title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Paducah Woman for Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah returned an indictment on December 12, 2023, charging a Paducah woman with six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Sheriff Ryan Norman of the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement. According to the indictment, from September 2019 to February 2023, Nichole M. Lawrence, 34, used her position as office manager to unlawfully obtain funds and services totaling over $400,000 from her employer in McCracken County, Kentucky. By accessing the company’s bank account, Lawrence scheduled electronic payments for her personal expenses that had been charged to various accounts and charge cards. She also used a stamp with the signature of the company’s general manager to issue unauthorized company checks to herself. The defendant made her initial court appearance yesterday, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Lawrence faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud followed by a mandatory 24 months in prison for identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI and the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is 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: Middletown man pleads guilty to possessing firearm as part of drug trafficking

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – Christopher Lawrence Spicer, 23, of Middletown, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Spicer led local officers on a high-speed chase in spring 2023 before being arrested. According to court documents, on March 16, 2023, Spicer was approached by law enforcement while driving a stolen Ford F-150 in a Middletown business parking lot. Spicer backed into a police cruiser and fled throughout Middletown at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour. While fleeing, Spicer ran a red light at the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Jackson Lane. Spicer collided with another vehicle, rendering his own vehicle disabled. He was arrested at that time. When officer’s searched Spicer’s truck, they discovered a loaded Romarm/Cugir Micro Draco 7.62x39mm pistol and more than 200 fentanyl pills. The parties involved in Spicer’s case have recommended a sentence of 60 months in prison. The Court will consider that recommendation at a future sentencing hearing. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Middletown Police Chief David Birk announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Wildwood Man Arrested For Possession Of A Firearm By A Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of James Wendell Jackson (31, Wildwood) on an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. If convicted, Jackson faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury indicted Jackson on November 28, 2023. According to the court records, Jackson has been convicted of seven felonies, including selling cocaine within 1000 feet of a daycare. On January 12, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant on a Hernando County residence and found a loaded American Tactical Imports firearm locked in a safe. A subsequent forensic analysis revealed Jackson’s palmprint on the firearm. As a convicted felon, Jackson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. A federal indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wildwood Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk. 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: Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Convicted Sex Offender with Failing to Update Sex Offender Registration

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment on November 15, 2023, charging a local man with failure to update his Sex Offender Registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and United States Marshal Gary B. Burman of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement. According to the indictment, sometime before October 13, 2023, Kelly Lamont Mason, 52 of Bowling Green, Kentucky, failed to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Mason was required to register by reason of a conviction under state law and knowingly failed to update a registration as required by the Act. The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday. If convicted, Mason faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The case is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Franklin Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for 3-D Printing and Trafficking Firearms and Glock Switches

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

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Alexander Clark, 28, of Franklin, Indiana, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act, possession of an unregistered firearm, and possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began to investigate Alexander Clark based on occasions in which he sold privately made firearms. Over a one-month period, Clark was observed selling five Glock style pistols that were made with use of a 3-D printer for the frames, a 3-D printed AR-15 rifle lower receiver, and two machinegun conversion devices. Machinegun conversion devices, sometimes called “Glock switches” or “auto-sears” are devices that convert ordinary semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns. Machinegun conversion devices are themselves considered machineguns under federal law, even when not installed, and are illegal to possess or sell in almost all cases. On August 22., 2022, ATF agents searched Clark’s home and located multiple firearms, machineguns, silencers, firearm accessories, and a 3-D printer with other electronic devices in aid of 3-D printing. In total, Clark possessed seven machineguns, 27 machinegun conversion devices and seven silencers, none of which were legally registered. “Machinegun conversion devices are an urgent public safety challenge—an ordinary pistol equipped with a conversion device and an extended magazine can fire 31 rounds in just two seconds,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Criminals like this defendant exploit modern technology to illegally manufacture deadly weapons and illegally arm others, including felons and juveniles. The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that our office is committed to making our communities safer by getting these devices off our streets and holding illegal gun traffickers accountable.” “Machine gun conversion devices, which convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons, are one of the most serious challenges facing ATF and our law enforcement partners at the moment,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “These conversion devices increase the lethality of a firearm, while also reducing the ability of the person firing the weapon to control where they shoot. This combination is deadly and random and represents a clear threat to our community. We will work with our partners to remove these devices, and those who are manufacturing and selling them, from our streets.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Chief Judge Pratt also ordered that Clark be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson W. McGrath, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Erie Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months in prison on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Marcus Dwayne Thompson, 37, of Erie, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, on or about December 11, 2019, Thompson distributed more than fifty grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Thompson.


title: Owensboro Felon Sentenced to Over 9 Years in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

body_text: Owensboro, KY – An Owensboro man was sentenced yesterday to 9 years and 10 months in federal prison for the illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Art Ealum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Skylar Chase Riney, 37, was sentenced to 9 years and 10 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On February 18, 2022, in Daviess County, Kentucky, Riney possessed three firearms, an Armscor, model 206, .38 caliber handgun, a Smith and Wesson, model M&P 9 M2.0, and a Kimber, model K6S Combat, .357 caliber revolver. Riney was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On June 3, 2019, in Daviess Circuit Court, Riney was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, first offense, Lortab, possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, first offense, methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia while in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On June 3, 2019, in Daviess Circuit Court, Riney was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree, first offense, less than or equal to 2 grams methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, first offense, opiates. On August 9, 2017, in Daviess Circuit Court, Riney was convicted of burglary in the third degree, possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, methamphetamine, and theft by unlawful taking or disposition, $500 but less than $10,000. On April 20, 2016, in Daviess Circuit Court, Riney was convicted of theft by unlawful taking of property valued at $500 but less than $10,000 (shoplifting). On July 1, 2010, in Daviess Circuit Court, Riney was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On December 19, 2005, in Ohio Circuit Court, Riney was convicted of theft by unlawful taking or disposition. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the Owensboro Police Department and FBI Owensboro, with assistance from the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl 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: D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Corporations By  Using Their UPS Accounts to Create and Sell Shipping Labels

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Raekwon Malik Harrod, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to fraudulently using the UPS accounts of two American companies to create shipping labels, which he and another conspirator sold online. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. Harrod pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, which has a statutory maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. As part of his plea agreement, Harrod must pay restitution to the two companies. He also will be liable for a forfeiture money judgment for proceeds he received as a result of the scheme. U.S. District Court Judge Ana C. Reyes, who accepted Harrod’s guilty plea in the District of Columbia, scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2024. In his plea agreement, Harrod admitted that no later than 2020, a California co-conspirator gained access to one company’s UPS account and provided Harrod with the account’s log-in credentials. Harrod provided the credentials to a Maryland co-conspirator. Initially, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator, who both re-sold shoes online, used the account to create UPS shipping labels to mail the shoes that they sold, which reduced their shipping costs to zero. The California co-conspirator intended that they use the account in this manner. However, in late 2020, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator decided to use the account to sell UPS shipping labels to third parties. They advertised the service online and each created thousands of UPS labels using the compromised account. Harrod acknowledged that the fraudulent use of the company’s account caused the company to lose more than $900,000. In late July 2021, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator lost access to the account, prompting them to tell the California co-conspirator that they had been selling labels using the account. The California co-conspirator requested that they pay him $120,000, which Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator understood would be used to compensate the person who gave the California man access to the account. Thus, in August 2021, Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator withdrew nearly $70,000 in cash and flew with the money to Los Angeles, where they gave the proceeds to the California co-conspirator. When they were in California, they withdrew another $50,000 in cash and provided it to the California co-conspirator as well. Eventually, the California co-conspirator secured access to a second American company’s UPS account, which he provided to Harrod and the Maryland co-conspirator. The two men then resumed selling UPS shipping labels online, this time with direct involvement and knowledge of the California co-conspirator. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with the assistance of paralegal specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi. Former paralegal specialist Michon Tart and former Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar also assisted with the investigation. ##


title: Florida Man Charged with Passport Card Fraud, Bank Fraud, Identity Theft

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 4, 2024, the federal grand jury returned a thirteen-count indictment against Scott Jamie Ashness, 43, most recently of Stuart, Florida. Ashness was charged with ten counts of bank fraud, two counts of passport fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Previously, on December 1, 2023, Ashness was charged by criminal complaint. Ashness is currently in state custody in the state of New Hampshire. The government has applied for a writ to bring Ashness into federal custody for prosecution. According to court records, Ashness committed these offenses at various banks in Vermont on September 19 and 26, 2023. As detailed in the criminal complaint affidavit, the government alleges that Ashness visited six different bank branches throughout Vermont on September 19, and another four Vermont bank branches on September 26. At each bank, Ashness obtained or attempted to obtain cash withdrawals from other people’s accounts by purporting to be those people. In some instances, Ashness presented falsified U.S. passport cards containing others’ biographical information and Ashness’ photograph. If convicted, Ashness faces a maximum sentence of 30 years of imprisonment on the bank fraud counts, a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment on the passport fraud counts, and a two-year mandatory minimum prison sentence. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the United States Code. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty. U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Diplomatic Security Service’s St. Albans Resident Office. He also thanked the Derry, New Hampshire Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the South Burlington Police Department, the Essex Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Newport Police Department, and the Barre Police Department for their assistance in the investigation. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Counsel information for Ashness is not yet available. The Diplomatic Security Service and the United States Attorney’s Office encourage any financial institution or individual who believes they may have been a victim of similar offenses, particularly involving falsified U.S. passport cards, to contact the St. Albans Resident Office of the Diplomatic Security Service at DSSVermontInvestigations@state.gov . Correction: The press release was edited to reflect the correct spelling of the defendant's hometown.


title: Albany Man Admits Stealing Nearly $1 Million in Federal Funds

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Asjid Parvez, age 37, of Albany, pled guilty today to stealing nearly $1 million in federal funds from a program that helped struggling farmers pay off their loans. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act authorized the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to financially assist certain distressed borrowers who had fallen behind on repaying their federally guaranteed farm loans . Parvez was one such borrower, having defaulted on a loan that he had used to purchase a Maryland chicken farm in 2014. In pleading guilty, Parvez admitted that in May 2023, the FSA sent him a United States Treasury check in the amount of $972,564.61. Parvez knew that he needed to use these funds to pay off the federally guaranteed farm loan on which he had defaulted. But instead, he stole the money, and used the funds to pay personal expenses and to fund real estate investments. Parvez stole the money by opening a bank account in the name of his lender, Horizon Farm Credit; depositing the Treasury check – which was jointly payable to the defendant and the lender – into that account; and then quickly transferring the Treasury funds to other accounts that he controlled. Parvez pled guilty to one count of theft of government property. He faces up to 10 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, when United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci sentences him on May 2, 2024. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Parvez has also agreed to pay $972,564.61 in restitution to the FSA. Additionally, the FBI has already seized $516,974.54 traceable to the federal funds that Parvez stole, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Asset Recovery Unit has filed a civil action seeking the forfeiture of a residential property in Albany that was purchased using approximately $202,675 in stolen funds. The FBI investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Conger is representing the United States in the asset forfeiture action.


title: Snohomish County man who aimed laser at two small planes sentenced to prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 41-year-old Snohomish County resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to eight months in prison for two counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Christopher W. Harris has been in custody since his bond was revoked in August 2023. Harris was indicted in February 2023 for the laser crimes reported on November 20, 2022. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones said the conduct that temporarily damaged the pilot’s vision “was very dangerous, life-threatening, and done without regard for the victims.” “Shining a laser at aircraft is dangerous for the pilot, those on board, and even those on the ground if the pilot cannot see to safely land,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Because of that danger, congress made such conduct a specific federal crime. It is fortunate both planes were able to safely land.” According to records filed in the case, at about 5:00 PM on November 20,2022, Harris points a blue laser pointer at the cockpit of a two-person personal aircraft. The plane was on a track to land at Arlington Airport. The pilot’s eyes were damaged by the laser beam, and he was unable to see his instrument panel. He was able to switch to the backlight on the instrument screen which allowed him to safely land the aircraft. The pilot needed medical treatment for his eye injury. Speaking in court today, pilot Jonathon Fay said once his vision was damaged by the laser, “I had to figure out how to land the plane… If I had been flying an older aircraft without the instrument visual aids, I likely would not have survived…By the grace of God, I have no permanent vision loss.” Just two and a half hours later, Harris pointed the laser pointer at a four-seat aircraft being flown by a student pilot. The flight instructor on the plane was able to get pictures showing the origin of the laser light and also photographed how it obscured the sight of the pilot. Based on the video from the second plane and the flight plan of the first plane, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Arlington Police were able to identify the origin of the laser light as a storage facility in Marysville, Washington. The storage facility is about 1.5 miles from the Arlington Airport. Using entry logs and video surveillance from the storage facility law enforcement identified Harris as the person using the laser pointer on the planes. He was arrested by law enforcement at the storage facility on December 9, 2022. In asking the judge to sentence Harris to a year and a day in prison, Assistant United States Attorney Jocelyn Cooney wrote to the court, “Mr. Harris’s behavior in this case is particularly concerning. This was not one poor decision by Mr. Harris. The two incidents are separated by approximately two-and-a-half hours. Mr. Harris left the storage facility after lasering the first plane before returning to laser the second plane. Both times, Mr. Harris’s actions were deliberate. He pointed the laser for approximately twelve (12) to thirteen (13) seconds—a considerable time—and tracked the plane’s cockpit as it moved across the sky. The fact that Mr. Harris chose to go back and engaged in the same dangerous behavior demonstrates that this was not a one-off occurrence of illegal behavior.” Judge Jones sentenced Harris to three years of supervised release to follow the prison term, with intensive addiction and mental health treatment. Referencing the pilot in court Judge Jones said, “In this case, you almost killed this man… He has a family and people who depend on him. He could have wound up in a fatal crash… There must be consequences for what you did.” The case was investigated by the Arlington Police Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jocelyn Cooney.


title: Youngsville Man Charged with Possession of Materials Involving  Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the indictment of COY DAVID MILLER (“MILLER”) , age 48, of Youngsville, La. on for the Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). The Government unsealed MILLER’s indictment on January 3, 2024. If convicted, MILLER faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or up to a fine of $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. In addition, MILLER faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, after his release from prison. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to the indictment, beginning at an unknown time and until October 17, 2023, MILLER was found in possession of images and videos of pre-pubescent child pornography. On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, MILLER was arrested at his home in Youngsville by Special Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: South Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in a Conspiracy to Distribute Protonitazene from China

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Today, a south Florida defendant pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a synthetic opioid, protonitazene. Will Catis, Sr. (Catis), 42, of Deerfield Beach, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal. According to the agreed upon factual proffer, on April 12, 2022, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator issued a temporary order to schedule seven synthetic benzimidazole-opioid substances, including protonitazene, in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Protonitazene is a synthetic opioid that is equally as potent, if not more potent, than fentanyl. As part of an investigation into Chinese chemical companies that were sending synthetic opioids, such as protonitazene, to the U.S. and Mexico, several U.S. based drug traffickers were identified. One of those individuals was Catis. Catis was obtaining protonitazene and metonitazene from Jiangsu Bangdeya New Material Technology Co. LTD. (“Bangdeya”). On October 22, 2022, Postal Inspectors seized a parcel addressed to “Will Catis.” This parcel was sent from Bangdeya. On October 28, 2022, a search warrant was obtained for the parcel. The search revealed a plastic bag of yellowish powder determined to be 172.3 grams of protonitazene. On December 27, 2022, a search warrant was obtained for the Catis’ electronic media which was found to contain videos reflecting a kilogram press, firearms, and large sums of U.S. currency. Additionally, there were screenshots and photos reflecting Catis’ drug trafficking, including chats with Chinese chemical company sales representatives, bags filled with a powdery substance that were similar to the seized protonitazene, and screenshots of advertisements from Chinese chemical companies selling protonitazene. After Catis’ arrest and pursuant to searches of his residence and storage unit, the following substances were discovered(1) 258.7 grams of a mixture of bromazolam, protonitazene, metonitazene, and fentanyl; (2) 1060.1 grams of a mixture of metonitazene, protonitazene, fentanyl, and lidocaine; (3) 4654 grams of a mixture of n-propylbutylone, eutylone, fentanyl, heroin, metonitazene, protonitazene, p-fluorofentanyl, lidocaine, quinine, and caffeine; (3) 726.5 grams of 3,4-Methylenedioxy-α-cyclohexylaminopropiophenone; (4) 3.45 grams of protonitazene; (5) 28.77 grams of a mixture of protonitazene and cocaine; (6) 361.9 grams of a mixture N-Ethylpentylone, eutylone, metonitazene, protonitazene, fentanyl, heroin, α-Pyrrolidino-2-phenylacetophenone, p-Fluorofentanyl, quinine, lidocaine, and caffeine; (7) 1389.6 grams of a mixture of N-Ethylpentylone, metonitazene, eutylone, heroin, α-Pyrrolidino-2-phenylacetophenone, ANPP, quinine, caffeine, and lidocaine; (8) 571.6 grams of protonitazene; (9) 27.8 grams of metonitazene; (10) 28 grams of protonitazene; (11) 448.4 grams of bromazolam; and (12) 176 grams of a mixture of N-Propylbutylone, eutylone, metonitazene, fentanyl, protonitazene, bromazolam, heroin, lidocaine, quinine, and caffeine. Catis’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 11, 2024, at noon. He faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Miami Field Office. DEA Miami Field Division Counternarcotic Cyber Investigations Task Force, HSI Miami, USPIS-Miami, and IRS-CI Miami, Miami Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero for the Southern District of Florida is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michell Hyman for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The indictment is a result of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. OCDETF synchronizes and incentivizes prosecutors and agents to lead smart, creative investigations targeting the command-and-control networks of organized criminal groups and the illicit financiers that support them. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. Members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force carried out this case and prosecution. HIDTA was established in 1990. This program, which is made up of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, fosters intra-agency cooperation among law enforcement agencies in South Florida and involves them in developing a strategy to target the region's drug-related and violent crime threats to public safety, as with the opioid epidemic, fentanyl, and the cocaine threat to our nation. The South Florida HIDTA uses the funding provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, out of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, that sponsors a variety of law enforcement initiatives that target the region's illicit drug and violent crime threats to our community. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-CR-60116-Singhal. ###


title: Greenville Woman Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Sex Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brittany Danielle Cromer, 34, of Greenville, has pleaded guilty to Human Trafficking Conspiracy in federal court in Columbia. According to evidence presented in court, from at least March through Nov. 2022, Cromer worked together with co-defendant Eric Rashun Jones, 31, of Newberry, to exploit women in the commercial sex trade by force, fraud, and coercion. Jones was convicted of Human Trafficking Conspiracy, Witness Tampering, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in June 2023 and is awaiting sentencing. Jones led the conspiracy by recruiting vulnerable victims, including victims of domestic violence and those who were dependent on drugs. He prostituted victims for his financial gain, confiscating between 60% and 100% of the proceeds. He did so by physical violence: Jones broke one victim’s orbital socket and burst her ear drum; he hit another victim regularly with a closed fist. Videos recovered by the FBI showed Jones directing the physical assault of women who worked for him. He did so by sexual violence, including by forcing women into sex acts. He did so by fraud related to the promised division of proceeds. And he did so by coercion, including by manipulating victims’ drug addictions and withdrawal symptoms. Cromer knew that Jones was a fugitive, that he was the member of a documented street gang, that he had no legitimate job, that he prostituted women, and that he confiscated their proceeds. She also knew that he used physical violence, including by assaulting women if they did not work, by directing victims to assault other victims, and by assaulting one victim for not working in commercial sex after having a child. She also knew victims felt like they had no option but to stay with Jones. She knew how photographs were taken and advertisements were posted, how money was transferred from customers to the conspiracy, how proceeds were divided, and how the conspiracy responded to customers. Cromer facilitated the conspiracy and helped Jones, including by setting up a CashApp account used to confiscate proceeds and registering it to her personal e-mail address and phone number. She monitored victims, particularly while Jones was in custody, and the conspiracy continued to exploit victims. Recorded jail calls show she coordinated with victims and Jones as for when victims would work for the conspiracy. Victims told the FBI that they were afraid of Cromer and that Jones used Cromer to monitor their activity and report back to Jones what she saw. “This case demonstrates the power that traffickers have over their victims’ lives, controlling their communication, money and freedom,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Our office will continue to prosecute trafficking in all its forms and support survivors in their healing journey. We look forward to a just sentence for Cromer and Jones.” Cromer faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and lifetime supervision to follow a term of imprisonment. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Cromer agreed to pay victims restitution. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Cromer after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Greenville Police Department, Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Woodville Woman Ordered to Repay $103,596.91 after Committing Yearslong Fraud to Obtain Benefits

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Woodville woman was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor for Social Security fraud, health care fraud, and theft of public money. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker ordered Rella Austin-Kimball , 51, to pay $103,596.91 in restitution, consisting of $78,858.25 to the Social Security Administration (SSA), and $4,550.66 for the MaineCare program and $20,188 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administered by the Maine Department of Health & Human Services (ME/DHHS). Austin-Kimball was also sentenced to serve three years of probation. She pleaded guilty on May 26, 2023. According to court records, from about January 2005 through March 2021, Austin-Kimball lied to the SSA about her husband’s presence in her household and failed to report her receipt of alimony payments following divorce to fraudulently appear eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Austin-Kimball also concealed her husband’s presence from ME/DHHS from about January 2005 to July 2017, during which time she received MaineCare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. By lying about her husband’s presence, Austin-Kimball was also able to fraudulently receive SSI, MaineCare, and SNAP benefits for a then-minor child. In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Austin-Kimball falsely represented to the SSA and ME/DHHS that she and her husband had separated in January 2005 and had lived separately since that time. Following her divorce, she failed to disclose her receipt of alimony payments during eligibility reviews. She failed to disclose these events despite knowing that she was required to and that they would affect her eligibility to receive benefits for herself and on behalf of her child. SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and ME/DHHS’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit investigated the case. ###


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Federal Prison for $2.9 Million Covid-Relief Fraud

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge has sentenced a Chicago man to five and a half years in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $2.9 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. From April to November of 2020, QUAMDEEN AMUWO, 41, participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The EIDL program was intended to provide loan assistance and grants to cover working capital and other operating expenses for legitimate businesses suffering the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Amuwo submitted to the SBA numerous applications for loans on behalf of businesses that he and others purportedly owned. The applications contained false statements and misrepresentations concerning the purported entities’ owners, employees, revenues, costs, and dates of establishment. In support of his applications, Amuwo provided false business registration forms and bogus personal identifying information of the purported owners. Amuwo led and organized a sophisticated fraud scheme that caused the SBA to disburse at least $2.9 million in EIDL loans and grants into bank accounts that he and others controlled. He used the money to make cash withdrawals, transfers, and purchases for his personal benefit. A federal jury in June convicted Amuwo on all twelve wire fraud counts against him. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang on Wednesday ordered Amuwo to pay more than $2.9 million in restitution. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial assistance was provided by the SBA’s Office of Inspector General. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heidi Manschreck and Matthew Moyer. Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721, or by filing a complaint online at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Former Metropolitan Correctional Center Inmates Found Guilty At Trial For Bribery And Prison Contraband Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY ELLISON and STARLIN NUNEZ, two former inmates of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), a federal jail, were found guilty today in Manhattan federal court for perpetrating wide-ranging bribery and prison contraband conspiracies with other inmates and MCC employees at the jail. Six additional former MCC inmates and three former MCC employees previously pled guilty in this case. NUNEZ will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr., on June 6, 2024, and ELLISON will be sentenced by Judge Carter on July 9, 2024. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Our federal detention centers are entrusted to provide care, custody, and order over inmates. Anthony Ellison, Starlin Nunez, and their co-conspirators undermined the MCC’s mission through wide-ranging schemes of bribery and distribution of dangerous contraband, including drugs and cellphones. Today’s unanimous verdict convicting Ellison and Nunez, and the convictions of their co-conspirators through guilty pleas, demonstrates that correctional officers and inmates who corrupt our detention centers will be held accountable.” According to the Indictment, public court filings and proceedings, and the evidence presented at trial: NUNEZ, a/k/a “Chino,” and ELLISON, a/k/a/ “Harv,” were both inmates at the MCC and perpetrated with other inmates and MCC guards an extensive bribery and contraband distribution scheme within the jail between approximately 2018 and 2021. During the course of the conspiracy, between approximately 2019 and 2020, at least 10 MCC inmates, including NUNEZ and ELLISON, paid nearly $80,000 in bribes to Perry Joyner, a corrupt MCC correctional officer. The inmates paid the bribes through friends and relatives outside the jail, who used money transfer applications such as CashApp to transfer money to associates of Joyner. The associates then provided the bribes to Joyner himself. In exchange for those bribes, Joyner smuggled large amounts of contraband into the MCC. That contraband included drugs (such as oxycodone, alprazolam, Suboxone, marijuana, and synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “K2”), dozens of cellphones, and cartons of cigarettes, among other contraband. MCC inmates, including NUNEZ and ELLISON, then sold much of that contraband to other inmates at a profit as part of a widespread illicit market within the MCC. For example, ELLISON charged other inmates as much as $100 for a single cigarette and as much as $5,000 for a used iPhone. In approximately early 2020, Joyner left the MCC, and the jail initiated a series of lockdowns, first to search for contraband and then in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of those lockdowns and Joyner’s departure, the contraband market in the MCC dried up until ELLISON found a new source of contraband. In particular, between approximately 2020 and 2021, ELLISON conspired and had a sexual relationship with another corrupt MCC employee, Sharon Griffith-McKnight, who provided contraband to ELLISON, most of which he then re-sold to other inmates. * * * ELLISON, 36, from Brooklyn, New York, was convicted of one count of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiring to possess and provide prison contraband, including marijuana and other controlled substances, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. NUNEZ, 47, originally from the Dominican Republic, was convicted of one count of conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiring to possess and provide prison contraband, including cellphones, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants would be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General, the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in New York. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aline R. Flodr, Jessica Greenwood, Jonathan E. Rebold, and Daniel H. Wolf are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Rachel Wechsler, Christopher de Grandpre, Andrea Gieseman, and Connor Hamill.


title: Billings man admits making threats to kill Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man admitted today to threatening to kill Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester in voicemail messages, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Anthony James Cross, 30, pleaded guilty to threats to injure and murder a United States Senator. Cross faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for May 1. Cross was detained pending further proceedings. Under the terms of a plea agreement in the case, if the court accepts the agreement at sentencing, the government will seek to dismiss count two of the indictment, which charges Cross with threats against the president. The government alleged in court documents that on April 17, 2023, at 5:34 a.m. and 5:37 a.m., two voicemails were left at Sen. Jon Tester’s Billings, Montana and Washington, D.C. offices. In the first voicemail, the caller stated that “Jon Tester…is gonna die a horrible death and so is your family…you’re not gonna do anything about this.” In the second voicemail, the caller stated, “I swear to God, you and your family will suffer such a horrendous death. And its not going to be by some white boy, no its gonna be by some Indian like me…I’m gonna kill every single one of your (obscenity) family members.” Law enforcement determined that the phone number associated with the calls was attributed to Cross. The government further alleged that on April 25, 2023, Google contacted the FBI regarding multiple comments made to YouTube videos flagged as threatening. The comments were attributed to Cross’s YouTube account. Some of the comments made in April 2023 included: “I’m going to kill every trans I see.” “We are actively hunting down and killing any trans in our major cities. You won’t hear about it until trump overcomes his ‘indictment’ and Biden loses the ‘re-election.’” “I will personally kill Joe Biden.” During an interview with law enforcement, Cross admitted to making the comments posted on YouTube and to using his cellular phone to make the comments. The FBI and United States Secret Service conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Long Island Construction Company Pleads Guilty to Worker Safety Violation Causing Death of an Employee

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Northridge Construction Corporation pleaded guilty to criminal charges today in federal court in Central Islip, New York. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 3. The three-count information alleges that, in 2018, during the construction of a shed on Northridge’s property in East Patchogue, New York, one of its employees fell from an improperly secured roof and died. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the employee’s death. Among other worker safety standards, OSHA regulations require always maintaining the stability of a metal structure during construction. Northridge pleaded guilty to violating this worker safety standard which caused the death of one of its employees and to making two false statements that obstructed the federal agency’s inquiry into the employee’s death. The maximum penalty for each of the criminal offenses is five years’ probation and a $500,000 fine, or twice the economic gain to the defendant or loss suffered by the victim because of the crime. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) made the announcement. Senior Trial Attorneys Daniel Dooher and Richard J. Powers and Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Home Healthcare Company Agrees to Pay Nearly $10 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Its Participation in the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program

component: Civil Division

body_text: Atlantic Home Health Care LLC (AHH), a home health care agency operating in Arizona and eight other states, has agreed to pay $9,990,944 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP or the Energy Program), a healthcare program administered by the Department of Labor (DOL) for the benefit of Department of Energy employees and contractors with occupational illnesses. The settlement is based on AHH’s financial condition. The United States alleged that, between 2017 and 2021, AHH falsely billed the Energy Program for in-home nursing and personal care when its employees were not physically present in patients’ homes. The government also alleged that AHH paid kickbacks, in the form of cash payments up to $5,000 for patient referrals via its “friends and family program” and in-kind payments for food, internet, travel and other expenses made to patients and their families. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits parties who participate in federal healthcare programs, such as the Energy Program, from knowingly and willfully paying or receiving any remuneration in return for referring an individual to, or arranging for the furnishing of, any item or services for which payment is made by, the federal healthcare programs. Prior to the United States’ disclosure to AHH of its investigation, AHH made a voluntary disclosure to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) concerning the company’s “friends and family” program and in-kind remuneration to patients and their families. In the settlement agreement, the United States acknowledged AHH’s cooperation in this regard. “The department is committed to protecting the integrity of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, a vitally important program that addresses the medical needs of vulnerable individuals who sustained injuries or illnesses while performing their official duties for the Department of Energy,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are dedicated to ensuring that program beneficiaries receive proper care and that taxpayer dollars are protected from waste, fraud and abuse.” “Quality care is critical to beneficiaries participating in the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “The payment of cash kickbacks to induce referrals has no place in our healthcare system. False Claims Act enforcement protects the integrity of federal healthcare programs.” “The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), which oversees the Energy Program within the Department of Labor, wishes to thank all involved in attaining this settlement,” said OWCP Director Christopher J. Godfrey. “With our committed partners at the Justice Department and within DOL’s Office of the Inspector General, we believe that we can continue to hold medical providers accountable for their actions when they take advantage of our claimants and program. That accountability will reduce future fraud, waste and abuse by other providers.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Tonya Cass, who was formerly employed as the Corporate Administrator and Director of Human Resource Administration and Management by AHH and its predecessor, Victory Medical Solutions, from September 2017 through January 2020. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Cass v. Atlantic Home Health Care LLC, et al., No. CV-20-00202-TUC-AMM (D. Az.). As a part of the resolution with AHH, Cass will receive approximately $1.7 million. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Allie Pang of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Nelson for the District of Arizona, with the assistance of U.S. Attorney’s Office Auditor Connie Mudd, Civil Division Auditor John Ounsted and Financial Analyst Sheryl Paynter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only\, and there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Kissimmee Real Estate Broker Pleads Guilty To Committing Bank Fraud

body_text: Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Maria Del Carmen Montes (46, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to three counts of bank fraud. Each bank fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. Montes was indicted, along with coconspirator Carlos Ferrer, on July 20, 2022. According to the plea agreement, Montes, coconspirator Ferrer, and others created and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. Montes assisted clients with purchasing homes and after signing the real estate contract, referred her buyers to a loan officer at a mortgage company. In order to qualify her clients for mortgages loans for which they were unqualified, Montes transferred the personally identifying and financial information of her clients to Ferrer and directed Ferrer to create fictitious paystubs and W-2s showing false earnings and length of employment for her clients knowing that her clients never worked for the companies on the fictitious employment documents. After Ferrer created the documents, Montes submitted the fictitious paystubs and W-2s to the financial institutions who relied on them when making underwriting decisions. This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.


title: Castine Man Who Used Snapchat to Send Obscene Images to 12-Year-Old in Sexual Exploitation Attempt Sentenced to 7 Years

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Castine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for transferring obscene material to a minor, attempting to possess child sexual abuse material, and obstructing a federal investigation. U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Nicholas Wood , 26, to 84 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Wood pleaded guilty on April 24, 2023. According to court records, in late July and early August 2018, Wood used Snapchat to send a series of obscene images of himself to a 12-year-old child. Wood attempted to manipulate the young victim into engaging in sex acts with him and asked her to send him sexually explicit images. After being informed by federal agents that they were investigating the use of his Snapchat account to send obscene images to minors, Wood deleted the application and associated data from his phone to prevent its use in the investigation. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts, an increase of 82% from 2021 to 2022, and more than 31 million reports of child sexual abuse material. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org/ . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Coffee County Man and His Brother Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Carrying Out a Murder-for-Hire Plot

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Today, a federal judge in Montgomery, Alabama, sentenced two men to life in prison for their roles in a murder-for-hire conspiracy that resulted in the November 27, 2017, death of an Enterprise woman, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. There is no parole in the federal system. Last year , a jury found that Jason Starr, 50, from Coffee Springs, Alabama, was upset about the amount of money his ex-wife had been awarded after their divorce and that Jason Starr hired his brother, Darin Starr, 54, a resident of Lakehills, Texas, to kill her. On the Monday following Thanksgiving in 2017, Darin Starr shot and killed his brother’s ex-wife in her driveway as she was leaving for work. On September 20, 2023, a federal jury convicted Jason Starr and Darin Starr for committing their murder-for-hire scheme. In addition to the life sentence, the judge ordered Jason Starr to pay a fine of $25,000.00. “This premeditated murder devastated the victim’s family and the surrounding community,” stated Acting United States Attorney Ross. “Jason and Darin Starr deserve to spend the rest of their lives separated from society for the terrible crime they committed.” “Due to the extraordinary work by the investigative team comprised of the FBI, Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, these two men will be held accountable for their heinous actions,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victim. and our gratitude to our law enforcement partners.” The FBI, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case, with Assistant United States Attorneys B. Chelsea Phillips and Joshua J. Wendell prosecuting.


title: Two Minnesota-Based Executives Plead Guilty to Orchestrating Multimillion Dollar Accounts Receivable Factoring Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST PAUL, Minn. – Two medical services company executives have pleaded guilty to orchestrating an accounts receivable factoring fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Khemwattie Singh, 53, was the chief executive officer of Global Medical Services, a Minnesota-based healthcare solutions company. Neeraj Chepuri, 55, was the chief medical officer of Global Medical Services. Between June and October 2018, Singh, Chepuri, and others entered into factoring contracts with MD Capital Solutions, a Florida-based investment company, to purchase the accounts receivable of Global Medical Services and Minnesota International Medicine for more than $2.6 million. Factoring is a form of short-term financing in which a business sells its accounts receivable to a third-party at a discount. According to court documents and their admissions in court, Singh and Chepuri defrauded MD Capital Solutions by failing to pay over the receivables as they were collected and falsely represented to MD Capital Solutions that no funds had been received. Instead, Singh and Chepuri pocketed the money, wiring more than $5 million overseas. In addition, Singh was responsible for complying with all federal tax laws pertaining to Global Medical Services as the Chief Executive Officer, including the requirement that the business would withhold federal income taxes and Social Security and Medicare (“FICA”) taxes from employees’ pay and report and pay over the withheld amounts to the Internal Revenue Service. Beginning in approximately 2018, Singh willfully failed to file quarterly payroll tax returns or pay over the withheld amounts and the employer’s contribution to FICA. Singh and Chepuri each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on December 29, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz. Singh also pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to account for and pay over payroll taxes for withholding federal taxes from employee payroll and not reporting or paying the withholdings to the IRS. The plea agreements include restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration for a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Loan obtained by the defendants for the company they operated. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for May 7, 2024 (Singh) and May 9, 2024 (Chepuri). This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau, and the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert M. Lewis and Chelsea A. Walcker are prosecuting the case.


title: Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute over 81 Grams of Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Gulfport man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute over 81 grams of fentanyl. According to court documents, on April 21, 2023, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant on the residence of Ashton Craig Cuevas, 19, in Gulfport. The search took place the day after agents conducted a controlled purchase of fentanyl pills from Cuevas. The search of Cueva’s home yielded 81.1 grams of fentanyl, as well as the pre-recorded buy money from the controlled purchase. Cuevas is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of forty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl . U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.


title: Delaware County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register Email Address

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael J. Frascatore, age 59, of Treadwell, New York, pled guilty yesterday to failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender to include an email address he failed to disclose. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement. Frascatore admitted that he was designated as a Level I sex offender in New York after he was convicted in federal court in 2008 for distributing child pornography. Frascatore knew that as a registered sex offender he was required to report, among other things, all email addresses he used. Despite this requirement, he created an email address in April 2019, using his own name and home address, which he maintained for approximately four years without disclosing as required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Frascatore was on supervised release at the time of this offense, and he also did not disclose his email address to U.S. Probation. In addition to pleading guilty to violating SORNA, Frascatore admitted that he violated the terms of his supervised release by using an unauthorized internet-capable phone; maintaining the undisclosed email account; and knowingly communicating with minors online, including by sending explicit photos of himself to minors and requesting nude photos in return. Frascatore will be sentenced for the SORNA offense and for his violations of supervised release on May 2, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. The SORNA offense carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. The supervised release violations carry a maximum term of 2 years in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The United States Marshals Service investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Minnesota man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to 2018, Beau Wesley Gensmer, of Prior Lake, devised a scheme to assist in the preparation of at least 50 false tax returns that claimed fraudulently inflated tax refunds on behalf of unwitting taxpayer clients. In furtherance of his scheme, Gensmer hired a tax return preparer in Anchorage, Alaska, to whom he emailed knowingly false information, including fraudulent business losses and charitable contributions, for each return she prepared. The return preparer relied on the information she received from Gensmer to prepare and electronically file false returns for each of his clients. Gensmer charged his clients a commission of approximately 30% of each fraudulent refund. In total, Gensmer caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $3.5 million. Gensmer is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for wire fraud and three years in prison for assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim for the District of Minnesota will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Ahmed Almudallal and Dominick Giovanniello of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Essex County Man Admits Illegally Possessing Firearm and Cocaine, Heroin, and Fentanyl

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted illegally possessing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine for distribution and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Taurean Gordon, 40, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas in Camden federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Gordon admitted that on Feb. 11, 2021, he possessed heroin, fentanyl and cocaine packaged for distribution with the intent to distribute. Gordon, a previously convicted felon, possessed a North American Arms Inc. revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition. The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Each firearm count carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 8, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited officers of the Newark Police Division under the direction of Director Fritz Fragé and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit and George Barchini of the Narcotics/Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit. gordon.sinformation.pdf


title: Nevada Owner Of Three Mexican Restaurants Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Tax Evasion

body_text: A Nevada man was sentenced yesterday to 37 months in prison for evading his federal income taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, Raul Gil owned and operated three Casa Don Juan restaurants in Las Vegas. From 2014 through 2018, Gil instructed his manager and internal bookkeeper to create false sales numbers for his restaurants that underreported cash sales by approximately $5.1 million. Gil then provided those falsified records to an accountant who unwittingly used them to prepare false business and personal income tax returns for those years. Then, in July 2018, during an IRS audit, Gil directed his accountant to provide the IRS with profit and loss statements that matched the figures reported on the false tax returns. Gil also directed his manager/bookkeeper to create and provide the IRS with false daily cash and sales reports purportedly printed from the restaurants’ point-of-sale systems. During interviews with the IRS, Gil falsely stated to the revenue agent conducting the audit, and later to IRS special agents conducting a criminal investigation, that the falsified daily cash reports and point-of-sale records were accurate. In total, Gil caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $1.6 million. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon for the District of Nevada ordered Gil to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,228,943.65 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 Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Thomas Flynn of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.


title: Mississippi Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison for a Violent Hobbs Act Robbery and Firearms Violations

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mississippi man has been sentenced to 155 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for a violent Hobbs Act robbery and firearms violations, including possessing a stolen firearm and aiding and abetting false statements during the purchase of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Ladarius Jaleel Snipes, 27, and his co-conspirators, Kendarrius Keshaun Willard, 27, and Anna Trameri Novacheck, 28, agreed to illegally acquire firearms through a straw purchasing conspiracy. On November 1, 2021, Snipes, Willard, and Novacheck went to a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) to purchase a firearm. At the direction of and with assistance from Snipes and Willard, Novacheck purchased an Alex Pro model Econo 5.56 caliber semiautomatic pistol. During the purchase, Novacheck signed the ATF Form 4473 stating that she was the actual buyer of the firearm when, in fact, she was buying it for Snipes and Willard. Willard has prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. Snipes was later photographed holding the firearm with an attached large capacity magazine. On January 5, 2022, Snipes burglarized a home in St. Paul. A doorbell camera captured Snipes breaking a window and entering the home. While inside, Snipes stole an Aero Precision model X15 multi-caliber semiautomatic pistol. During the burglary, Snipes used a firearm he acquired in the straw purchasing conspiracy to shoot and kill the homeowner’s golden retriever. On August 7, 2021, Snipes entered a restaurant in Cleveland, Mississippi, armed with a semiautomatic pistol. Snipes showed the firearm and demanded that a store employee give him the money in the cash register. When one of the employees ran to the back of the kitchen, Snipes discharged the firearm to scare the employees. Snipes was charged in the Northern District of Mississippi with Hobbs Act robbery and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. On August 31, 2023, Snipes pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting false statement during the purchase of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, Hobbs Act Robbery, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Snipes was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank. On May 30, 2023, Willard pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting false statement during the purchase of a firearm and was sentenced to 90 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On June 7, 2023, Novacheck pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements during the purchase of a firearm and was sentenced to three years of probation. This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Paul Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Cleveland (Mississippi) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Calhoun-Lopez from the District of Minnesota and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Mims from the Northern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.


title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Zackery Dale Jenkins, 30, of Beckley, was sentenced today to seven years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2023, Jenkins sold a controlled substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant in a Beckley residence. Jenkins admitted to that transaction and to selling controlled substances containing fentanyl to the confidential informant on four other occasions in the Beckley area. On June 1, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jenkins’ residence and seized additional quantities of fentanyl and several firearms. Jenkins admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess 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. 5:23-cr-90. ###


title: Beckley Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mariah Diane Keffer, 25, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 12, 2022, Keffer sold approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at her Robert C. Byrd Drive residence in Beckley. Keffer admitted to this transaction and further admitted to selling a total of approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant for a total of $900 during separate transactions on December 22, 2022, and January 9, 2023. On January 10, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Keffer’s residence. Officers seized 71.5 grams of methamphetamine, 20.5 grams of fentanyl and various amounts of marijuana, oxycodone pills, alprazolam pills, suboxone, diazepam pills and psilocybin mushrooms. Officers also seized a Taurus model G2c 9mm pistol, a Ruger LCP .380-caliber pistol, and $2,011. Keffer admitted that she intended to distribute the seized drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. Keffer is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-116. ###


title: Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Contact of a Minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Phillip Edward Lahi, Sr. pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Lahi Sr., 72, of Zuni, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to his plea, sometime between Nov. 1, 2021, and December 1, 2021, Lahi Sr. engaged in abusive sexual contact with a minor while hugging her. The victim, identified as Jane Doe, who is also a member of Zuni Pueblo, was less than twelve years old at the time. By the terms of the plea agreement, Lahi faces up to 8 years in prison and must register as a sex offender. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ . View the Indictment View the Plea Agreement # # # 24-10


title: Two Washington State Men Caught Selling 80 Pounds of Methamphetamine Face Federal Charges

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—Two suspected drug traffickers from Vancouver, Washington are facing federal charges today after they were caught selling nearly 80 pounds of methamphetamine in a single negotiated transaction. Luis Arnulfo Urioste Bracamontes, 26, and Rafael Avina Torres, 37, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, in December 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained information that Urioste, through his Portland area drug trafficking organization, was involved in and capable of selling large quantities of methamphetamine throughout the region. Soon after, at the direction of HSI and the Westside Interagency Narcotics team (WIN), a purchase of 80 pounds of methamphetamine for $104,000 was arranged with Urioste. On the evening of January 4, 2023, after observing the negotiated sale taking place in a restaurant parking lot, investigators arrested Urioste and his associate, Avina, without incident. Investigators located and seized two cardboard boxes containing nearly 80 pounds of packaged methamphetamine from Urioste and Avina’s vehicle. Later the same evening, a state search warrant was executed on a Vancouver house Urioste and Avina were seen at prior to their arrest. Investigators located and seized several additional pounds of methamphetamine, scales, and a rifle from a bedroom where Avina was believed to reside. Urioste and Avina made their first appearances in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Armistead and were ordered detained pending further court proceedings. This case was investigated by HSI and WIN with assistance from the Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based interagency drug interdiction task force that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and HSI. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Federal jury convicts Mayville man of sex trafficking a minor

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that a federal jury has convicted William A. Quinones, 49, of Mayville, NY, of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and sex trafficking of a minor. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron J. Mango and Franz M. Wright, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in July 2021, the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office received a complaint that Quinones had been sexually abusing two children over the past eight years. A subsequent investigation identified a total of four minor victims. During interviews with investigators, the victims stated that Quinones raped or attempted to rape and sexually abused them. Quinones threatened them with violence or threatened to hurt their families if they disclosed what he was doing. Quinones had regular sexual contact with one minor victim, referred to in the indictment, beginning when she was eight years old, as often as three to four times each week. The minor victim told investigators that Quinones started paying her in exchange for sexual contact, beginning when she was 13 years old until age 16 years old. On one occasion, Quinones took her to Erie, PA, to pick up drugs. Prior to returning home, Quinones stopped at a motel to engage in sexual intercourse. During the course of the sexual abuse, Quinones repeatedly raped and physically abused her. The verdict is a result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. Sentencing is scheduled for June 28, 2024, 9:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. who presided over the trial. # # # #


title: Peoria Felon Sentenced to 57 Months’ Imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Jamarcus J. Hollingsworth, 30, was sentenced today to 57 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, possessing a firearm as a felon. At the sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade, the government established that in May 2023, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives received information that Hollingsworth, a felon, was in possession of firearms and was offering to sell a pistol in Peoria. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of Hollingsworth at a hotel on West War Memorial Drive. During the course of the arrest, agents located a loaded pistol on the driver’s seat of the car Hollingsworth had been driving. Agents then obtained a search warrant for Hollingsworth’s home and, during the search, located an AR-15 rifle loaded with 28 rounds of live ammunition. The serial number on the rifle had been obliterated. At the time of his arrest, Hollingsworth was on parole for a state conviction for aggravated robbery, having previously been sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections. A federal criminal complaint was filed against Hollingsworth in May 2023 and an indictment followed in June 2023. He pleaded guilty in September 2023. The statutory penalties for possessing a firearm as a felon are up to 15 years’ imprisonment and up to three years of supervised release. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Hollingsworth 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: Brothers Charged with Sexual Abuse of a Minor

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Dustin Roy Rockmen and Kenzie Roy Rockmen appeared in federal court on an indictment charging them with coercion and enticement of a minor, transfer of obscene material to a minor, sexual abuse of a minor, and sexual abuse. Dustin Roy Rockmen is also charged with the distribution of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography. Dustin Roy Rockmen, 32, of Navajo, New Mexico, and Kenzie Roy Rockmen, 24, of Hunters Point, Arizona, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing. According to the indictment, between Oct. 16, 2020, and Jan. 10, 2022, Dustin Roy and Kenzie Roy coerced Jane Doe, a minor, into engaging in sexual activity with both men using threats and by placing Jane Doe in fear of her life. Subsequently, Dustin Roy Rockmen transferred and distributed obscene material depicting him engaging in sexual activity with Jane Doe. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Dustin Roy Rockmen and Kenzie Roy Rockman face up to life in prison. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment # # # 24-11


title: Two Indicted for Armed Carjacking in Minneapolis

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man and a Mounds View woman have been indicted for carjacking and firearm violations, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on October 6, 2023, Isis Martinaz Brent, 19, and Carvon Antonio Saine, 18, used violence and intimidation to steal a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu in South Minneapolis. During the carjacking, Brent and Saine used a semiautomatic firearm with the intent to cause bodily harm. The indictment charges Brent and Saine each with one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The defendants made their initial appearances today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Green is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.