title: Home Health Care Company Operators Sentenced to Prison in $5.5 Million Kickback Scheme and Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - A married Macomb County couple, Noli and Isabel Tcruz, both 68, were sentenced today to 6 years in prison and 38 months in prison, respectively, on health care fraud kickback conspiracy, tax evasion, and fraud charges, announced U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. This follows the sentencings earlier this year of two doctors who had pled guilty to receiving kickbacks and bribes from the Tcruzes. Joining Ison in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office. The Tcruzes were convicted and sentenced for schemes related to their operation of several Macomb County home health care companies that purported to provide legitimate medical care to homebound Medicare beneficiaries, but in fact engaged in fraud. The Tcruzes engaged in an approximately $5 million conspiracy to illegally pay kickbacks and bribes to acquire referrals for home health care for Medicare beneficiaries and refused to pay their income tax obligations for both -personal and business taxes. After their last home health company was shut down in February 2020, Noli Tcruz began engaging in Covid-19 program fraud, and used a family member’s identity and company to steal from and defraud the Small Business Administration and Health and Human Services out of more than $250,000 from pandemic assistance funds. Two physicians, Dr. Terry Baul and Dr. David Calderone pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks and bribes for referring Medicare beneficiaries to the Tcruzes. Under their respective plea agreements, the two physicians were required to pay more than three million in restitution and forfeiture judgments and are excluded from Medicare and other federal health care programs. “My office will diligently investigate and prosecute all types of fraud, which is driven by greed. Noli and Isabel Tcruz’s fraud harmed taxpayers and the government programs our tax dollars fund, including Medicare and Covid-19 programs,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Health care professionals and providers have both an opportunity and a duty to lawfully help people, but we will not hesitate to pursue individuals like these defendants who breach those duties to line their own pockets.” "Today's sentencing of Noli and Isabel Tcruz broadcasts that IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who use fraudulent scams in an attempt to steal from the hard-working taxpayers of America,” said Charles Miller, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office. "Not only was blatant stealing of funds, allotted for the healthcare of Americans, committed; but US Citizens were stolen from again when no tax was paid on any of the couple’s income.” "Paying kickbacks to induce referrals for medical services in federal health care programs is illegal and can lead to the delivery of unnecessary services, wasting valuable taxpayer funds," said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in unlawful kickback schemes in our federal health care programs are held accountable." This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Lievense. The case was investigated by special agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.


title: Five Russian GRU Officers And One Civilian Charged For Conspiring To Hack Ukrainian Government

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Note: Concurrent with the return of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on any of the defendants’ locations or their malicious cyberactivity. Anyone possessing such information should contact Rewards for Justice here . Greenbelt , Maryland – In an indictment unsealed today, a grand jury in Maryland charged six computer hackers, all of whom were residents and nationals of the Russian Federation (Russia), with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud conspiracy. Five of the defendants were officers in Unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The sixth individual was a civilian already under indictment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion who is now also charged with wire fraud conspiracy. The indictment alleges that these GRU hackers and their co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to hack into, exfiltrate data from, leak information obtained from, and destroy computer systems associated with, the Ukrainian Government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Defendants did so in order to sow concern among Ukrainian citizens regarding the safety of their government systems and personal data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Defendants’ targets included Ukrainian Government systems and data with no military or defense-related roles. Later targets included computer systems in countries around the world that were providing support to Ukraine, including twenty-six NATO countries. “Today’s superseding indictment underscores our commitment to using all the tools at our disposal to pursue those who would do us and our allies around the world harm,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron. “Cyber intrusion schemes such as the one alleged threaten our national security, and we will use all the technologies and investigative measures at our disposal to disrupt and track down these cybercriminals.” “The GRU’s WhisperGate campaign, including targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure and government systems of no military value, is emblematic of Russia’s abhorrent disregard for innocent civilians as it wages its unjust invasion,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “Today’s indictment underscores that the Justice Department will use every available tool to disrupt this kind of malicious cyber activity and hold perpetrators accountable for indiscriminate and destructive targeting of the United States and our allies.” “Through strokes on a keyboard, the accused criminals used computers to cross into countries, hunting for weaknesses and seeking to harm. The FBI and our law enforcement partners, both national and international, will collectively defend against Russia’s aggressive and illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We are united in identifying, prosecuting, and protecting against future crimes and vow to relentlessly hunt down and counter these threats.” “The FBI and its international partners are relentless in our commitment to thwarting GRU attacks across the globe and bringing to justice those responsible for these criminal acts,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our work protecting against cyber threats in a rapidly evolving landscape continues, including deployment of all tools in our arsenal to defend our infrastructure and impose costs on those who target it.” “Since July 2021, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act,” said DSS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Investigations and Analysis Paul Houston. “Under this reward offer, the RFJ program is seeking information leading to the location of these individuals, GRU’s malicious cyber activity, or associated individuals and entities.” The defendants charged in the indictment are: Yuriy Denisov [Юрий Денисов], a colonel in the Russian military and a commanding officer of Cyber Operations for Unit 29155; four lieutenants in the Russian military assigned to Unit 29155 who worked on cyber operations: Vladislav Borovkov [Владислав Боровков], Denis Denisenko [Денис Денисенко], Dmitriy Goloshubov [Дима Голошубов], and Nikolay Korchagin [Николай Корчагин]; and a civilian co-conspirator, Amin Sitgal [Амин Стигал]. According to court documents, in January 2022, the Defendants conspired to use a U.S.-based company’s services to distribute malware known in the cybersecurity community as “WhisperGate” to dozens of Ukrainian government entities’ computer systems and destroy those systems and related data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States government previously joined with allies and partners in May 2022 to attribute this cyber-attack to the Russian military and to condemn the attack and similar destructive cyber activities against Ukraine. On January 13, 2022, the Defendants attacked multiple Ukrainian government networks, including the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Treasury, the Judiciary Administration, the State Portal for Digital Services, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Ministry of Energy, the Accounting Chamber for Ukraine, the State Emergency Service, the State Forestry Agency, and the Motor Insurance Bureau. The Defendants infected computers on these and other networks with the WhisperGate malware, which was designed to look like ransomware. However, as the indictment alleges, WhisperGate was actually a cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data. In conjunction with these attacks, the Defendants compromised several of the targeted Ukrainian computer systems, exfiltrated sensitive data, including patient health records, and defaced the websites to read: “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future.” That same day, the Defendants offered the hacked data for sale on the internet. In August 2022, the Defendants also hacked the transportation infrastructure of a Central European country that was supporting Ukraine. Beginning in August 2021, the Defendants also probed a variety of protected computer systems including those associated with twenty-six NATO member countries, searching for potential vulnerabilities. The indictment further alleges that from August 5, 2021 to February 3, 2022, the Defendants leveraged the same computer infrastructure they used in the Ukraine-related attacks to probe computers belonging to a federal government agency in Maryland in the same manner as they had initially probed the Ukrainian Government networks. This indictment is part of an international effort, OPERATION TOY SOLDIER, to combat the malicious cyber activity by Unit 29155 of the GRU. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Barron, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. U.S. Attorney Barron and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen commended the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office for its outstanding work and thanked the FBI’s Milwaukee and Boston Field Offices for their support in the case. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Robert I. Goldaris, who are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: California Man Sentenced for Possessing Cocaine at Omaha Bus Station

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Fernando Aguirre-Quintero, age 25, of Laguna, California, was sentenced September 5, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possession with intent to deliver 500 grams or more of cocaine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Aguirre-Quintero to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Aguirre-Quintero’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release. On March 1, 2023, Aguirre-Quintero got off a bus at the Trailways Bus Station in downtown Omaha. A DEA task force officer began a conversation with Aguirre-Quintero. When the task force officer asked to see Aguirre-Quintero’s bus ticket, Aguirre-Quintero told the officer he snuck onto the bus without a ticket. Dispatch advised that Aguirre-Quintero had a prior drug-related arrest. The task force officer conducted a canine sniff of Aguirre-Quintero’s backpack, and the canine positively alerted to the scent of narcotics. The backpack was searched pursuant to a warrant. Five sealed packages containing approximately one kilogram of cocaine each were seized. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nebraska State Patrol. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office chemistry division assisted with forensic testing of the drugs seized.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Accessing with Intent to View Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Logan M. Schwenk, age 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 5, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for access with intent to view visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Schwenk to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Schwenk was ordered to pay a $2,500 special assessment to the Child Pornography Victims Reserve Fund. On October 25, 2022, a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent working covertly online visited an open internet page that hosted and advertised the sale of child pornography. On the internet page, packages of child pornographic files were advertised for sale in U.S. currency. The agent made a covert purchase of the files, and the money was directed to a money mule located in the United States. After the purchase, the agent was sent a Mega link which contained terabytes of child pornographic material. Mega is a file hosting service. During investigation of the money mule, the agent identified others who made similar purchases for child pornography, which included Schwenk. Schwenk’s purchase history and communications with the money mule showed multiple financial transactions for similar links from October 2022 through February 2023. In the transaction line for the payments, Schwenk indicated “mega” or “cp.” On June 7, 2023, a search warrant was issued for Schwenk’s residence in Omaha. The warrant was executed, and numerous devices were seized, including his phone and laptop. During a forensic review of Schwenk’s phone, the FBI found a Mega link to child pornography and at least one image of child pornography. This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.


title: Federal grants awarded totaling more than $6 million benefit communities in the Southern District of Georgia

component: Office of Justice Programs (OJP)

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: The U.S. Department of Justice has announced more than $6 million in Fiscal Year 2024 grants awarded to agencies and entities to support law enforcement and public safety initiatives benefiting the Southern District of Georgia. These federal grants are awarded by congressional designation from the Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance through Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Provisions, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Whether assisting local agencies in providing mental health or legal services or in purchasing essential equipment for first responders, these grants will help local communities across the Southern District to protect their citizens and improve outcomes for the vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. Agencies receiving the 2024 Community Project Funding include: Augusta-Richmond County Government: $1,007,000 . An award for $690,000 will enable the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to implement the Law Enforcement Body-Warn Camera Technology Upgrades Program, providing more advanced body-worn cameras for personnel to replace cameras in use since the office first implemented the program in 2015. A second award for $317,000 will assist the sheriff’s office in implementing a Mental Health Response Team, creating a “co-responder effort” to provide services to individuals in active mental health crises or needing follow-up care. Glynn County: $3.7 million. This award will provide multi-jurisdictional funding in Glynn County to replace radio communications systems used by agencies including the Glynn County Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, GB911, Brunswick Police Department, and Glynn County Emergency Management Agency, serving the mainland and barrier island communities of Glynn County. Community Service Board of Middle Georgia in Dublin, Ga.: $1.356 million . This award will provide funding for implementation of a Behavioral Health and Overdose Reduction Initiative for 16 underserved and largely rural Georgia counties, including Bleckley, Burke, Dodge, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Screven, Telfair, Treutlen, Wheeler, and Wilcox counties. The Georgia Justice Project in Atlanta: $475,000 . This grant includes funding for a Second Chance Desk for residents in Richmond and Burke counties. The Second Chance Desk will provide a projected 120-150 individuals with consultation and services to clear criminal histories that are no longer relevant, allowing low- to moderate-income residents to take advantage of Georgia’s expungement laws. The funding also will provide similar assistance in Cobb, Athens-Clarke, and Oconee counties. Funding from the Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Provisions, designated by Congress with funding through the Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance, seeks to support projects designated for funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, to prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and to assist victims of crime (other than compensation). More information on the implementation of these grants is available from the individual recipient agencies, and from the U.S. Department of Justice grants information page at justice.gov/grants . doj_2024_grant_glynn_county.pdf doj_2024_grant_richmond_county_-_mental_healths.pdf doj_2024_grant_richmond_county_-_body_cams.pdf doj_2024_grant_ga_justice.pdf doj_2024_grant_dublin.pdf


title: Owner of Orange County Staffing Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes, Admits to Cheating IRS Out of Nearly $60 Million

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – The owner of Orange County-based temporary staffing companies pleaded guilty today to two federal criminal charges for willfully evading the payment of nearly $30 million in taxes, penalties and interest, assessed against him to the IRS as well as causing a false tax return to be filed with the IRS as part of defendant’s efforts to conceal nearly $30 million in additional tax liabilities incurred by his staffing companies. Luis E. Perez, 55, who has maintained residences in Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda, and Dove Canyon, pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. “This defendant’s greed and lies lasted over a decade and caused tens of millions of dollars in unpaid taxes to the IRS so he could live a lavish lifestyle,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Today’s guilty plea shows my office will continue to aggressively prosecute tax offenders who fail to pay their fair share to the federal fisc and hold corporate executives accountable for violating their obligations.” “For nearly a decade, Mr. Perez committed tax evasion by withholding millions of dollars in payroll taxes from employee paychecks and using that money to purchase luxury items for himself,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose Gonzalez, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “As a business owner, he had a duty to his employees and to the IRS, yet despite attempts by the IRS to work with Mr. Perez, he lied and continued to report false information. IRS Criminal Investigation will exhaust all avenues to pursue tax criminals, all of whom place additional burden on honest taxpaying Americans.” According to his plea agreement, Perez’s companies – which include Checkmates Staffing Inc.; Staffaide Inc.; BaronHR, LLC; BaronHR West Inc.; and Fortress Holding Group LLC – were required to withhold taxes from employee wages and to pay the withheld amounts to the IRS on a periodic basis. These withheld taxes, sometimes known as “trust fund taxes,” include income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare. From May 2009 to January 2017, Perez’s companies failed to pay the IRS the payroll taxes for the tax years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, including trust fund taxes that Perez’s companies withheld from employees’ paychecks. Beginning in June 2007, the IRS attempted to collect Perez’s outstanding tax liability, including penalties and interest. By February 2017, the outstanding balance had grown to $29,593,378, which included the unpaid taxes, interest and the “Trust Fund Recovery Penalty.” Perez attempted to thwart the IRS’s collection efforts by purchasing luxury items from his business bank accounts – including numerous cars and a boat – and concealing his ownership by placing the titles of these items in the names of his businesses and other individuals. Those luxury items included a Ferrari 360 Spider F, a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Duffy D 22 Bay Island boat, a Mercedes-Benz SLS, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, and a Lamborghini Aventador. Perez also evaded the IRS’s collection efforts by obtaining a Visa Black credit card in the name of another person (now his wife) to make personal purchases and paid off the credit card using funds from his business bank accounts. As part of his efforts to impede the IRS, Perez lied to IRS revenue officers during interviews and failed to include material information in documents submitted to the IRS. For example, Perez falsely claimed that he received a salary of only $1,000 per week from BaronHR and he did not receive any other funds from the company, when in fact Perez distributed money to himself from his businesses by making payments to his now wife for Perez’s benefit. While on pretrial release for the abovementioned criminal conduct, Perez engaged in additional criminal tax violations. From October 2018 to August 2019, Perez willfully aided and assisted in the preparation of false tax returns that substantially understated the wages paid to the employees of Anaheim-based temporary staffing company BaronHR West from January 2018 through June 2019. Specifically, Perez admitted in his plea agreement that he caused BaronHR West to underreport employee wages and other compensation paid by the company by approximately $130,879,521, which resulted in the company’s failure to pay approximately $29,633,516 in federal employment taxes. United States District Judge Kenly Kiya Kato scheduled a January 16, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison. Perez has been in federal custody since August 15, when a federal magistrate judge revoked his bond after a two-day evidentiary hearing finding probable cause to believe that Perez had violated the terms of his pretrial release by committing still more criminal tax violations between 2021 and 2023. In a motion to revoke Perez’s bond filed with the court on August 2, the government alleged that Perez had willfully caused his staffing companies to fail to pay over $25 million in federal payroll taxes (including over $13 million in federal trust fund taxes withheld from employee wages) since March 2021. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Brett A. Sagel of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section, and Robert A. Kemins of the Department of Justice Tax Division are prosecuting this case.


title: San Antonio Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison After Sending Child Pornography to Australian Police Officer

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 210 months in prison for distribution of child pornography. According to court documents, Thomas Jeffrey McKissick V, 42, sent 18 images and four video files containing child pornography to an undercover police officer in Queensland, Australia on Feb. 6, 2022 and Feb. 7, 2022. Homeland Security Investigations executed a federal search warrant at McKissick’s San Antonio residence on March 10, 2022, seizing a cell phone that contained more than 10,000 images and nearly 800 video files of child sexual abuse material. McKissick was arrested March 11, 2022 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty to one count March 5, 2024. In addition to the 210 month imprisonment, McKissick was ordered to serve lifetime supervised release and pay $15,000 restitution. “This case demonstrates that our partnerships to combat criminal activity and prosecute child predators reach far beyond our state lines and our nation’s borders,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Thanks to this bilateral investigation and the collaboration between HSI San Antonio and the Queensland Police Service in Australia, this predator can no longer inflict harm on children.” “While this significant sentence cannot repair the permanent damage done to the children depicted in these images, it should serve as a warning to those who engage in this behavior. HSI and our partners will be relentless in our pursuit of online predators," said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for HSI San Antonio. "The collaboration between HSI and our international partners is critical in our mission to protect vulnerable children and bring perpetrators to justice.” “This arrest is an excellent outcome, made possible through the exceptional collaboration between the Queensland Police Service and Homeland Security Investigations,” said Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson for the Queensland Police Service child exploitation unit Argos. “This joint effort underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in our shared mission to target high-harm offenders, enhance community safety and remove children from harm.” HSI takes a victim-centered approach to child exploitation investigations by working to identify, rescue and stabilize victims. HSI works in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Internet Crimes Against Children partners, and other federal, state and local agencies to help solve cases and rescue sexually exploited children. You can report suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 800-THE-LOST. HSI is a founding member of the Virtual Global Taskforce , an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse. HSI and the Queensland Police Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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: New York Man Pleads Guilty to Hacking, Credit Card Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracies

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New York City man pleaded guilty today to conspiracies to engage in computer hacking, trafficking in stolen payment card numbers and money laundering. Vitalii Antonenko, 32, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William G. Young to one count of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computer networks and to traffic in unauthorized access devices, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Antonenko was arrested and detained in March 2019 on money laundering charges at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after he arrived there from Ukraine carrying computers and other digital media that held hundreds of thousands of stolen payment card numbers. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2020. Judge Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 10, 2024. Antonenko and co-conspirators scoured the internet for computer networks with security vulnerabilities that were likely to contain credit and debit card account numbers, expiration dates, and card verification values (Payment Card Data) and other personally identifiable information (PII). They used a hacking technique known as a “SQL injection attack” to access those networks without authorization, extracted Payment Card Data and other PII, and transferred it for sale on online criminal marketplaces. Once a co-conspirator sold the data, Antonenko and others used Bitcoin as well as traditional bank and cash transactions to launder the proceeds in order to disguise their nature, location, source, ownership and control. The conspiracy’s victims included a hospitality business and non-profit scientific research institution, both located in eastern Massachusetts. The charge of conspiracy to gain unauthorized access and to traffic in access devices provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, restitution and forfeiture. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office and made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: St. Louis County Felon Caught with Stolen Gun Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a felon caught with a stolen gun to 102 months in prison. Euron Jennings, 45, of Pagedale, pleaded guilty in May to one count of possession of a stolen firearm. He admitted that on June 19, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers tried to pull over a Jeep with expired temporary license tags at Kingshighway Boulevard and Cote Brilliante Avenue. The driver failed to pull over and continued to drive slowly as Jennings threw a firearm out of the window and onto the street. The Jeep then stopped and Jennings ran away. He was caught, then broke free and ran again before being arrested with the aid of a Taser. Jennings, who has an extensive criminal history that includes three separate convictions for crimes of violence, had discarded a stolen Hermann Weihrauch HW 7 .22-caliber revolver. More than 1 million firearms were stolen from private citizens between 2017 and 2021, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Stolen firearms represent the main source of gun recovered at crime scenes. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Arrest Made in Connection with Discarded Gun that Killed Washington D.C. Police Officer

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tyrell Lamont Bailey, 27, of Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, was arrested last night and charged by criminal complaint with multiple counts in connection with a handgun he discarded along I-295 in Northeast Washington D.C. The firearm later discharged and killed Investigator Wayne David, 52, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Bailey had an initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. He is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and unlawfully discarding a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, members of the MPD Robbery Suppression Unit (RSU) were patrolling in the area of the 1600 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE, about 5:30 p.m. on August 28, 2024, when they spotted a man with long black dreadlocks sprint away from them. As he fled, the man held the waistband of his shorts in a manner consistent with carrying a concealed firearm. The officers gave chase as the man ran through the DC Public Housing Complex on the 4400 block of Quarles Street and then jumped a retaining wall that borders Interstate 295. Officers saw the man drop something into a storm drain on the shoulder of southbound lane of the highway. The man then ran further, crossed to the northbound side of the interstate, flagged down a passing motorcyclist, and fled the area going northbound riding on the back of the motorcycle. Investigator Wayne David attempted to recover the firearm from the storm drain. While doing so, the firearm discharged and killed him. Technicians from the Department of Forensic Sciences responded to scene about 7 p.m., removed the metal grate covering the storm drain, and recovered a Smith & Wesson M+P Shield 40, .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number. DFS also recovered a white shoe from the southbound side of I-295 near Quarles Street NE where the man was captured by video jumping over the wall. Detectives were later able to identify the defendant through a review of related video surveillance. This case is being investigated by the ATF's NIBIN Investigations Unit which includes members of the ATF and MPD. Valuable assistance is being provided by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle McWaters. A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 24mj282


title: Boone County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Wayne Britton, 54, of Danville, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 1, 2023, Britton sold a Savage model 67F 12-gauge shotgun and a Hoban Manufacturing model 45 .22-caliber rifle for $250 to a confidential informant in the South Charleston area. Britton also sold 1,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition to the confidential informant the previous day. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Britton knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony conviction for obstruction of justice in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on November 15, 2012. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-30. ###


title: Georgia Man Arrested on Federal Dog Fighting, Firearms and Drug Trafficking Charges

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A federal grand jury indicted Dun Terrius Bradford, 53, of Sale City, Georgia, on charges of illegally possessing 67 dogs for fighting purposes, manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base and possessing five firearms in furtherance of those offenses. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia unsealed the indictment in conjunction with Bradford’s arrest today. According to court documents, the defendant maintained a stock of 67 fighting dogs at his Sale City home. Following the execution of a search warrant, the dogs were seized and will be cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Agents also recovered tools and supplies used in the training and keeping of dogs used for fighting, including modified treadmills to hold dogs in place for dog fight conditioning, injectable veterinary steroids, a home-made “breeding stand” used to immobilize female dogs who are too dog-aggressive to mate naturally and a “break stick” device used to break the bite hold of a dog during specified intervals in a dog fight. Officers also recovered cocaine base and five firearms. If convicted, Bradford faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison per count of animal fighting charges, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million on the cocaine charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the firearms charge to be served consecutively to other counts of conviction and a $250,000 fine for each dog fighting and firearms count. Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight animals, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, receive, buy or sell animals intended for use in fighting. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Peter Leary for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement. The Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General and detectives with the Mitchell County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elicia Hargrove for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Mexican Police Officer and CJNG Cartel Member Sentenced in El Paso to 25 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court to 300 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 180 months for one count of straw purchasing firearms and trafficking in firearms, and 60 months for one count of conspiracy to smuggle bulk cash. All sentences will run concurrently. According to court documents, Rene Hernandez-Cordero, 52, of Ciudad Juarez was involved in an organization that smuggled firearms into Mexico and methamphetamine into the United States. In August 2023, Hernandez-Cordero and codefendant Jesus Gerardo Ramos, 53, of El Paso, met at a gas station in El Paso with the purpose of obtaining 20 AK-47 type firearms and two Barrett .50 caliber rifles which would have been smuggled to Mexico. Evidence produced at trial showed that this particular group smuggled hundreds of firearms from the United States into Mexico from August 2022 to August 2023. Ramos pleaded guilty in April to one count of trafficking in firearms. He’s scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 26. Codefendant, Brian Alexis Munoz Castro, 21, of El Paso, also pleaded guilty in April to one count of trafficking in firearms plus one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His sentence hearing is set for Oct. 23. A third codefendant, Maria Del Rosario Navarro Sanchez aka “Chayo,” aka “Fernanda,” 38, of Mexico, remains a fugitive. She’s indicted for two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of straw purchasing firearms, and one count of trafficking in firearms. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces El Paso/Las Cruces Strike Force Enforcement Group 3 investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and Special Assistant U. S. Attorney Shannon Holderfield from Customs and Border Protection Office of Chief Counsel prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations (CBP), the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD) and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas in conjunction with an attorney from Customs and Border Protection Office of Chief Counsel. ###


title: Ridgefield Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS SKIRKANICH, 45, of Ridgefield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for a child exploitation offense. Judge Oliver also ordered Skirkanich to pay a fine and assessments totaling $25,000, and restitution of $4,000. According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, an online service provider submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) indicating that a TikTok video containing child sex abuse imagery was sent from Skirkanich’s email account to another email account. Subsequent investigation revealed that Skirkanich had emailed the TikTok video to another email account he controlled, that he had also uploaded to TikTok another video of child sex imagery, and that he possessed numerous other child sex abuse images on his phone. Skirkanich was arrested on December 15, 2022. On February 21, 2023, he pleaded guilty to accessing with intent to view and possessing child pornography. Skirkanich, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 19. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Ridgefield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel, with the assistance of the Danbury State’s Attorney’s Office. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Honduran National Sentenced for Maintaining a Stash House for a District Cocaine Trafficker

body_text: WASHINGTON – Rodger Bonilla Vargas, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for maintaining a stash house for a cocaine trafficker, facilitating the distribution of large quantities of cocaine throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Washington, D.C., and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Bonilla Vargas, aka “Paki,” pleaded guilty to involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. As part of the plea agreement, Bonilla Vargas – who is a Honduran national and is in the U.S. unlawfully – admitted he was accountable for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition to the 32-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge ordered Bonilla Vargas to serve three years of supervised release. He is also facing deportation proceedings upon completion of his prison sentence. According to court documents, beginning in March 2023 and continuing until August 2023, Bonilla Vargas’ co-conspirators -- Jorge Cruz Maldonado, Vladimir Roque Ceron, Francisco Rosales Diaz, Cila Melgar Rodriguez, and others -- conspired to sell approximately 771 grams of cocaine and 11.62 grams of fentanyl (111 pills) to a DEA confidential source. On multiple occasions between March 2023 and August 2023, in the District of Columbia, Bonilla Vargas agreed to store significant quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine, at his residence on behalf of one of his co-conspirators. Bonilla Vargas was aware that the substances he was storing were illegal controlled substances, and that Melgar Rodriguez intended to distribute these controlled substances. Specifically, on August 18, 2023, Bonilla Vargas knowingly stored cocaine weighing approximately 3.6 kilograms at his residence in service of Melgar Rodriguez’s drug trafficking operation. When Melgar Rodriguez arrived at the Bonilla Vargas residence to retrieve the cocaine, Bonilla Vargas provided the package to Melgar Rodriguez so that Melgar Rodriguez could give the narcotics to Cruz Maldonado and others to sell to the confidential source. Prior to his involvement in the narcotics conspiracy, Bonilla Vargas was arrested on November 30, 2023, by ICE in Chantilly, Va., on a charge of alien present without admission. He currently is under removal proceedings. Two of Bonilla-Vargas’s co-conspirators have been sentenced as part of this case. Vladimir Roque Cerone pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and was sentenced on July 11, 2024, to 14 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Erik Rivera Garcia pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Rivera Garcia was sentenced Wednesday to 62 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. This case was investigated and prosecuted under the auspices of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO). The VRTO’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle the District's most serious drivers of violence and large-scale firearms and drug trafficking. VRTO places an emphasis on proactive, intelligence-driven, long- and medium-term criminal investigations, and its prosecutions focus on violent and armed crews and conspiracies, collective conduct, and repeat offenders. This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI, and ICE. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ernesto J. Alvarado, Timothy J. Coley, and Adam Stempel. 23cr302


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Edwin Payne Jr., 43, of Belpre, Ohio, was sentenced today to 11 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 4, 2022, Payne arranged for a package containing approximately 1 kilogram of a fentanyl analogue to be shipped through the United States Mail from California to an apartment in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Payne paid the apartment’s resident $1,000 to receive and hold the package for Payne. Law enforcement officers intercepted the package before it arrived at the apartment, and replaced the fentanyl with a sham substance and a tracking device before the package was delivered to the apartment. Payne tracked the package’s delivery using his mobile phone, and went to the apartment when the package arrived there on April 8, 2022. When Payne opened the package, law enforcement officers knocked on the apartment door. Payne attempted to flee but was arrested. The intercepted package was part of a series of packages that had been shipped from California to the same apartment in Parkersburg, and those packages were also suspected to contain controlled substances. Payne has a long criminal history that includes three prior felony convictions, including for a drug offense, and 11 misdemeanor convictions. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Parkersburg Narcotics Task Force, and the Parkersburg Police Department. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-108. ###


title: Pennsylvania Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading his personal and employment taxes. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brandon Aumiller, of Milroy, owned an insurance sales business. For tax years 2007, and 2009 through 2011, Aumiller filed personal income tax returns reporting that he owed taxes, but did not pay them. He also filed employment tax returns for his business reporting that it owed taxes for the third quarter of 2013 and the first two quarters of 2014, but did not pay those taxes either. When the IRS sought to collect the taxes Aumiller admitted he owed, Aumiller engaged in a multi-year scheme to thwart the IRS’ efforts by concealing his assets in nominee bank accounts, structuring multiple real estate deals to conceal the transactions from the IRS, and submitting false financial disclosure forms to the IRS that did not fully disclose his bank accounts and his real estate assets. In total, Aumiller caused a tax loss to the IRS of $478,270. “Taxpayers thinking about committing tax evasion should stop and consider the consequences,” stated Amy MacNeely, IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Field Office. “Those consequences include possible incarceration, being branded a convicted felon for the rest of their lives, and paying back all the taxes owed plus steep penalties and interest. Mr. Aumiller’s conviction and sentencing ensures that he will face those consequences, while reinforcing our commitment to identify and prosecute those who evade their taxes.” In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner ordered Aumiller to serve 3 years of supervised release and to pay approximately $180,000 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Matthew L. Cofer of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur of the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Six Plead Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring in the Upstate

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: SPARTANBURG, S.C —Six individuals in the Upstate have pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The following defendants entered guilty pleas in federal court: Jonathan Sarratt, 38, of Gaffney Christopher Biggerstaff, 41, of Chester. Biggerstaff also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mikenzi Walker, 25, of Gaffney Sondra Walker, 66, of Gaffney Aa’lyah Tukes, 29, of Anderson Brenda Mincey, 34, of Shelby, N.C. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that since at least early 2023, Jonathan Sarratt, while incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, was facilitating supplying the ring with at least 250 kilograms of methamphetamine for distribution in the Upstate. Mikenzi Walker, Christopher Biggerstaff, and Brenda Mincey distributed the methamphetamine. In July of 2023, Mincey was arrested with approximately 390 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 100 blue pills containing fentanyl she obtained from co-defendants. Biggerstaff was arrested in January 2024, with three loaded handguns and ounce quantities of methamphetamine. Both Sondra Walker and Aa’lyah Tukes moved methamphetamine into their residences for distribution during the conspiracy. Law enforcement seized $150,000 in drug proceeds from Tukes during the takedown operation in this case. Sarratt and Biggerstaff face a maximum of life in federal prison and a $10,000,000 fine. Sondra Walker, Mikenzi Walker, Tukes, and Mincey face up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Biggerstaff faces an additional five years consecutive to any sentence he receives due to his firearms charge. All defendants face a maximum of lifetime supervision. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. 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. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, and Greenville Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Colombian Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Colombian man pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Fabian Lopez Mejia, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Oct. 22, 2024. In June 2024, Lopez Mejia was indicted by a federal grand jury. Lopez Mejia was previously removed from the United States in November 2019. Sometime after his removal, Lopez Mejia returned to the United States. In October 2023, Lopez Mejia pled guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance and one count of forgery/misuse of an RMV document. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Former Perry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Sentenced for Federal Honest Services Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky.— The former Commonwealth’s Attorney, for the 33rd Judicial Circuit of Kentucky, Scott Blair, 52, of Hazard, Ky., was sentenced to 54 months in prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, for committing honest services wire fraud. According to his guilty plea agreement, between April 2020 and March 2024, Blair knowingly and intentionally devised a scheme to fraudulently deprive the citizens of Perry County of their right to his honest services, as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney, through bribery. On multiple occasions, Blair agreed to take official actions, in his position as the Commonwealth’s Attorney – including making recommendations on probation, drug court, and probation violations or sanctions for defendants he was prosecuting – in exchange for methamphetamine and sexual favors. Under federal law, Blair must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Division; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States. — END—


title: Three Mexican Nationals Charged with Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three Mexican nationals were charged in federal court today after they were caught with more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on Interstate 29. Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 20, Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 24, and Pablo De Jesus Peralta Anguis, 25, all of whom are citizens of Mexico, were charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court. They remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 10. According to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112 th Street exit in Kansas City, Mo., at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3. Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Pacheco and Anguis in the back seats. When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch. When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, the affidavit says, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued; Ayala was apprehended about half an hour later and Anguis was apprehended after about 12 minutes. Ayala told investigators they had picked up the drugs at a Walmart parking lot in Omaha, Nebraska. Ayala said he was going to receive $2,000 for transporting the drugs. The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.


title: 78 Month Sentence for Maryland Man Convicted of Gunpoint Robberies in Georgetown and Glover Park

body_text: WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 31, of Hyattsville, MD., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for committing 10 robberies – six of which while armed with a firearm – in Georgetown and Glover Park during a five-month period between August 2023 and January 2024. Moreover, he robbed two of the victims repeatedly with one of the stores being robbed by him three separate times, including at gunpoint on Thanksgiving. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). McBean, who formerly worked for the Architect of the Capitol, admitted to committing all 10 robberies. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024, to four counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered McBean to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on August 22, 2023, McBean first used a small hammer to rob a Sunoco gas station on the 2400 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW. McBean told the store clerk: “don't touch anything, don't say anything, this is hard for me.” He then ordered the store clerk to open register, which McBean then emptied entirely. On August 31, 2023, McBean used a small vegetable knife to rob the Georgetown Wine and Spirits on the 2700 block of P street, NW. After checking for customers, McBean pointed the blade at the employee working the counter and demanded both the money from the register as well as the employee’s wallet. On the way out of the store, he grabbed a bottle of red wine. On September 18, 2023, McBean was stymied when he brandished a knife at the Universal Wine and Spirits on the 2000 block of Florida Ave. A customer saw what was happening and barked, “Not today, Get out!” McBean fled without taking any cash. On November 23, 2023, on Thanksgiving Thursday, McBean wore a mask and gloves and entered the Glover Park Market on the 2400 block of 37 th Street, NW. Armed with a black firearm, he robbed the register of cash. McBean would later rob this store three more times. On December 8, 2023, McBean entered an Exxon gas station in Georgetown, on the 1600 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW, produced a gun, and left with a small amount of money. On December 8, 2023, McBean returned to the Sunoco gas station on Wisconsin Ave., produced his firearm, and ordered the employee to empty the register in a bag. On December 16, 2023, McBean returned to the Glover Park Market, where the same individual he had robbed at gunpoint on Thanksgiving was on duty. McBean went behind the counter, opened the register, and took the cash, multiple lottery tickets, and a plastic bag. On December 20, 2023, McBean returned to the Georgetown Wine and Spirits shop and ordered an employee to empty the register. The employee told McBean that he didn’t have a key to the register. McBean pulled out a gun and again demanded money. The employee picked up the entire register and handed it to McBean. McBean fumbled with the machine before handing it back. Unsuccessful, McBean left the store. On January 4, 2024, McBean entered Sara’s Market and Dry Cleaners on the 3000 block of Q Street NW. McBean picked up a bottle of wine, set it on the counter, brandished a firearm, and demanded cash. The employee said the market did not accept cash. Flustered, McBean went back over to the shelf of wine and asked where the red wine was located. When the clerk pointed out that he had already grabbed red wine, he took the bottle and left the store without paying for it. On January 5, 2024, McBean once again returned to the Glover Park Market armed with a handgun and ordered an employee to fill a bag with cash. In addition to the money, McBean took lottery tickets and two packs of cigarettes. On January 8, 2024, at 6:06 p.m., McBean, once again wearing gloves and a mask, returned to the Glover Park Market for the fourth time. The store employee on duty recognized him as the same person who had robbed her on Thanksgiving and December 16, 2023. Then a police officer spotted McBean as he left the store and noticed he matched the description of a perpetrator from previous robberies from the market. The officer was able to identify the license plate from the vehicle McBean used to leave the scene, which led to his eventual arrest and indictment later that month. Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on January 26, 2024. Because each of the six stores that McBean robbed bought and sold goods in interstate commerce, McBean’s actions in each of the robberies delayed, obstructed, or affected interstate commerce. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Ryan Lipes and Omeed A. Assefi. 24cr46


title: Denver Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm

body_text: A Denver, Colorado, man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting thousands of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine through Kansas City, Mo., aboard a bus and for illegally possessing a firearm. Ahmad Rashad Rhodes, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Rhodes was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions. On December 7, 2023, Rhodes was found guilty at trial of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Officers with the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) were conducting interdiction activities at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station on March 20, 2023, when Rhodes arrived on a bus that originated in Los Angeles, California. As passengers disembarked, a police drug-sniffing dog alerted to the scent of illegal drugs in a suitcase in the undercarriage of the bus as well as a backpack in the passenger compartment of the bus. Officers determined both items belonged to Rhodes and contacted him. After a brief struggle, Rhodes was taken into custody when he admitted to officers he had a gun in the crossbody bag he was wearing. Officers searched Rhodes and found a key chain in his coat with two metal pill holders attached; one pill holder contained 61 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl and the other contained 33 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl. In the crossbody bag Rhodes was wearing, officers discovered 3,200 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl, a clear plastic baggie that contained 60 grams of pure methamphetamine, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .38-caliber pistol. Officers searched the rest of Rhodes’s luggage and found a digital scale, over 100 unused small, plastic baggies and marijuana. Rhodes told officers he was enroute to Louisville, Kentucky, and was fleeing from Colorado due to a pending drug-trafficking case in which he was set to be sentenced. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Rhodes has eight prior felony convictions related to the use or trafficking of illegal drugs, including two convictions in Colorado to which he pled guilty and then failed to appear for sentencing, and a prior felony conviction for illegally possessing a firearm. According to court documents, Rhodes has spent most of his adult life under some sort of criminal justice sentence or supervision, meaning that nearly all of his violations of the law were committed while he was being supervised for a previous crime. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan A. Baker and Gregg Coonrod. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Pennsylvania Business Owner Sentenced for Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading his personal and employment taxes. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brandon Aumiller, of Milroy, owned an insurance sales business. For tax years 2007 and 2009 through 2011, Aumiller filed personal income tax returns reporting that he owed taxes, but did not pay them. He also filed employment tax returns for his business reporting that it owed taxes for the third quarter of 2013 and the first two quarters of 2014, but did not pay those taxes either. When the IRS sought to collect the taxes Aumiller admitted he owed, Aumiller engaged in a multi-year scheme to thwart the IRS’ efforts by concealing his assets in nominee bank accounts, structuring multiple real estate deals to conceal the transactions from the IRS and submitting false financial disclosure forms to the IRS that did not fully disclose his bank accounts and his real estate assets. In total, Aumiller caused a tax loss to the IRS of $478,270. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner ordered Aumiller to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $180,000 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Matthew L. Cofer of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur for the Middle District of Pennsylvania prosecuted the case.


title: Minneapolis Felon Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession of a Machine Gun and Other Firearms Violations

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been charged in a four-count indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of a machine gun, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on July 29, 2024, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a white Nissan Rogue known to be driven by Tyrone Antwan Carter, Jr., 28. Law enforcement observed Carter’s vehicle in the parking lot of a business in north Minneapolis. Officers activated their emergency lights and moved their police vehicle to block Carter’s vehicle. Officers ordered Carter out of his vehicle, but Carter did not comply and accelerated past the police vehicle. Officers pursued and used a pursuit intervention technique (PIT) maneuver to stop the vehicle and prevent Carter from endangering pedestrians, law enforcement officers, and himself. After a brief struggle, officers removed Carter from the vehicle and placed him under arrest. According to court documents, on the floorboard of the driver’s seat, officers recovered a fully loaded Glock 26 9mm pistol with an attached “switch” or “auto sear” and an extended magazine. In the trunk of the vehicle inside a black baby bag, officers found purple powder that had been pressed into a brick, along with hundreds of small plastic baggies and rubber gloves. Subsequent testing indicated that the powdered substance was fentanyl. The indictment charges Carter with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of a machine gun, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Carter has been ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force, and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Classen is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Seattle Woman Pleads Guilty to Feeding Our Future Jury Bribery Scheme

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Seattle woman has pleaded guilty to her role in providing a $120,000 bribe to a juror in the Feeding Our Future trial, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. During the trial, Ladan Mohamed Ali, 31, and four others conspired with each other to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors in exchange for the juror returning a not guilty verdict in the trial. As part of the scheme, on May 17, 2025, Ali flew from Seattle to Minneapolis to meet with co-defendant Abdimajid Nur to discuss the plan to bribe Juror 52. Ali agreed to deliver the bribe money to Juror 52 in exchange for a $150,000 cash payment. On May 30, 2024, Ali again flew from Seattle to Minneapolis to carry out the bribery scheme. On May 31, 2024, at the direction of Nur, Ali attempted to follow Juror 52 home as she left a downtown Minneapolis parking ramp at the conclusion of the first day of closing arguments in the trial. Nur had previously provided Ali with a photo of Juror 52’s car and a map of the parking ramp. According to court documents, although Ali had agreed to contact Juror 52 about the bribe, Ali was concerned that the plan would not work and that she would not get paid for her involvement in the bribery. Instead, Ali came up with an alternative plan to steal some or all of the bribe money. On June 1, 2024, Ali told Nur —falsely—that she had approached Juror 52 at a bar and that Juror 52 was interested in taking the bribe but wanted $500,000 in exchange for returning a not guilty verdict. Ali told Nur that Juror 52 wanted Ali to deliver the money at a specific time when Juror 52 would be home alone. In reality, Ali did not speak with Juror 52, and Juror 52 never agreed to accept a bribe. Nevertheless, Nur believed Ali and told her that he would obtain the bribe money from co-defendants Abdiaziz Farah and Said Farah. On June 2, 2024, Ali met Nur in a parking lot in Bloomington to pick up the bribe money. Prior to the meeting, Ali purchased two Hallmark gift bags in which to deliver the bribe money. During the meeting, Nur handed Ali a cardboard box containing $200,000 in cash. Ali took the cash out of the box and put it into one of the Hallmark gift bags. Ali then drove to an area near Juror 52’s house to meet Abdulkarim Farah, who would accompany Ali to Juror 52’s house and video record her delivery of the bribe as proof that the bribe money was delivered and Juror 52’s acceptance of the bribe. Abdulkarim Farah insisted that he drive Ali to Juror 52’s house. This prevented Ali from stealing all of the bribe money. After Ali met up with Abdulkarim Farah, they stopped at a nearby store to purchase a screwdriver. Abdulkarim Farah used the screwdriver to remove the license plate from Ali’s rental car prior to delivering the bribe. According to court documents, at approximately 8:50 p.m. on June 2, 2024, upon arriving at Juror 52’s house, Ali approached the house with the gift bag containing the bribe money, handed it to a relative of Juror 52 and explained that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit the defendants. Abdulkarim Farah remained in the car and took a video of Ali’s delivery of the bribe money. Ali received $200,000 in cash from Nur, all of which was intended to be used to bribe Juror 52. But Ali only delivered $120,000 to Juror 52’s relative and kept the remaining $80,000 cash for herself. Ali pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge David S. Doty to one count of bribery of a juror. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from IRS – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew Ebert, Harry Jacobs, and Daniel Bobier are prosecuting the case.


title: Texas man charged with drug trafficking

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Texas man with charges related to drug trafficking. According to court documents, Mario Guerrero, Jr, 33, of Houston is charged with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Humberto Argueta-Zavala, 42, of Wichita is charged with one count of unlawful re-entry after deportation and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Sheldon Woman to Federal Prison for Meth and Fentanyl Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Kelli Biller, 39, from Sheldon, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2024, to over 9 years in federal prison. On April 24, 2024, Biller pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from about January 2022 through November 2023, Biller was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine and at least 200 grams of fentanyl. Biller admitted to helping transfer 2,000 fentanyl pills from a source in Sioux City to another for re-distribution in the Sheldon/Primghar area. Biller also admitted obtaining several ounces of methamphetamine from her source for redistribution in Northwest Iowa. During a traffic stop in Sioux City on November 10, 2023, agents seized 19 M30 type fentanyl pills from Biller for re-distribution. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Biller was sentenced to 119 months’ imprisonment and must serve a four-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Biller remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4010. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Goodell, Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Gun and Ammunition While Being an Illegal User of Marijuana

body_text: A man who possessed a firearm while being an illegal drug user was sentenced today to 6 months in federal prison. Larry Wayne Robbins, age 67, from Goodell, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 11, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user, marijuana, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(8). In a plea agreement, Robbins admitted he waived a gun at a neighbor in Hancock County while that individual was mowing a ditch approximately 300 yards east of Robbins’s house. A search warrant later executed at Robbins’ home located guns, ammunition, and marijuana. Robbins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Robbins was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment less 46 days credit for time served on his sentence in Hancock County. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Robbins will remain on supervision by United States Probation until he can self- surrender to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hancock County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-03031. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE DUPREY, also known as “Red” and “Colorado,” 53, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 141 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for trafficking kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal narcotics trafficking conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a DEA New Haven Task Force and Waterbury Police Department-led investigation into drug trafficking in and around the city of Waterbury. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and motor vehicle stops that resulted in the seizure of drugs and cash proceeds, revealed that Duprey trafficked kilogram-quantities of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Duprey used his place of employment to supply narcotics to other drug distributors, and he used his girlfriend’s business, located on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, to store narcotics and other items. Duprey and 13 other individuals identified during this investigation were arrested on May 25, 2022. On that date, a search of Duprey’s Waterbury residence and his Middlebury stash location revealed approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, two kilograms of fentanyl, and more than $107,000 in cash. Duprey has been detained since his arrest. On February 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Duprey’s criminal history, which spans more than 30 years, includes a federal conviction in 2008 for trafficking heroin. He was sentenced, as a career offender, to 161 months of imprisonment for that offense, and he was on federal supervised release at the time of his criminal conduct in 2022. This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of DEA offices in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Connecticut State Police; Connecticut Department of Correction; Connecticut State Parole; and the Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden and East Haven Police Departments. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Nathaniel J. Gentile through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Jamestown woman sentenced for her role in drug conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stacey Beardsley aka Stacey J. Peterson, 38, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of misprision of felony, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation and 50 hours community service by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between late 2018, and March 2020, Beardsley’s husband, Rocco Beardsley, was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Rocco Beardsley purchased and distributed large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances in the Jamestown area. Stacey Beardsley knew of these drug trafficking activities, financially benefited from his activities, and actively concealed and assisted in his drug trafficking activities. Following an arrest in May 2019, Rocco Beardsley called Stacey Beardsley from jail and asked her to go to Erie, PA, to get his “stuff.” She failed to notify any authority about the request, and instead drove to Erie, PA, as requested to pick up Rocco Beardsley’s stuff, including drugs. On her way back to Jamestown, Stacey Beardsley was stopped by law enforcement and a search of her vehicle recovered quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In January 2020, two controlled purchases of drugs from Rocco Beardsley took place at the residence he shared with Stacey Beardsley, who failed to notify any authority of the federal felony conduct. Rocco Beardsley was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Canadian man extradited from Spain on international money laundering charges

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Houssam El-Atat, 44, of Montreal, Canada, was extradited from Spain and made an initial appearance today on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to engage in international money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in February 2021, an individual in Buffalo, NY, (Victim 1) and a marine sales company (Vendor 1) engaged in email communication regarding the purchase of a boat. These communications included specifications, pricing, and payment. In March 2021, Victim 1 received an email from the person he believed to be Vendor 1 with wiring instructions for payment. Victim 1 arranged for the full amount ($295,373.75) to be wired to Vendor 1’s company through a Bank of America account. Victim 1 subsequently learned that Vendor 1 had not received the $295,373.75 and that the wiring instructions provided to him for payment were fraudulent. After reviewing the email correspondence between himself and Vendor 1, Victim 1 realized his email account had been compromised. Subsequent investigation by the FBI determined that the Bank of America account where $295,373.75 was deposited was owned by an individual named A.Z., who was unaware that the funds he received from Victim 1 were the result of fraudulent activity. A.Z. stated to the FBI that he received the funds from an individual who claimed that he owed A.Z.’s recently deceased father $100,000 and was resolving the debt. Then, at the request of the individual, A.Z. sent $180,200.00 of the funds to an account at La Caisse Centrale Desjardins Bank in Canada. Bank records indicate that the funds were then rapidly disbursed to a number of apparent shell companies before being distributed to El-Atat. El-Atat made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing on September 13, 2024. Today’s initial appearance follows the successful extradition of El-Atat from Spain. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Spanish authorities to secure his arrest and extradition. The complaint is the result of of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Additional assistance was provided by the Sûreté du Québec Provincial Police. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Middleton Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison After Causing A Death

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BOISE – Nathaniel Erik Walsh, 29, of Middleton, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of an individual, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, Walsh distributed six fentanyl pills to an individual on April 29, 2023. Walsh drove from Caldwell to Boise to provide the fentanyl pills to the victim, placing them in her mailbox. The victim smoked the pills and died of a fentanyl overdose. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford, also ordered Walsh to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and required Walsh to pay for the victim’s funeral expenses. Walsh pleaded guilty to the offense on July 12, 2024. “We mourn the loss of life in this case. Everyone should know that a single use of fentanyl can be fatal,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “And anyone dealing or using fentanyl should know that if you sell or share even a small amount of fentanyl to another person, you are risking that person’s life and setting yourself up for a lengthy prison sentence.” “Fentanyl distributors like Mr. Walsh peddle a deadly substance to vulnerable people for their own gain,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentence in this case provides a small measure of justice for the pain Mr. Walsh caused and shows the resolve of the DEA and the Boise Police to hold drug traffickers accountable for their crimes.” U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the Boise Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their investigation in the case, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian S. Nafzger prosecuted the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Sentence for Dulce Man Convicted of Sexual Abuse

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man was sentenced to two years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on July 2, 2022, Amadius Archuleta , then 21-years-old, had sex with 14-year-old Jane Doe in an abandoned house on the Taos Pueblo. The investigation determined that Archuleta communicated with Jane Doe on Instagram, arranged to meet with her, provided her with alcohol and marijuana, and then had sex with her. Law enforcement determined that Archuleta knew about the age gap between himself and Jane Doe when he was communicating with her and before engaging in sexual acts with her. After lengthy plea negotiations, Archuleta pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Archuleta must register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Flores and Zachary Jones prosecuted this case 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 Justice.gov/PSC. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing in Tohatchi Assault Case

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 14 days in prison and three years of supervised release for a violent family dispute that escalated into a near-fatal stabbing. According to court records, on the morning of December 9, 2022, Eric Watson , 23, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, confronted a family member outside of a residence in Tohatchi, New Mexico. The confrontation escalated to a physical altercation and Watson ’s uncle, John Doe, stepped in to stop the fight. Watson and John Doe began to fight instead, and John Doe’s parents stepped in to stop that fight. John Doe then went inside of the residence to Watson ’s bedroom with the intent of destroying Watson ’s video game console. Watson then came up behind John Doe and repeatedly stabbed him in the back. John Doe suffered various injuries from the stabbing including a collapsed lung, other stab wounds to the upper back and neck area, and one stab wound inches away from his spinal cord. Watson will be subject to 3 years of supervised release with special conditions requiring his residence at a residential reentry facility for up to 180 days, treatment for substance abuse and mental health, and 40 hours of community service. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Navajo Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco prosecuted the case. # # #