235,560.42 in wages, which resulted in a tax loss of approximately $36,040.74. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge. # # # #