title: Oakland Assassin Sentenced To Life Plus 78 Months In Prison After Jury Finds Him Guilty Of Carrying Out Murder For Hire Plot

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Burte Gucci Rhodes, a.k.a. Moeshawn, was sentenced today to life in prison plus 78 months for conspiring to commit a murder for hire, committing a murder for hire, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Darren Lian. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. William H. Alsup, United States District Judge. Rhodes, 41, of Oakland, was convicted of the charges after a week-long trial before Judge Alsup. The trial focused on the March 22, 2016, murder of Louisiana native Trince Thibodeaux, age 28. Trial evidence demonstrated that Marcus Etienne, a.k.a. Hitler, 41, of St. Martin Parish, La., was the leader of a racketeering enterprise based in St. Martin Parish near Lafayette, Louisiana. The criminal enterprise engaged in a wide range of crimes including narcotics distribution, assault, robbery, extortion, extortionate collection of extensions of credit, murder for hire, murder, money laundering, illegal firearms possession, gambling on dogfighting, and obstruction of justice. As early as 2009, the enterprise was led by Etienne and eventually, Thibodeaux became one of seven principal members of the enterprise. In 2016, Etienne tasked Thibodeaux with transporting several thousand dollars and drugs from Louisiana to California. Etienne suspected and then concluded that Thibodeaux had stolen money and narcotics from the enterprise and ordered that Thibodeaux be killed. Etienne offered Mario Robinson, 36, of Opelousas, La., and Oakland, Calif., $5,000 to murder Thibodeaux, and Robinson accepted. Robinson then contracted with Rhodes, a longtime friend of his from Oakland, to complete the murder in exchange for $5,000. Evidence at trial showed that on the night of March 22, 2016, Robinson and another member of the organization lured Thibodeaux to a predetermined location near the intersection of 90th Avenue and International Boulevard in the eastern part of Oakland, where Rhodes was waiting. The evidence demonstrated that, once Thibodeaux arrived, Rhodes approached him from behind and shot him nine times. Thibodeaux was pronounced dead later that night. One week after the murder, Robinson sent Rhodes a wire transfer of $1,250. In the months following the murder, Robinson had other associates in Louisiana send additional wire transfers to Rhodes. The murder took place against the backdrop of a wide variety of criminal activity perpetuated by the criminal enterprise. For example, court documents, including plea agreements signed by Etienne and Robinson, describe how the enterprise purchased marijuana in California and used the United States Postal Service to ship the drugs to Louisiana and Texas. Robinson admitted he received packages containing between one and ten pounds of marijuana every one or two months. Robinson and Etienne used cash proceeds from the narcotics trafficking to purchase marijuana and other controlled substances in California. Robinson also purchased money orders in Louisiana to pay the enterprise’s marijuana suppliers in California. Both Etienne and Robinson admitted that they conducted financial transactions with proceeds of narcotics trafficking to conceal the nature, source, and ownership of the enterprise’s profits. In addition, Etienne admitted he purchased and maintained dogs used for fighting in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, on a property owned by another member of the enterprise. At the property, Etienne and other members of the enterprise hosted dog-fighting events at which attendees would pay a cover fee and gamble on the dogfights. Dogs, including dogs owned by Etienne, were seriously injured and even killed either during the events or as a result of the training leading up to the events. On December 18, 2018, a federal grand jury issued a Third Superseding Indictment charging Rhodes with murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1958, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and other crimes while Etienne and Robinson also were charged with several crimes related to the activities of the enterprise. On November 4, 2022, a federal jury convicted Rhodes of one count of murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1958, and one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. After the trial, Rhodes pleaded guilty to an additional charge of possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(i). Today, Judge Alsup sentenced Rhodes for all three crimes. Etienne and Robinson admitted their respective roles in the crimes and both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(vii), and 846; racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d); and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Judge Alsup sentenced both Etienne and Robinson on October 13, 2020, ordering Etienne to serve 34 years in prison and Robinson to serve 32 years in prison. In addition, Etienne and Robinson twice refused to testify at trial about the murder for hire scheme when lawfully subpoenaed by the government and ordered to testify by the court. Consequently, Judge Alsup held Etienne and Robinson in contempt of court and added 12 months of prison time to each defendant’s sentence. The United States Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime Strike Force is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oakland Division, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Oakland Police Department, with assistance from the St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, Sheriff’s Office, and the Opelousas, Louisiana, Police Department.


title: Shiprock man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)


title: Arizona man pleads guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Jonathan John James pleaded guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. James, 58, of Tsaile, Arizona, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to the plea agreement and other court documents, on April 20, 2022, James followed a child as she shopped with a grandparent at a Home Depot in Gallup, New Mexico. James approached the minor, told her she was attractive and gave her his telephone number, written on a wet wipe package, in hopes they would communicate. On April 27, James received a text message from a person he believed to be the minor he had contacted and began exchanging sexually explicit messages with them. On May 5, James traveled from Arizona to a park in Gallup to meet the victim. He was detained by the FBI upon arrival. Under the terms of his agreement, James can be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison and must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-70


title: Browning man sentenced for theft of artifacts from Museum of the Plains Indian on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who worked at the Museum of the Plains Indian on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today for stealing culturally significant artifacts, including a grizzly bear claw necklace, beaded moccasins and golden eagle feathers from a war bonnet, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris sentenced Preston Jay Spotted Eagle, 32, to five years of probation, as recommended by both parties in a plea agreement, 250 hours of community service and ordered him to pay $16,860 restitution. Spotted Eagle pleaded guilty in October 2022 to theft of government property. “As an aide employed by the Museum of the Plains Indian, Spotted Eagle was entrusted with caring for culturally significant, sacred and priceless artifacts of the Blackfeet Nation, Crow, Lakota, and other Northern Plains tribes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Instead, Spotted Eagle plundered the museum’s collection for his own benefit—damaging, as well as stealing, claws from a grizzly bear claw necklace, taking a pair of beaded moccasins, and removing golden eagle tail feathers from a rare full-length eagle headdress. Perhaps Spotted Eagle’s most egregious conduct was to rifle through sacred medicine bundles, not only causing physical damage, but also desecrating them. These irreplaceable cultural items represent the brave and valued history of our Native American brothers and sisters, which is why we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to engage in similar criminal conduct.” “Protecting and preserving Indian art, culture, and heritage is of the utmost importance to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB), including through its Museum of the Plains Indian operations and programs,” stated IACB Director Meridith Stanton. “The IACB shares the outrage expressed by Blackfeet community members regarding the mishandling, destruction, and theft from the Museum of the Plains Indian of culturally significant and sacred Blackfeet collections by Mr. Spotted Eagle -- someone entrusted with their care and protection as a then Museum employee. The IACB is grateful for the outstanding work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Office of the U.S. Attorney – District of Montana in bringing Mr. Spotted Eagle to justice for his destructive and reckless actions.” “Mr. Spotted Eagle not only stole from the museum, but also from the people of the Northern Plains Tribes,” said Edward J. Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “He also wore and damaged culturally significant items that are irreplaceable in spirit and value and his actions have robbed current and future generations of seeing these items intact and enjoying their significance. Today’s sentence was the result of the strong collaboration between our special agents, the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” The government alleged in court documents that the thefts occurred between May and August 2021 from the Museum of the Plains Indian, in Browning, where Spotted Eagle was employed as an aide. None of the stolen items has been recovered. The Museum of the Plains Indian displays the arts of various Northern Plains Tribes and is managed by the U.S. Department of Interior’s Indian Arts and Crafts Board. All art held by the museum is property of the federal government. In August 2021, museum staff noticed that a bear claw necklace was missing from a display. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigated and identified Spotted Eagle as the thief. The government alleged that the first item found to be missing was a grizzly bear necklace that contained 11 large claws. An employee assumed Spotted Eagle had removed it because she had given him an inventory assignment. When asked about the necklace, Spotted Eagle reported not knowing what happened to it. A review of security system video led to Spotted Eagle. When confronted again, Spotted Eagle said he believed he removed the necklace after seeing that it had fallen off its hanger. Spotted Eagle told the employee that nobody else needed to review the video and that he could guarantee the necklace was still in the museum. That afternoon, Spotted Eagle said he found the necklace under some papers in a collection room. The necklace was heavily damaged and appeared to have had four of the 11 claws removed and replaced with smaller claws. Court documents further alleged that museum staff conducted an inventory to determine if there were other items missing and learned that an additional four loose grizzly bear claws, a pair of beaded moccasins and 26 golden eagle feathers from a war bonnet were gone. A review of surveillance footage showed that Spotted Eagle removed the pair of stolen moccasins, but first he held several different pairs of moccasins up to the bottom of his shoe for a size comparison. He later took the pair of moccasins and rearranged the other moccasins they were stored with so the missing pair would not be easy to detect. Video further showed Spotted Eagle handling a war bonnet that was later found with 26 missing golden eagle feathers. Investigators identified additional video of Spotted Eagle removing artifacts and photographing them with his cell phone. He was observed trying on historic clothing, including a ceremonial Crazy Dog Society shirt that was too small for him but did not rip during the struggle. And he was observed rummaging through many sacred bundles, even breaking a strap on the parfleche tube case of one of the bundles. In addition to physically damaging the bundles, Spotted Eagle caused spiritual harm to them and to the community by violating cultural protocols associated with the care and handling of sacred medicine bundles. When interviewed by agents, the government alleged, Spotted Eagle claimed that he found the bear claw necklace damaged, removed it and attempted to repair it, but that he was unable to notify other employees because they were absent. Agents confirmed the employees were present on the date Spotted Eagle removed the necklace. Agents confronted Spotted Eagle about removing four claws from the necklace and replacing them, which he denied. Spotted Eagle abruptly ended the interview, swore at the agent and left after making an obscene gesture. Investigators later confirmed that Spotted Eagle posted on social media a photo of 33 immature golden eagle feathers that are similar to the 26 feathers stolen from the museum headdress. Spotted Eagle has never applied for or received golden eagle parts from the National Eagle Repository. An appraisal of the missing and damaged items determined the following values: Grizzly bear claw necklace, $3,200 fair market value before being damaged. Beaded moccasins, $350 fair market value and $425 replacement cost. Four grizzly bear claws, $800 market value and $1,700 replacement cost. 26 golden eagle feathers, no fair market value because the trade is illegal. The valuation of a feather under the uniform collateral forfeiture is $300 each, for a total of $7,800. The smaller bear claws found on the damaged necklace were determined to be one black bear claw and three grizzly bear claws, which were significantly newer than the other seven original claws. The damage to the war bonnet was not calculated because no legal market exists. A war bonnet similar to the one damaged was sold overseas for $18,172 in 2012. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. XXX


title: CPA Sentenced For Securities Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – United States District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Mac Wayne Billings, 49, of Raleigh, N.C. to 41 months in prison for defrauding investors in his company Alpha Finance Company (ALPHA) of at least $1.3 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. On June 21, 2022, Billings was indicted by a grand jury in Charlotte for securities fraud. On September 13, 2022, Billings pleaded guilty and admitted that from 2016 through 2019, he made false representations to ALPHA investors concerning the use of their money and deliberately withheld important information about ALPHA’s business. Billings incorporated ALPHA on October 22, 2008, and opened its first office in Sparta, N.C. ALPHA made small loans—usually less than $7,000—to consumers, secured by used vehicles and other property that could be repossessed. Billings financed ALPHA with loans from local community residents that Billings promised to pay back with interest. At least 19 residents of Alleghany, Wilkes and Surry Counties, invested over $3.6 million in ALPHA “notes.” Billings admitted that in 2016 he knew ALPHA was operating at loss, but was still soliciting new investors and telling existing investors that ALPHA was “doing well.” Billings used investment statements, emails and meetings to mislead and deceive victim-investors into believing that ALPHA was a profitable company and that the victims’ investments were safe. Billings also admitted that he failed to disclose material information to investors concerning ALPHA’s financial and business troubles, including that he had sold or mortgaged most of ALPHA’s assets to hard money lenders. Based on the fraudulent information provided by Billings, many of the victim-investors renewed and/or made additional investments with ALPHA, causing them to incur further financial losses. As part of Billings sentence, Billings was ordered to pay approximately $3.5 million in restitution to investors who lost their retirement savings when ALPHA was closed by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks (NCCOB) in June 2019. On March 23, 2023, the North Carolina Board of Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examiners revoked Billings’ CPA certification. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation of the case and thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission, the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office for their cooperation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: West Virginia Truck Driver Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor in Morton, Illinois

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A West Virginia over-the-road truck driver, Michael Leonard, 53, has been sentenced to fifteen years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted trafficking of a minor. Leonard will also be required to register as a sex offender and pay restitution totaling $49,000 to victims of child pornography, whose images were stored on his phone. At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the United States presented evidence that Leonard initiated a conversation on an advertising website in August 2020 with an individual he believed to be a mother offering sex with her 9-year-old daughter. In August 2021, Leonard again initiated a text conversation, agreeing to pay $50 for sex with the minor girl. He planned to meet the girl and her mother at an agreed upon location in central Illinois, FBI agents then arrested Leonard upon his arrival. He admitted he was there to meet the minor girl and her mother and that he intended to have sex with the girl. He also admitted that his phone contained images of child pornography. Agents searched the phone and found hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. Leonard was indicted in September 2021 and pleaded guilty in September 2022. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest. The statutory penalties for attempted sex trafficking of a minor are fifteen years to life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervised release. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook represented the United States in the prosecution. The case against Leonard was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Alleged Firearm Traffickers Arrested in ATF Bust

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

body_text: Three men accused of selling guns illegally were arrested in an ATF takedown on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Michael Smith, 36, Khalid Amill, 27, and Rondell Jones, 27, were arrested in Fort Worth on Tuesday, charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and felon in possession of a firearm. Smith and Amil were also charged with drug offenses, as were three other men arrested during the bust: William Davis, 42, and Dwayne Purnell, 54, both charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Jaquan Thomas, 23, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. All six defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton in Fort Worth on Thursday. According to court documents, Smith, Amill, Jones, and their co-conspirators sold more than two dozen firearms to undercover agents over the course of a month and a half. On multiple occasions, co-conspirators were informed that the guns they sold would be trafficked across the border into Mexico, where they would be resold illegally. Court documents allege they repeatedly bragged that they could obtain fully automatic AK- and AR-style rifles, referred to as “choppers.” On one occasion, Smith and a coconspirator allegedly attempted to sell a Smith & Wesson pistol that they claimed was equipped with a custom firing pin that made it automatic. When an undercover agent expressed skepticism, they claimed the firing pin was “internal.” On another occasion, Smith allegedly acted as middleman for the sale of a short-barreled Seekins Precision rifle equipped with a selector switch that moved from safe, to single shot, to automatic. Smith also allegedly brokered the sale of a privately manufactured firearm (PMF), commonly referred to as a “ghost gun,” that contained an extended magazine. A complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, Smith and Amil face up to 35 years in federal prison, while Jones faces up to 15 years in prison. Davis faces up to 40 years in prison, and Thomas faces up to 20 years in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation in partnership with the Fort Worth Police Department’s Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.


title: Foot Guide Charged with Sexual Abuse of 17-Year-Old Girl

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 6, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Cecilio Jimenez-Bautista of Mexico appeared in federal court today to face charges that he sexually abused a 17-year-old unaccompanied minor who he and his brother guided from Tijuana, Mexico into the United States in June 2022. According to allegations in a grand jury indictment, Jimenez-Bautista and his brother, Alexander Jimenez-Bautista, guided the girl and other Mexican citizens from Mexico to the United States through the Otay Mountain Wilderness area with the intent to violate the immigration laws of the United States. Over the course of three days, the group was taken along remote, rugged and desolate paths before being apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents at an area near Otay Lakes Road. During those three days, Cecilio Jimenez-Bautista repeatedly isolated the girl from the group and placed her in fear, and sexually abused her, the indictment said. He ultimately used her fear of him to cause her to engage in sex with him, causing her serious bodily injury. Both brothers face charges related to their role as foot guides for an alien smuggling organization from June 2022 to February 2023. “We will do everything in our power to protect children from harm,” said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “The United States is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals on our soil, especially the most vulnerable.” Grossman thanked the prosecution team and investigating agencies for their excellent work on this case. “The dangers of human smuggling cannot be overstated,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge, HSI San Diego. “According to the complaint, this child entrusted her safety to smugglers. They, in turn, demonstrated that they value profit over human life. HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to investigating organizations and individuals involved in the exploitation of migrants.” “We are continuously watchful and alert to deter, detect and prevent threats to any individual,” said San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke. “This includes working together with our law enforcement partners to identify smugglers, and their organizations, who take advantage and profit by placing human lives at risk.” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine McGrath and Edward Chang of the Southern District of California, and Trial Attorney Danielle L. Hickman of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case. DEFENDANTS Case Number 22cr1550-LL Cecilio Yonatan Jimenez-Bautista Age: 26 Alexander Jimenez-Bautista Age: 20 SUMMARY OF CHARGES Cecilio Jimenez Bautista Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury, 8 U.S.C. §§ 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (v)(1), and (a)(1)(B)(iii) Maximum Penalty: Twenty years Abusive Sexual Contact, 18 U.S.C. § 2244(b) Maximum Penalty: Two years Sexual Abuse by Fear, 18 U.S.C. § 2242(1) Maximum Penalty: Life in prison Bringing an Alien to the United States for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting, 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii), and 18 U.S.C. § 2 Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years (Five years mandatory minimum) Alexander Jimenez-Bautista Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens Resulting In Serious Bodily Injury, 8 U.S.C. §§ 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (v)(1), and (a)(1)(B)(iii) Maximum Penalty: Twenty years Bringing an Alien to the United States for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting, 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii), and 18 U.S.C. § 2 Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years (Five years mandatory minimum) AGENCY Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Border Patrol Joint Task Force Alpha *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was supported by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created by the Attorney General in June 2021 in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to strengthen the Department’s overall efforts to combat these crimes based on the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling from and through Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California helps lead JTFA, which is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement commitment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.


title: Two Los Angeles Men Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy that Led to Murder

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK –Two men from Los Angeles, California, were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a conspiracy to acquire methamphetamine in California and distribute it in the Cortland, New York area, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Sheriff Mark E. Helms, Cortland County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Andrew Espinoza Jr., City of Barstow (California) Police Department. Edgar Arrendondo, 31, was sentenced to serve 240 months (20 years), and Jose Pimentel, 35, was sentenced to serve 151 months (12 years and seven months) in federal prison for conspiring to provide more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to co-defendant Kyle Leeper, who intended to distribute it in Cortland. Arredondo was also sentenced based on his possession in the Central District of California of a shotgun and ammunition as a convicted felon, and for possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both men were also sentenced to serve 5-year terms of post-incarceration supervised release. Co-defendant Kyle Leeper was at the center of the conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine from Indiana and Southern California to Cortland County, New York, where Leeper distributed it to local residents and drug dealers. In the fall of 2018, co-defendant Crystal Stephens, of Groton, New York, who was incarcerated in Indiana on burglary charges, contacted Leeper by telephone with contact information for co-defendant John Rice, an Indiana-based methamphetamine dealer. Leeper communicated with Rice by telephone and then travelled to and from Indiana twice in late 2018 and early 2019, where he obtained crystal methamphetamine and a .380 caliber pistol from Rice. Leeper distributed this methamphetamine in the Cortland area. After Rice was arrested in Indiana in early January 2019, Leeper arranged to travel to the Los Angeles area to purchase more methamphetamine. From jail Crystal Stephens provided Leeper with telephone numbers for possible methamphetamine sources in East Los Angeles. In mid-January 2019, Leeper and an associate, co-defendant Ramon Nieves-Cotto, drove from Cortland to Los Angeles, where Leeper contacted one of these sources. The source sought assistance from co-defendant Arlene Rodriguez, who introduced Leeper to a middleman. On January 17, 2019, this middleman arranged for Leeper to buy three pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $5,000 from co-defendant Jose Pimentel . But after the methamphetamine was delivered to a motel in El Monte, California, Leeper realized that he had been shortchanged on the quantity delivered. Leeper abducted the middleman and Arlene Rodriguez at gunpoint. Later that day, Nieves-Cotto purchased zip ties, which Leeper used to bind the middleman. On the night of January 17, 2019, in the desert in Barstow, California, Leeper shot the bound middleman eight times from behind with the .380 caliber pistol, killing him. Leeper and Nieves-Cotto, along with Rodriguez, then drove to Cortland, where Leeper distributed the methamphetamine he obtained on this trip to California. In early February 2019, Leeper, Nieves-Cotto, and Rodriguez returned to Los Angeles, where Leeper purchased an additional six to eight pounds of methamphetamine and a 9 mm pistol from co-defendant Edgar Arredondo . Upon his return to Cortland, Leeper, assisted by Rodriguez, began to distribute this methamphetamine. On February 19, 2019, officers from the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office stopped Leeper and Rodriguez while they were driving in Leeper’s pickup truck, which had an expired registration and cracked windshield. Inside the truck, the officers found four pounds of high-purity methamphetamine, the loaded .380 caliber pistol Leeper had used to commit the murder, and ammunition. They arrested Leeper, who previously had been convicted of state and federal felony offenses in Pennsylvania, and Rodriguez. Five (5) other co-defendants previously pled guilty to participating in the drug trafficking conspiracy, and/or aiding and abetting the murder. Kyle Leeper , 38, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 18, 2022, to serve 40 years in federal prison for a murder committed during a drug trafficking conspiracy, conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon Ramon Nieves-Cotto , 30, of DeRuyter, New York, pled guilty to aiding and abetting a murder during a drug conspiracy, and conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was sentenced on October 7, 2022, to serve 156 months in federal prison, and a four-year term of supervised release. Crystal J. Stephens , 34, of Groton, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. She was sentenced on November 15, 2022, to serve 100 months in federal prison, and a four-year term of supervised release. Arlene N. Rodriguez , 38, of Montebello, California, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime. She was sentenced on October 6, 2022, to serve 94 months in prison, to be followed by four-year term of supervised release. John Rice, 57, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced on January 12, 2023, to 63 months in federal prison and a four-year term of supervised release after incarceration. 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. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cortland County (New York) Sheriff’s Office, the Barstow (California) Police Department, and the San Bernadino (California) County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Cortland County (New York) District Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department, the Montgomery County (Indiana) District Attorney’s Office, the Pomona (California) Police Department, and the El Monte (California) Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven D. Clymer, Richard R. Southwick, and Thomas R. Sutcliffe, with assistance provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California (Assistant U.S. Attorney Benedetto Balding).


title: 5 Individuals Charged in Superseding Indictment for Conspiracy to Import Cocaine into the United States

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a 14-count superseding indictment charging three men and two women with trafficking cocaine in the District of Puerto Rico beginning in 2021. This is a joint investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with collaboration from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB). According to the charging document, the defendants conspired to import cocaine into the United States from the Dominican Republic from November 2021 through April 2023. The defendants and the counts in which they are charged are: [1] Osvaldo Hernández-Camacho, a.k.a. “Shaq/Oso”: Counts 1 through 13 [2] Nelson Rivera-Suárez, a.k.a. “Papo”: Counts 1 through 9 [3] Edgardo Luis Matos-Santos, a.k.a. “Bebi”: Counts 1 through 12 [4] Xiomarie Marrero-Álvarez, a.k.a. “Xiomy”: Counts 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 14 [5] Yahaira Santos-Castillo, a.k.a. “Yaja”: Counts 1, 4, 7, 10 The counts charged are: Count One - Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance into the United States – not later than November 2021 Count Two - Importation of a Controlled Substance into the United States – October 15, 2022 Count Three - Importation of a Controlled Substance into the United States – November 17, 2022 Count Four - Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance - not later than November 2021 Count Five - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance – October 15, 2022 Count Six - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance – November 17, 2022 Count Seven - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel of the United States – November 2021 Count Eight - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel of the United States – October 15, 2021 Count Nine - Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance on Board a Vessel of the United States – November 17, 2022 Count Ten - Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime – November 2021 Count Eleven - Firearm Related Murder in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime – November 17, 2022 Count Twelve - Murder of a Federal Law Enforcement Officer in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking – November 17, 2022 Count Thirteen - Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering – year 2022 Count Fourteen - Obstruction of Justice – November 17, 2022 The indictment includes controlled substances and money laundering forfeiture allegations regarding the following property: $10,000,000 in United States currency Two 1999 Boston Whaler vessels One 1974 Uniflite 42’ vessel Lot of land in the municipality of Lajas, Puerto Rico Two lots of land in the municipality of Carolina, Puerto Rico One 2014 black Toyota Tundra 2009 Ford Econoline E350 Super Duty Van White A 2007 white Dutchcraft Camp Trailer 2015 white Jayco Inc. Trailer White and black framed Star Stream trailer All United States currency in three different bank accounts The indictment also includes firearms forfeiture allegations regarding the following items: Four Glock pistols One Sig Sauer pistol One Remington Shotgun One Springfield multicaliber rifle Seventy-Six 9mm caliber cartridges 239 5.56 caliber cartridges 226 .40 caliber cartridges 148 .45 caliber cartridges The indictment alleges that the defendants made multiple trips between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to transport narcotics. It also claims that on November 17, 2022, defendants Osvaldo Hernández-Camacho and Edgardo Luis Matos-Santos, aiding and abetting Joseamid Vázquez-Torres, a.k.a. “El Pana/El Capi/Jose”, not charged herein, did knowingly and intentionally kill, and counsel, command, induce and cause the intentional killing of Michel Maceda, a Federal Law Enforcement Officer engaged in the performance of his official duties. “The conduct charged in this Superseding Indictment proves that firearms in the hands of drug traffickers pose a grave threat to our community and to our law enforcement partners,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “For that reason, the U.S. Attorney’s office remains committed to the investigation and prosecution of transnational drug traffickers. We will find them and bring them before the courts to face the consequences of their crimes.” “One of the things we in the FBI take pride in is our expertise in investigating the big picture scheme. That is, doing the painstaking, technical, and often tedious work of playing the long game to understand criminal enterprises, and then taking them down. These arrests are the results of that process, and we are committed to continue to do this work, together with our partners, to bring all those responsible to justice,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office. “Drug trafficking is the root of many of the evils that plague our society and sometimes, even the men and women sworn to serve and protect the people, become the victims of the violence that stems from it. This makes our work more important and more urgent. This is why we can’t and won’t ever tire of bringing our best to these cases, no matter how long they take to complete.” “The responsibility of our law enforcement officers is to safeguard our borders, they leave their homes daily to enforce the federal laws and protect the United States, unfortunately that is a dangerous job,” stated HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos. “It is our duty to protect each other as Law Enforcement, any assaults or threats to the ones risking their lives to protect our borders is a direct attack to the United States and will not be tolerated.” “I am proud of the work of CBP Air and Marine Operations Agents, along with our federal partners, for their relentless work to bring the defendants to justice,” stated Troy Miller, Acting Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Marine Interdiction Agent Maceda’s sacrifice is a testament to CBP’s unwavering commitment to protecting our nation.” “CBP Air and Marine Operations agents remain committed to interdict and deter transnational criminal organizations that continue to smuggle their contraband into our shores,” indicated Augusto Reyes, Director of Air and Marine Operations for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section Max J. Pérez-Bouret; Deputy Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Section, AUSA María L. Montañez-Concepción; and AUSA Ryan R. McCabe are in charge of the prosecution of the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Cryptocurrency Founder “Bruno Block” Pleads Guilty To Tax Crimes

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that AMIR BRUNO ELMAANI, a/k/a “Bruno Block,” the founder of the cryptocurrency “Oyster Pearl,” pled guilty yesterday to tax offenses. In connection with his guilty plea, ELMAANI admitted that he had secretly minted and sold for his own gain Pearl cryptocurrency tokens, which caused the price of Pearl tokens to plummet, and that he did not pay income tax on certain cryptocurrency profits. ELMAANI agreed that he caused a tax loss of over $5.5 million. ELMAANI pled guilty before United States District Judge Colleen McMahon. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Amir Elmaani violated the duty he owed to pay taxes on millions of dollars of cryptocurrency profits. As he admitted, he also violated the trust of investors in the cryptocurrency he founded. Our Office will continue to bring groundbreaking cases, like this one, to ensure participants in cryptocurrency markets play by the rules.” Based on the allegations in the Indictment, in the Superseding Information to which ELMAANI pled guilty, the plea agreement, and other statements made and documents filed in court: In September and October 2017, ELMAANI began promoting online a new cryptocurrency known as Pearl tokens. Using a variation of his online pseudonym “Bruno Block,” ELMAANI stated that he planned to develop an online data-storage platform, known as Oyster Protocol, which would allow users to purchase online data storage with Pearl tokens. Instead of using his real name, ELMAANI operated almost exclusively online under the pseudonym “Bruno Block.” ELMAANI concealed his true identity from his prospective employees and business associates and never met them in person. In late October 2018, although the number of Pearl tokens was purportedly fixed, ELMAANI used his access to the blockchain technology used to create Pearl tokens to mint new tokens, which he took for his own personal use (the “Exit Scheme”). ELMAANI thereby increased the total volume of Pearl tokens. Shortly after creating the new tokens, ELMAANI converted the Pearl tokens he had obtained to other types of cryptocurrency on an online marketplace or exchange. As a result of ELMAANI’s conduct, trading in Pearl tokens halted on that exchange and the price of Pearl tokens held by investors dropped substantially. Pearl tokens were subsequently de-listed from the primary exchange where they were traded. Subsequent to the Exit Scheme, ELMAANI used his friends and family to receive cryptocurrency and to transfer funds to a bank account in his name. While ELMAANI initially attempted to hide even “Bruno Block’s” involvement in the Exit Scheme, he later effectively admitted to the conduct online under his “Bruno Block” pseudonym. In a recorded call with the then-chief executive officer (“CEO”) of Oyster Protocol Inc., after the Exit Scheme, the CEO asked ELMAANI why he had to take the additional new Pearl tokens if he had already cashed out millions of dollars’ worth of Pearl tokens in the past. ELMAANI responded, in part, that “taxes are pretty nasty.” ELMAANI carried out the Exit Scheme only days before the exchange he had used to cash out his Pearl tokens was set to require “know your customer” personal identifying information from its users. In connection with his plea, ELMAANI admitted in the plea agreement that: In or about 2017, using the alias “Bruno Block,” I began an online project called the “Oyster Protocol.” In support of this project, an initial coin offering (“ICO”) was held in or about October 2017, in which a token named “Pearl” (“PRL”) was issued. I stated in public forums that after the ICO, the supply of PRL would not increase, and that the smart contract that created PRL would be “locked.” Contrary to these statements, on or about October 29, 2018, I used the smart contract to mint new PRL, without telling anyone, including others who worked on the Oyster Protocol project. I then sold these newly minted PRL on a digital trading platform. I was aware that the counterparties who were buying these newly minted PRL likely were not aware of my reopening of the smart contract, and did not know that I had just substantially increased the total supply of PRL. After Oyster management learned of my reopening of the smart contract and alerted the public, the price of PRL plummeted. ELMAANI filed a false 2017 tax return stating that he had only approximately $15,000 of income from a “patent design” business, and he filed no return and reported no income to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in 2018. Nevertheless, ELMAANI spent, in 2018, over $10 million for the purchase of multiple yachts, $1.6 million at a carbon-fiber composite company, hundreds of thousands of dollars at a home improvement store, and over $700,000 for the purchase of two homes, one of which was titled in the name of a shell company and the other in the name of two of his associates. The tax loss to the United States from ELMAANI’s conduct was approximately $5,523,794. * * * ELMAANI, 31, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of subscribing to a false tax return for the year 2017, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison, and one count of failure to file a tax return for the year 2018, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. ELMAANI also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of at least $5,523,794. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS and also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for its assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Graham, Adam Hobson, and Drew Skinner are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Federal Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexual Abuse of an Inmate

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a former federal correctional officer with one count of sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody. The indictment alleges that, between October 2021 and August 2022, Lenton Jerome Hatten, 54, of Tallahassee, Florida, engaged in sexual acts with an inmate while employed as a sports specialist for the Bureau of Prisons. Hatten made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon. Trial for Hatten is set for June 5 at 8:15 a.m., at the U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee before the Honorable Senior U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle. If convicted, Hatten faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, five years to life on supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida made the announcement. The FBI and the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. McCain for the Northern District of Florida is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 5 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine in Madison

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Julio Alvarez Sanchez, 39, Mexico, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Alvarez Sanchez pleaded guilty to this charge on December 19, 2022. Alvarez Sanchez brought methamphetamine from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Madison and provided it to Juana Armenta Mora. On April 4, 2022, Armenta Mora sold 973 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Madison. On April 14, 2022, Alvarez Sanchez met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Madison for an additional methamphetamine deal. The defendant provided the confidential informant with a toolbox containing 6.77 kilograms of methamphetamine. Alvarez Sanchez was arrested following the drug deal. Alvarez Sanchez subsequently was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to participating in the April 2022 deliveries, as well as additional deliveries of methamphetamine. At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that this was a serious crime because of the very large quantity of methamphetamine involved and because Alvarez Sanchez admitted to dealing methamphetamine on additional occasions. In arriving at the five-year sentence, Judge Peterson weighed these aggravating factors against Alvarez Sanchez’s limited prior criminal record. Juana Armenta Mora pleaded guilty on September 8, 2022 to distributing methamphetamine. She was sentenced on December 22, 2022 to 15 months in federal prison. The charge against Alvarez Sanchez was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Jefferson County Drug Task Force, and Madison Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Kathryn E. Ginsberg prosecuted this case.


title: Statement Of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams On The Conviction Of Nicholas Tartaglione

body_text: “Martin Luna, Miguel Luna, Urbano Santiago, and Hector Gutierrez were beloved fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. In 2016, Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer-turned drug dealer, suspected that Martin Luna had stolen money from him. Tartaglione then devised a scheme to confront Martin at a meeting. Unaware he was being lured into a deadly trap, Martin tragically brought his two nephews — Miguel and Urbano — and a family friend — Hector — to the meeting. What occurred next could only be described as pure terror, as Tartaglione tortured Martin, then forced one of his nephews to watch as Tartaglione strangled Martin to death with a zip-tie. Tartaglione and two of his associates then transported Miguel, Urbano, and Hector — who were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time — to a remote wooded location, forced them to kneel, and executed them with gunshots to the back of the head. Tartaglione then buried all four victims in a mass grave. Tartaglione’s heinous acts represent a broader betrayal, as he was a former police officer who once swore to protect the very community he devastated. Today, a jury has found Tartaglione guilty of these heinous acts, sending a message that no one is above the law. We commend the career prosecutors and investigators for their relentless pursuit of justice in this case over the past seven years, and for ensuring that Nicholas Tartaglione faces a lifetime in federal prison for his unconscionable murder of four men. Most of all, we thank the victims’ families for trusting law enforcement to find their loved ones and see that justice was done.”


title: Minnesota Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Aiming Laser at Aircraft

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Nicholas James Link, 43, Rochester, Minnesota was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to two years in prison for aiming a laser at an aircraft. Link pleaded guilty to this charge on January 12, 2023. On the night of October 29, 2021, pilots with Delta Air Lines reported to the Minneapolis – Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) that they had just been struck by a laser. They were flying an Airbus A319 on a commercial flight from Raleigh-Durham to Minneapolis when, at an altitude of 9,000 feet and just west of River Falls, Wisconsin, the cockpit was lit up three times by a blue laser. At the time they had just been instructed by air traffic control to change runways at MSP. The laser strikes caused a major distraction in the cockpit as they were not able to look at their iPads to brief the new approach. The pilots were eventually able to brief and transition to the new runway approach and safely land the aircraft. The first officer did not suffer any disruption to his vision, but the captain said that vision in his right eye was affected for several hours after this event. Air traffic control called a Minnesota State Patrol aircraft, which flew to River Falls to investigate. The State Patrol pilots circled the area at 3,500 feet and their aircraft was also struck by a blue laser. Using the aircraft’s surveillance equipment, they were able to identify the suspect, coordinate with local law enforcement, and maintain a visual on the defendant until officers contacted him. The State Patrol pilots recorded this event using their surveillance camera. River Falls police officers contacted the defendant and found a blue laser on his person. He said that he was shining the laser at a drone but did not believe it was an aircraft because it stayed very still. He then pointed to the Minnesota State Patrol aircraft. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are considered aircraft under federal law. The pilot for the Delta Air Lines flight provided a statement to the Court. The captain has been a commercial airline pilot for 28 years with over 25,000 hours of logged flight hours. During their descent into MSP the cockpit was suddenly illuminated by a bright blue light. The captain described that the approach into an airport is considered a critical phase of any flight with a high workload. Because this particular approach also required a runway change, they had to reprogram their flight computers, consult the approach charts, and establish the course and descent into the new runway. It was at that precise moment that they were struck by the laser. The captain noted the “sheer brightness” and compared it to “suddenly turning on all the lights in a dark room.” The pilots immediately shifted their priority to protecting their eyes, with the first officer using his iPad as a shield instead of using it to brief the approach. The captain wrote that “[o]ne minor mistake during this critical phase could have led to catastrophic results.” The defendant’s action caused a severe safety threat to the safety of the crew and all passengers on board the aircraft. At sentencing, Judge Conley remarked on Link’s extensive criminal record which included numerous domestic assaults. Judge Conley also discredited the defendant’s argument that it was not commonly known that aiming a laser at aircraft was dangerous. The defendant wrote in his sentencing memorandum that there were almost 10,000 reports of laser strikes on aircraft each of the past two years. Judge Conley said that these incidents are frequently reported in the news, so the danger is commonly known. Judge Conley also mentioned an arrest in 2017 where the defendant shined and strobed a handheld flashlight in the eyes of the arresting officer, saying that incident was similar to the defendant’s conduct in this case. Judge Conley called aiming a laser at an aircraft incredibly dangerous and reckless, and in this case forced the Delta pilots to focus on their temporary blindness which put everyone on the aircraft in incredible danger. The charge against Link was the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol, River Falls Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan.


title: Former D.A.R.E. officer sentenced to over 15 years in prison for child pornography crimes

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A former longtime Beavercreek police officer was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 181 months in prison for committing two federal child pornography crimes. Kevin A. Kovacs, 60, of Fairborn, was arrested in April 2020 and indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2020. He pleaded guilty in February 2022 to transporting and possessing child pornography. “The law holds everyone accountable, no matter who they are or what their profession is,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “As a law enforcement officer, Kovacs should have been a trusted member of society, but instead he victimized children. He deserves this time in federal prison.” Kovacs was employed as a police officer with the Beavercreek Police Department from 1992 until his retirement in 2018. He spent the last six years of his police career as the D.A.R.E. officer in the Beavercreek City Schools. According to court documents, between April 2015 and July 2017, Kovacs uploaded more than 300 images and 2,200 videos depicting child pornography to his Dropbox account. Videos featured the sexual abuse of children as young as toddler-aged. One video depicted a toddler lying on a diaper whose arms and legs were bound by black tape. Kovacs also used online messenger, social media, cloud storage and email accounts to transport and possess child pornography. In total, as of December 2019, Kovacs possessed more than 780 images and 5,100 videos of child pornography. He was further sentenced to 15 years of supervised release after completion of his prison term and ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution to victims. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney, Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Fairborn Police Chief Terry Bennington and Beavercreek Police Chief Jeff Fiorita announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorney Dwight K. Keller is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Stevens Point Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Unlawful Possession of Firearm

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Lorenzo Miner, 30, Stevens Point, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony. Miner pleaded guilty to this charge on November 21, 2022. On January 12, 2022, the Stevens Point Police Department was looking for Miner as part of a state investigation and observed him leaving a hotel and walking to a car, carrying an AR15 rifle partially concealed under a bathrobe. A detective drew his handgun, pointed it at the defendant, and told him that he was under arrest. Miner denied having a gun – he had already placed it in the vehicle - and refused to comply with the officer’s commands. The detective tried to gain control of him, but the defendant punched the detective in the face. After a very physical struggle the defendant was eventually taken into custody. Police searched the vehicle and recovered the unloaded AR15 in the backseat. The defendant had felony convictions for burglary, bail jumping, and drug trafficking. At sentencing, Judge Peterson acknowledged both the aggravating facts of this case and the defendant’s significant criminal history, concluding that a long period of imprisonment was necessary to protect the public. The charge against Miner was the result of an investigation conducted by the Stevens Point Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison For $1.2 Million Bank Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III sentenced Daniel Ongele, age 33, of Bowie, Maryland to 33 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a $1.2 million bank fraud scheme. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to his guilty plea, from January to June 2018, Ongele obtained the account information of the elderly victims from a co-conspirator who was employed as a bank teller. Specifically, the co-conspirator, without authorization, accessed confidential computerized account information at the bank and obtained the names and other personal identifying information (PII), which was then provided to Ongele. Ongele and others then used automated teller machines in Maryland to deposit and attempt to deposit fraudulent checks drawn on the compromised accounts into accounts belonging to other conspirators. Ongele obtained information pertaining to at least nine victim accounts, which he used to conduct fraudulent transactions. Ongele admits that as a result of his fraudulent conduct and the foreseeable conduct of his co-conspirators, the intended loss was $1,293,237.06. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter J. Martinez, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Kansas Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jimmy Castillo, 24, Topeka, Kansas, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to four years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On February 19, 2022, based on information received during the course of a drug investigation, police officers approached Castillo as he exited a hotel in Onalaska, Wisconsin. Castillo was wearing a grey backpack at the time. After detaining Castillo and removing his backpack, officers asked him if he had anything illegal on him. Castillo looked at the backpack. After a drug dog indicated the presence of drugs, officers searched the backpack and found approximately 15.5 pounds of methamphetamine. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley stated that Castillo possessed a “massive” amount of methamphetamine and its delivery into the community would have caused major ripple effects. Judge Conley noted that Castillo admitted to officers that he had transported methamphetamine on two occasions prior to his arrest. Judge Conley also noted it was a mitigating factor that Castillo had no prior criminal history. The charge against Castillo is the result of a joint investigation by the La Crosse Police Department, La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office, Onalaska Police Department, and the Town of Campbell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner prosecuted this case.


title: INDIA NATIONAL SENTENCED TO FOUR MONTHS AFTER UNLAWFULLY RE-ENTERING THE UNITED STATES

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Ashokkumar Patel, 40, of India, was sentenced by District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 139 days of incarceration on his conviction of re-entry of a removed alien, followed by one year of supervised release and a special assessment of $100.00. According to court documents, on November 24, 2021, Patel, an illegal alien from India, was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport as he attempted to board Spirit Airlines flight #449 to Fort Lauderdale, FL. At inspection, Patel presented a fraudulent Florida driver’s license. Further inspection revealed that on August 17, 2019, Patel was apprehended and detained by Custom and Border Patrol in Tecate, CA. Thereafter, on November 21, 2019, Patel was removed and departed from the United States to India. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.


title: Honduran Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than two months in federal prison. Jesus Mira-Pineda, age 31, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 9, 2023, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Mira-Pineda admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Mira-Pineda was previously deported in March 2014 and illegally reentered the United States in 2015. On December 19, 2022, immigration officials learned Mira-Pineda had illegally returned to the United States and found Mira-Pineda at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest for assault causing bodily injury. Mira-Pineda was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Mira-Pineda was sentenced to 73 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Mira-Pineda is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-2001. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Guatemalan Woman Sentenced for Use of Fraudulent Identity Documents to Work

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Cristian Yanira Ruiz-Cardona, 28, was sentenced on Thursday, April 6, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for use of immigration documents not lawfully issued, false representation of a Social Security number with intent to deceive, and for making a false claim to U.S. Citizenship. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Ruiz to probation for a term of 3 years, including a condition for home detention for 180 days. Ruiz may later face removal (deportation) from the United States to Guatemala by immigration authorities. In March of 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (NEDMV) Fraud Unit regarding an identity theft case under investigation by the Dixon County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO). A suspect in that case used fraudulent identity documents in the name of C.M. to work at Michael’s Foods in Wakefield, Nebraska. The suspect told the DCSO deputy that she had used a Social Security card and identification card (the fraudulent C.M. identity documents) obtained from Ruiz, and that Ruiz required that the suspect to return them to her (Ruiz) later. HSI learned that Ruiz had been arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2009, placed in removal proceedings at that time, and released. In 2020, HSI received information that the defendant was selling identity documents in Wakefield, Nebraska. She was arrested again but was released due to lack of jail space. At the time, she was not prosecuted for selling identity documents, but it was determined that she was working for Michael’s Foods in Wakefield under another identity, “A.C.”. At the time she was arrested in this case she was working at Williams Form Engineering in Wayne, Nebraska under the identity of C.M., the same identity she provided to the suspect in the Dixon County case for use at Michael’s Foods. Ruiz used counterfeit identity documents in C.M.’s name including a Kansas Identification Card and a Social Security Card bearing the C.M.’s Social Security Number, as proof of identity to obtain employment. Ruiz also attested that she was a U.S. Citizen during the hiring process. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit.


title: Elkhorn Man Sentenced to 102 Months for Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that John R. Steier, age 32, was sentenced in federal court today in Omaha, Nebraska, for distributing child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter sentenced Steier to 102 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Steier will begin a 10-year term of supervised release. Steier was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution and a $4,000 assessment. Between October 28, 2019, and April 29, 2021, from his Elkhorn, Nebraska, residence, Steier made child pornography available for download on the internet program eMule. On July 19, 2021, from the Glenwood, Iowa, fire department, Steier made child pornography available for download from the same eMule account. Steier was a fireman in Glenwood. On October 14, 2021, agents searched Steier’s Elkhorn residence. During the search, Steier took agents to the Glenwood fire department and agents obtained his laptop. Agents located approximately 80 videos of child pornography (40 unique) on the laptop. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: DOMINICAN NATIONAL PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION  WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE 630 KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Leandro De Los Santos, 33, of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. A sentencing date for De Los Santos has been set by the Court for August 4, 2023, where he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, on September 11, 2022, while on routine patrol south of the Dominican Republic, a maritime patrol aircraft detected a go-fast vessel navigating on a northerly course approximately 80 nautical miles south of Bani, Dominican Republic. The U.S.S. Billings was dispatched to the area when crew members observed that the vessel had no flag flown, no registration numbers and no name painted on its hull. The Dominican Republic Navy later advised that the vessel was not registered with their country. The vessel was therefore treated as one without nationality thereby subjecting it to laws of the United States. Onboard the vessel, the U.S.S. Billings boarding team detained De Los Santos and another individual and located 18 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 630 kilograms. The United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye is prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Immigration Services Provider Pleads  Guilty To Fraud and Identity Theft

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Mario Henry Garcia, 65, of Miami has pled guilty to one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, as well to one count of aggravated identity theft. Garcia operated a business, Mar Financial, through which he provided a variety of tax preparation, divorce, and immigration services. In particular, the Defendant would assist clients preparing immigration applications (form I-485) to adjust their status to that of a legal permanent resident. Often those clients would have to provide an Affidavit of Financial Support (form I-864) from a financial sponsor guaranteeing to support the applicant while they were in the United States. When a client of the Defendant did not have anyone to act as their financial sponsor, the Defendant would steal the personal identifying information and supporting documents of a sponsor for a prior legitimate application without the sponsors’ knowledge or consent, in exchange for a fee. The Defendant was released on bond. On February 1, 2023, the Defendant failed to appear at his arraignment in this case. The Defendant absconded and left the country traveling on a Peruvian travel document. The Defendant was detained in Panama after arriving on a flight from Costa Rica and returned to the United States. U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga set the sentencing hearings for Garcia for June 14. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, announced the guilty plea. HSI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov . ###


title: Ten People Charged for their Involvement in the Illegal Trafficking of Migratory Birds

body_text: MIAMI – A federal magistrate judge has unsealed indictments brought against 10 defendants in 10 separate cases for their alleged involvement in the illegal trafficking of migratory birds under Operation Ornery Birds II. The cases brought against the 10 defendants are: United States v. Alain Armando Hernandez, case no. 22-cr-20535. United States v. Daniel Hernandez Matos, case no. 22-cr-20536. United States v. Alejandro Hernandez Valero, case no. 23-cr-20119. United States v. Julio Cesar Santana Menduina, case no. 22-cr-20537. United States v. Andres Hernandez Rivera, case no. 22-cr-20538. United States v. Felix Yoan Diaz Montesinos, case no. 23-cr-20120. United States v. Yoander Cruz Sardina, case no. 22-cr-20589. United States v. Conrado Torres Aleman, case no. 23-cr-20121. United States v. Armando Espino Gonzalez, case no. 22-cr-20590. United States v. Onelio Rene Hernandez, Jr., case no. 22-cr-20591. In 1918, Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) for the protection of migratory birds. Now in its 100 th year, the MBTA prohibits, among other things, the pursuit, hunting, taking, capture, killing, possession, sale, barter, purchase, shipping, exportation, and importation of migratory birds. Migratory birds are listed at Title 50, Code of Federal Regulation, Section 10.13. According to the indictments, the defendants acquired the protected wildlife through a variety of means, including the employment of baited bird traps spread throughout the region as collection points and the barter, purchase, and sale of specimens among like-minded individuals employing internet sales sites frequented by traffickers. They also unlawfully transported the captured wildlife between buyers and sellers across the country. According to the allegations contained in the indictments, the various defendants offered to buy, sell, or barter a variety of MBTA protected birds, including specimens of Indigo Buntings ( Passerina cyanea ), Blue Grosbeaks ( Passerina caerulea ), Rose-breasted Grosbeaks ( Pheucticus ludovicianus ), Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris), Northern Cardinals ( Cardinalis cardinalis ), and Lazuli Buntings ( Passerina amoena ), all highly prized for their colorful plumage and singing abilities. Federal agents from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recovered more than 500 illegal specimens from the defendants. After a determination that the release of the seized wildlife was safe and appropriate, the USFWS returned as many of the birds to the wild as possible. Some of the birds did not survive. If convicted of the charges, the defendants each face a possible maximum statutory sentence of 2 years in prison for each count of trafficking migratory birds and criminal fines of up to $250,000 per count. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Director Edward Grace of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Office of Law Enforcement, acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, Major Alberto Maza, Regional Commander of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement, South B Region, announced the charges. USFWS, HSI Miami, and FWC investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture. An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The public is encouraged to report any instances of illegal wildlife trapping and trafficking to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service at 305-526-2620 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at 888-404-3922 or by email or text to Tip@MyFWC.com . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under the case numbers listed above. ###


title: Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso Thursday to life in prison. According to court documents, Jorge Sanchez Morales aka “Capulina,” 47, ran a drug trafficking organization, spanning from Mexico to El Paso and on to Atlanta, from 2002 to 2019. In the early 2000s, Sanchez Morales worked out of Atlanta, trafficking cocaine and other drugs with Sinaloa Cartel operatives. In 2014, Sanchez Morales returned to Mexico to run his organization, which would then primarily traffic methamphetamine, often in liquid form. Sanchez Morales’ organization imported liquid methamphetamine from Juarez, Mexico into El Paso, and then transported it to Atlanta concealed in the fuel tanks of semi tractors. In Atlanta, the liquid methamphetamine was converted to a crystalline form and distributed. Sanchez Morales oversaw the operation on behalf of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, otherwise known as CJNG. On Nov. 8, 2022, an El Paso jury found Sanchez Morales guilty of conspiracies to import and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit international money laundering, and laundering monetary instruments. The court sentenced Sanchez Morales to life in prison for the drug conspiracies and to 20 years imprisonment for conspiring and laundering monetary instruments. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently. “This sentence serves as another step forward in the U.S. government’s efforts to disrupt and dismantle some of the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations we face,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “My office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners, within this district and beyond, to hold accountable those who attempt to poison our communities and carelessly endanger Americans.” “The men and women of DEA are laser-focused in our mission of defeating the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Millard of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division. “We will continue to tirelessly target these cartels and their associates involved in the manufacture or distribution of methamphetamine and other illicit, synthetic poisons that are killing Americans at record rates.” The DEA, HSI, United States Border Patrol, El Paso Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and Socorro Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Spitzer and Nathan Brown prosecuted the case. ###


title: North Braddock Felon Indicted on Drug and Gun Possession Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A resident of North Braddock, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating various federal narcotics and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The three-count Indictment named Roman Griffey, 28, as the sole defendant. According to Indictment presented to the court, on July 24, 2022, Griffey allegedly possessed with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl analog, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of cocaine base. Additionally, the defendant allegedly possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Griffey also allegedly possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 years in prison, a fine of not more than $8,000,000.00 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Former Hawaii State Representative Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – Senior United States District Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Ty J.K. Cullen, age 42, former Hawaii State Representative and Vice Chair of the House Committee on Finance to serve 24 months in federal prison for honest services wire fraud which consisted of his acceptance of multiple bribes in return for performing, and agreeing to perform, official legislative acts on behalf of a Hawaii businessperson. According to the prosecution’s argument to the Court, Cullen accepted bribery payments on eight (8) separate occasions over the course of several years from a person identified as “Person A” in the Information. Cullen initially accepted casino chips in New Orleans from Person A and later supported legislation that would benefit Person A’s company. More recently, in September of 2019, Cullen accepted a $5,000 bribe from Person A for anticipated legislative assistance that would benefit Person A’s company. Cullen subsequently accepted payments in the amounts of $3,000 in December 2019, $5,000 in January 2020, and then $10,000 on March 10, 2020, $2,000 in June 2021 and $5,000 in October 2021. The payments Person A made to Cullen were for the purpose of influencing Cullen to support or manipulate legislation that would benefit Person A’s company. According to other information provided to the court, on his annual mandatory gift disclosure reports, Cullen failed to report any of the bribes and gifts paid and given to him by Person A. As a part of his official gift disclosure submissions, Cullen emailed a false and misleading disclosure form, thereby using interstate commerce. “Cullen’s acceptance of bribes while serving as a state legislator significantly undermined the public’s confidence in its elected officials,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors. “By using his position to accumulate personal wealth, he betrayed the trust of those who elected him . This office has prioritized public corruption investigations and will hold officials who violate the public trust accountable by prosecuting them to the full extent of the law.” "The insidious nature of public corruption is such that it gradually erodes the very fabric of our society, causing widespread damage to our institutions and corroding the public's trust in them," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. "This sentence unequivocally signals that acts of public corruption will not be condoned, and that the FBI will persist in its relentless efforts to investigate these individuals who misuse their positions of power for personal gain." The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that resulted in the filing of the Information. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Sorenson, Micah Smith and Michael Albanese handled the prosecution.


title: Justice Department Files Complaint Against Manufacturer Alleging Delay in Reporting Dangerous Awning Covers

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) jointly announced today the filing of a complaint against SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter), alleging that the company delayed reporting a hazardous defect involving protective vinyl covers for its retractable awnings. SunSetter is a limited partnership based in Malden, Massachusetts, that manufactures motorized, retractable awnings for outdoor use. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleges that SunSetter knowingly failed to immediately report to the CPSC that when bungee tie-downs securing its protective awning covers were removed, the retractable awnings could spring open unexpectedly with enough force to strike consumers and cause them to fall and suffer death or serious injury. The complaint alleges that between 2012 and 2017, SunSetter received 14 reports of its motorized awnings springing open, which resulted in several injuries and one death. Despite notice of these incidents, the company did not report the problems with its awning covers to the CPSC until October 2017. According to the complaint, the protective covers at issue were sold separately or given away as a promotional item with the company’s motorized awnings between June 1999 and January 2019. The covers were recalled in August 2019. “Companies must report safety issues in consumer products immediately, as the law requires, to prevent unnecessary injury or death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with the CPSC to hold accountable manufacturers that put profits over the safety of consumers.” “Prompt reporting of potentially dangerous defects in or problems with products is vital to impactful and immediate consumer protection. CPSC cannot do its job without strict compliance by industry. The defect in this matter, as alleged, can cause serious injury up to and including death,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts. “Manufacturers must be held accountable for failing to comply with this important obligation which jeopardizes the safety of consumers.” “SunSetter knew for years that its product was hazardous, yet failed to tell CPSC as required by federal law,” said Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric of the CPSC. “It took a tragic death and numerous other injuries before they finally took action – which is unacceptable. When a company continues to sell dangerous products – knowing they can cause injuries and death – it must be held accountable.” The Consumer Product Safety Act requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. This matter is being handled by Senior Litigation Counsels Christina Parascandola and Claude Scott and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Brizius for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of Harriet Kerwin and Renee H. McCune of the CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would be required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.


title: Former Federal Correctional Officer Indicted  For Sexual Abuse Of An Inmate

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lenton Jerome Hatten, 54, of Tallahassee, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with one count of sexual abuse of an individual in federal custody. The indictment was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Hatten made his initial appearance in federal court to face the charge this afternoon. The indictment alleges that, between October 2021, and August 2022, Hatten engaged in sexual acts with an inmate while employed as a sports specialist for the Bureau of Prisons. Trial for Hatten is set for June 5, 2023, at 8:15 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before the Honorable Senior United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle. If convicted, Hatten faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, 5 years to Life on supervised release, and a maximum $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Toledo Men Sentenced To Prison For Their Roles In Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: TOLEDO – Three Toledo men were sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after they were convicted at trial in November 2022 of various drug trafficking offenses. They were the last of 26 defendants charged in a 2020 indictment. Antuan Wynn, who has a previous federal drug conspiracy conviction in the Northern District of Ohio, was sentenced to 224 months imprisonment; Marquise Figures was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment; and Christopher Simpson, who has a previous federal felon in possession of a firearm conviction in the Northern District of Ohio and was on supervised release at the time of this indictment, was sentenced to 300 months. According to court documents, Wynn, Figures, Simpson, and other co-defendants conspired to traffic large amounts of cocaine, cocaine base, and fentanyl in the Toledo area. Court documents indicate that Wynn supplied substantial amounts of cocaine to another co-defendant, Anthony Duff, who then distributed ounce quantities to various distributors including Figures. Additionally, court documents state Simpson supplied fentanyl to Jackie Green and others. Court records also show that members of the conspiracy used multiple cell phones that were obtained under other names, fictious names, or in no name at all. They also used code words to conceal their activity and used multiple residences in the Toledo area to store, break down, package, and distribute their narcotics and proceeds. On December 16, 2020, federal, state, county, and local law enforcement authorities participated in an extensive takedown operation which included arrests and search warrants of those involved in the drug trafficking conspiracy. This effort was 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. This case was investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Toledo Metro Drug Task Force, and the Northwest Ohio Interdiction Task Force. The FBI Safe Streets is comprised of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, Sylvania Township Police Department, and the Oregon Police Department. The Toledo Metro Drug Task Force is comprised of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The Northwest Ohio Interdiction Task Force is comprised of the FBI, Toledo Police Department, and the Lucas and Wood County Sheriff’s Offices. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alissa M. Sterling and Robert N. Melching.