title: Chinese National Indicted for Importation of Enough Chemicals to Make Millions of Fatal Doses of Fentanyl

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Chinese national was indicted for his part in a conspiracy involving the importation of what is believed to be the largest amount of fentanyl precursors found in the Southern District of Texas and one of the largest in the country. Minsu Fang, 48, also known as Fernando, was charged in a four-count indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance for purpose of unlawful importation, conspiracy to import a controlled substance, and conspiracy to export a controlled substance. “We charged this defendant for importing enough fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to kill millions of Americans,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, and the Justice Department is committed to breaking apart every link in the global fentanyl supply chain.” “To end the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) starts where the harm begins – with the Chinese chemical companies and the individuals that are selling chemicals to those who make and sell the fentanyl that is killing Americans. This work led DEA to Minsu Fang, who is charged with selling more than 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl precursors. This marks one of DEA’s largest seizures of fentanyl chemicals to date in the United States,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The DEA is laser-focused on saving American lives by disrupting the entire global fentanyl supply chain that is responsible for flooding our communities with fentanyl. By disrupting Fang’s operations, DEA and our partners saved countless lives in the United States.” “My office is focused on disrupting and dismantling the transnational criminal organizations flooding the United States with fentanyl, a drug that is killing our children,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Fang allegedly imported over 2,000 kilograms of raw materials from China destined for various places in Mexico used in the manufacture of fentanyl. This historic seizure represents a multi-agency collaboration that prevented the production of millions upon millions of deadly doses of fentanyl-laced pills.” “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) plays a pivotal role in disrupting the supply of illicit opioids at every point in the drug supply chain: internationally, at our nation’s borders, and in communities throughout the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI San Antonio. “The partnerships in this investigation were key to securing this indictment. The threat imposed by fentanyl dictates that agencies not only deconflict and coordinate, but to also collaborate. This investigation and prosecution are the perfect example of collaboration across agencies and throughout the country.” The now unsealed charges allege Fang and his associates shipped over 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China into the United States and on to Mexico in approximately 100 separate shipments between August and October 2023. Fang and his co-conspirators were able to avoid law enforcement interdiction of the shipments by declaring them to have a de minimis value, less than $800, and commingling the boxes containing the precursor chemicals with similarly low valued import items, according to the charges. As a result, each of the shipments were allegedly admitted into the United States without a detailed inspection of the individual contents. Once in the United States, Fang, through co-conspirators, shipped the chemicals into Mexico, according to the charges. If convicted, Fang faces a maximum penalty of life in prison on each count, as well as a $10 million fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The DEA and HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard D. Hanes and Heather Rae Winter for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Waterbury Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Ring

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OSCAR PENA-CRESPO, also known as “Boti,” 29, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations. Pena-Crespo coordinated the distribution of narcotics for the Maple Avenue-based organization. Between January and June 2023, investigators conducted multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Pena-Crespo. Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. Pena-Crespo and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023. In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash. Pena-Crespo has been detained since his arrest. On April 3, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.


title: Chicago-Area Woman Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Illegally Exporting Thermal Riflescopes and Other Military Items to Russia

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Illinois woman was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for conspiring to unlawfully export to Russia defense articles – including thermal imaging riflescopes and night-vision goggles – without a license in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. Elena Shifrin, 62, of Mundelein, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. Shifrin pleaded guilty in February 2022 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act. According to court documents, from 2017 to 2020, Shifrin participated in the export of more than 60 defense articles from the United States to Russia without obtaining from the State Department a valid license or other approval for such exports. As Shifrin admitted at her change of plea hearing, Shifrin’s co-conspirators purchased the defense articles – including thermal riflescopes, weapons sights, monoculars and night-vision googles – from online sellers in the United States and directed the sellers to mail those items to Shifrin or other co-conspirators in Illinois and California. After receiving the items, Shifrin mailed them to co-conspirators in Russia without obtaining the required licenses. To conceal her unlawful activities, when Shifrin exported the defense articles to Russia, she listed fictitious sender names and addresses on the packages containing the defense articles, falsely identified the items in the packages as non-export-controlled items such as clothing, and concealed the defense articles in other items such as toolkits and kitchen appliances. One of Shifrin’s co-conspirators, Igor Panchernikov, 43, a former Corona resident who once served in the United States Air Force Reserves, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and was sentenced in June 2023 to 27 months in federal prison. Two other defendants charged in this case – Boris Polosin, of Russia, and Vladimir Gohman, of Israel – are fugitives. Charges against another defendant – Vladimir Pridacha, 59, of Volo, Illinois, were dismissed on January 19 at the request of prosecutors. The FBI’s Los Angeles and Chicago field offices investigated this matter, with substantial assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys David T. Ryan of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, and Wilson Park of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division is providing substantial assistance.


title: Woodbridge man convicted again for possessing child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Woodbridge man today on charges of receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 23, 2023, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant at the residence of Matthew Scott Rocco, 38. At the time of the search, Rocco was on federal supervised release for a 2017 conviction in the Eastern District of Virginia for possession of CSAM. HSI agents and officers from the United States Probation Department encountered Rocco on the driveway exiting the garage of the residence and located a cellphone in his back pocket. The phone was seized and manually and forensically searched. In the notes section of the phone, darknet addresses were listed, most of which providing links to child pornography. The phone contained a download history in the “My Files DB” database showing filenames indicative of CSAM and thumbnail images of Rocco’s personal documents, such as payroll records and CSAM among other files. A folder titled “Balalaika_1,” contained ten videos, downloaded on Feb. 16 and 17, 2023, each depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The phone kept a history of what videos had been played that included files indicative of CSAM. The files Rocco accessed included CSAM ranging from Jan. 23, 2023, to April 21, 2023, two days before the date of the federal search. The search also revealed that several files with names indicative of CSAM were viewed on the phone using an external drive. Rocco faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 40 years in prison when sentenced on Oct. 31. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff returned the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Prinz, a Trial Attorney with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, are 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-25.


title: Montrose Man Pleads Guilty to Adult Webcam Business Scam that Conned Victim Investors Out of Nearly $1.2 Million

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Montrose man pleaded guilty today to defrauding investors out of more than $1 million by making false promises that they would receive an ownership interest in several adult entertainment webcam websites and then using their money on personal expenses, including luxury items. Patrick Khalafian, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. According to his plea agreement, from November 2009 to October 2016, Khalafian solicited investments for businesses – including 168 Entertainment LLC, Empire Entertainment Group Inc., and EEG LLC – that purportedly developed and operated adult entertainment websites. Khalafian falsely represented to victims that their investments would be used for business operations, including developing software and the platform for the proposed websites, paying for computer servers, hiring employees, and purchasing advertising. He also falsely promised that the victims would be repaid for their investments by a specific date, that they would receive ownership interests in the companies, and would receive a share of the companies’ profits. Rather than investing the victim’s money, Khalafian instead used their funds to pay off his debts, including to prior victims, and to fund his own lifestyle, including to pay for gambling expenses and luxury shopping sprees. To lull the victims into believing that their funds were being used as he had promised, Khalafian lied to his victims about the status of the adult entertainment websites purportedly being developed by the companies in which they had invested. Khalafian eventually stopped responding to victims and disconnected and changed his phone number and email address to evade their inquiries. For example, in July 2015, Khalafian met with one victim at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills and falsely represented at the meeting that a $1 million investment from the victim would be used to pay for business expenses such as computer servers, employees, and advertising for the adult webcam business. Later that month, the victim – relying on Khalafian’s false promises – wired $1 million to a Khalafian-controlled bank account. On the same day he received the funds, Khalafian transferred $200,000 of the victim’s money to an account to pay his rent, for luxury cars, and other personal expenses. The day after he received these funds, Khalafian used $66,000 of the victim’s money to purchase a new Ford F-150 truck. He also used more than $100,000 of the victim’s money at casinos, to pay back another investor, to pay his rent, and on luxury shopping sprees at retailers such as Tiffany, Barney’s, Fendi, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Louis Vuitton. Khalafian never paid the victim back any of his investment, and he stopped responding to the victim’s messages in October 2016. Khalafian also admitted to conning two other victims in 2015 and 2016 out of $80,000 and $90,000, respectively, using their money on personal expenses and not his adult webcam business. Khalafian paid back neither victim any of their money. In total, Khalafian’s fraud caused a total loss of at least $1.17 million. United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a February 21, 2025 sentencing hearing, at which time Khalafian will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Child Predator Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – Jordan Alan Neves Brewer, 37, of Ogden, Utah, was sentenced today to 10 years’ imprisonment, a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution after he admitted to possessing child pornography in 2023. The sentence was imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups after Brewer admitted in February 2024 that he possessed child pornography while on supervised release for a prior 2012 federal conviction of the same conduct. Brewer also has a state conviction for possession of child pornography. He was released from his state sentence in 2019 and completed sex offender treatment in 2021. According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, on March 30, 2023, a United States Probation Officer conducted a home inspection at Brewer’s residence and found unapproved electronic devices. A forensic search of Brewer’s laptop revealed child pornography involving prepubescent children. The case was investigated jointly by the United States Probation Office and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Carol A. Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Anchorage doctor and her husband charged with health care fraud and tax evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging an Anchorage doctor and her husband with health care fraud and tax evasion. According to court documents, from 2010 to 2023, Claribel Tan, 60, a practicing rheumatologist, and her husband, Daniel Tan, 69, operated Claribel K. Tan MD LLC (CKTMD), a medical clinic in Anchorage. The indictment alleges that the couple defrauded health care benefit programs by causing the submission of false claims that misrepresented the type and dosage of medication, and the scope of medical services provided to patients. Further, the indictment alleges that both defendants deceived patients regarding the necessity of receiving medication at the clinic and created false medical records. The indictment also alleges that Claribel Tan deceived patients regarding what substances she injected into their bodies. In total, the Tans received over $10 million in fraudulently obtained funds. In a separate civil action, the Justice Department seized roughly $8.5 million of those funds from the defendant’s accounts. The indictment also alleges that the Tans evaded income taxes for 2014, 2015 and 2017 by providing false information to their return preparer that overstated CKTMD’s expenses and filing false tax returns that understated their income. The indictment further alleges that Daniel Tan evaded income taxes for 2016 when he provided the Tans’ accountant with false information for that return. The accountant allegedly ceased preparing tax returns for them, and the Tans did not file tax returns for 2016. The indictment further alleges that the Tans did not file tax returns for 2018 through 2021, despite being required to by law. The defendants are each charged with one count of health care fraud and four counts of willful failure to file a tax return. Daniel Tan is charged with four counts and Claribel Tan is charged with three counts of attempting to evade and defeat tax. The defendants will make their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for health care fraud, five years for each count of tax evasion and one year for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge 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 S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska made the announcement. The IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and State of Alaska Division of Insurance Investigation Unit are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Walker and Seth Beausang for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Alaska Doctor and Her Husband Charged with Health Care Fraud and Tax Evasion

body_text: A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging an Anchorage doctor and her husband with health care fraud and tax evasion. According to court documents, from 2010 to 2023, Claribel Tan, 60, a practicing rheumatologist, and her husband, Daniel Tan, 69, operated Claribel K. Tan MD LLC (CKTMD), a medical clinic in Anchorage. The indictment alleges that the couple defrauded health care benefit programs by causing the submission of false claims that misrepresented the type and dosage of medication, and the scope of medical services provided to patients. Further, the indictment alleges that both defendants deceived patients regarding the necessity of receiving medication at the clinic and created false medical records. The indictment also alleges that Claribel Tan deceived patients regarding what substances she injected into their bodies. In total, the Tans received over $10 million in fraudulently obtained funds. In a separate civil action, the Justice Department seized roughly $8.5 million of those funds from the defendant’s accounts. The indictment also alleges that the Tans evaded income taxes for 2014, 2015 and 2017 by providing false information to their return preparer that overstated CKTMD’s expenses and filing false tax returns that understated their income. The indictment further alleges that Daniel Tan evaded income taxes for 2016 when he provided the Tans’ accountant with false information for that return. The accountant allegedly ceased preparing tax returns for them, and the Tans did not file tax returns for 2016. The indictment further alleges that the Tans did not file tax returns for 2018 through 2021, despite being required to by law. The defendants are each charged with one count of health care fraud and four counts of willful failure to file a tax return. Daniel Tan is charged with four counts and Claribel Tan is charged with three counts of attempting to evade and defeat tax. The defendants will make their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for health care fraud, five years for each count of tax evasion and one year for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge 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 S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska made the announcement. The IRS Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and State of Alaska Division of Insurance Investigation Unit are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Walker and Seth Beausang for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sandy Woman Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment After Assaulting Federal Officers

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – Melissa Lynn Trotter, 25, of Sandy, Utah was sentenced today to 15 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,952.67 in restitution after she assaulted federal officers with her car in February 2024. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow for the District of Utah. In May 2024, Trotter admitted to assaulting federal officers with a deadly weapon. According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, on February 7, 2024, Trotter violently assaulted several members of the United States Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (VFAST) with her vehicle outside a CVS in West Valley City. Members of VFAST identified themselves as law enforcement and were attempting to arrest Trotter’s fugitive boyfriend when she reversed her vehicle and rammed into a federal officer’s vehicle where Deputy United States Marshals were standing. Trotter than drove over a parking barrier, hitting the CVS building, and drove on a pedestrian sidewalk outside the store and violently rammed another federal officer’s vehicle while attempting to escape from law enforcement. See prior press release here . “Trotter’s criminal actions were reckless and dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “My office is committed to doing everything we can to protect law enforcement while they work to protect our communities.” “Unfortunately, when pursuing individuals who are wanted and have violent criminal records, incidents like this are all too common,” said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Nick Chournos for the District of Utah. “The United States Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (VFAST) along with state and local partners are committed to protecting our communities.” The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin L. Sundwall of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: New York Man Convicted of Traveling to have Sex With Minor, Production of Child Pornography, and Other Charges

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A New York man was found guilty today on charges stemming from his travel to have sex with a 13-year old New Jersey resident and his production and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Zachary Williams, 37, of New York, was convicted of two counts of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, production of and possession of child pornography, and coercion and enticement of a minor, following a 13-day trial before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: In September 2020, Williams met the minor via Snapchat. He lied about his age, telling the victim that he was 17 years old, when he was in fact 33 years old. Williams asked the victim for nude photographs of the victim, after receiving them, began to “sextort” the minor by threatening to send the nude photographs to the minor’s friends and family. He ultimately convinced the minor to meet him at a hotel in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and agreed to allow the victim to delete the nude photographs from his phone. On Oct. 2, 2020, Williams traveled to a hotel in Atlantic County and, two days later, engaged in sexual intercourse with the minor in his hotel room. Afterward, despite his earlier promises, Williams continued to send messages to the minor threatening to expose the minor’s nude photographs. Law enforcement officers arrested Williams in March 2021 in a sting operation through which they lured him to the same Atlantic County hotel by posing as the minor victim. Williams’ phone contained numerous images of child pornography, which have led to the identification of additional child victims in both the Eastern District of New York and the District of Connecticut, where additional charges remain pending against Williams. Williams faces a maximum of 30 years in prison on each of the two counts of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years on the production of child pornography, a maximum of 20 years on the possession of child pornography, and a maximum of 10 years on the coercion and enticement of a minor. In addition, Williams faces a $250,000 fine, mandatory restitution to the victims, and lifetime supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and officers from the Galloway Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard D. Barber, and also recognizes the efforts of the Atlantic City Police Department under the direction of Chief James Sarkos and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diana Vondra Carrig and Patrick C. Askin of the Criminal Division, Camden.


title: New York Man Admits Role in Kidnapping

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Queens, New York, man today admitted his role in a Paterson, New Jersey, kidnapping, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Reginald Law, 38, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with kidnapping and Hobbs Act robbery. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Oct. 8, 2020, Law and his conspirator, Maurice Cottman, entered a retail store in Paterson, where they accosted the victim, who was working in the store. Law and Cottman dragged the victim from the store, threw him into the back of a U-Haul truck, and drove him from Paterson to New York. The victim suffered serious bodily injury from the kidnapping. Law admitted that during the kidnapping, he and Cottman called the victim’s family, told them that he had the victim, and demanded ransom for his return. That afternoon, law enforcement officers saw the U-Haul parked in Harlem, New York. When the officers approached, Law and Cottman fled in the U-Haul and a motor-vehicle pursuit ensued. Law and Cottman crashed the U-Haul and tried to flee on foot. Officers apprehended Cottman, but Law got away. Officers retrieved the victim from the back of the U-Haul. Law was a fugitive until his arrest on May 26, 2021. The kidnapping charged in Count One is punishable by a maximum penalty of life in prison. The Hobbs Act robbery charged in Count Two is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Both are also punishable by a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2025. Cottman previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to an Information charging him with one count of kidnapping. On March 29, 2022, Judge Chesler sentenced Cottman to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the FBI New York Field Office and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit. law.indictment.pdf


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Victor Aaron Gonzales, 39, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 22, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of meth mixture, and unspecified amounts of cocaine and marijuana; and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of meth actual. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Gonzales to 240 months’ imprisonment on each count to run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Gonzales’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Information provided to law enforcement indicated Gonzales was involved in conspiracy to distribute meth, cocaine, and marijuana in the Lincoln area between February and November of 2022. He was held responsible for the distribution of more than six kilograms of met during that time. On November 16, 2022, investigators obtained search warrants for two residences in Lincoln associated with Gonzales. Prior to executing one of the warrants at a residence which Gonzales shared with a girlfriend, investigators stopped Gonzales and searched his Jeep, finding a total of approximately 700 grams of meth mixture, later found to contain at least 660 grams of actual meth. During the search of the residence, investigators found a loaded rifle with a bump stock and ammunition along with scales, baggies, and a cash counter. On the following day, a search warrant was executed at a separate residence where Gonzales’s wife and children were living. At that location, marijuana, a scoop with meth residue, ammunition and over $69,000 in cash were found. The cash was later forfeited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, (FBI). This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.


title: McAlester Resident Pleads Guilty To Illegal Possession Of Ammunition

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Arlo Christopher Jordan, age 26, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). The Information alleged that on or about January 11, 2024, Jordan knowingly possessed two rounds of Hornady-branded 270 ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. The charges arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable Jason L. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Jordan was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.


title: Seminole Resident Pleads Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lucus Wayne Cullum, age 25, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that, on November 23, 2022, Cullum killed the victim while failing to devote his full time and attention to driving. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from investigations by the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Cullum was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland: “From the beginning of his tenure, President Biden has made clear in both word and deed that he stands for the rule of law and for the Justice Department’s critical mission to protect the safety and the civil rights of everyone in our country. I am grateful for his leadership and for the enormous respect he has shown for the 115,000 public servants of the Justice Department over the past three and a half years. As President Biden has noted, there is critical governing work to be done in the months ahead, and the Justice Department will continue to work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights on behalf of the American people.”


title: Puyallup man caught with nearly 100,000 fentanyl pills and five firearms sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 25-year-old Puyallup man, who also maintained an apartment in Seattle, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 78 months in prison for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Emmanuel Xaiver Hunter was identified as a drug trafficker in October 2022 and was arrested in November 2022. He pleaded guilty in April 2024. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “These were very serious crimes and very serious firearms that you had,” and commented that the firearm Hunter was carrying in his waistband when he was arrested “could cause a lot of harm and damage.” According to records filed in the case, the Drug Enforcement Administration, working with the Auburn Police Department, used a confidential source to purchase fentanyl pills from Hunter on two occasions. In early November 2022, after obtaining a court-authorized search warrant for Hunter’s homes, car and person, law enforcement arrested him and searched both his Puyallup home and downtown Seattle apartment. Through the searches law enforcement seized 98,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills stamped with “M” and “30” and containing fentanyl, approximately 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, and five handguns. The handgun that Hunter carried when he was arrested was a Glock pistol equipped with an auto-sear so that it acted as an automatic weapon. In his plea agreement, Hunter admitted that he carried the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. That crime calls for a mandatory minimum of five years to run consecutive to any sentence imposed in the case. Hunter will be on five years of supervised release following prison. The case was investigated by the DEA and Auburn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.


title: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Committing Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in Springfield, Illinois

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An Oklahoma City, Oklahoma man, Gerald Duran, 49, was sentenced on July 18, 2024, to 45 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. After he completes his prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $4,500 in restitution. Duran was arrested on December 29, 2023, by Springfield Police Officers at a Springfield branch location of a national bank attempting to cash a cashier’s check he had fraudulently obtained, according to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing in front of Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough. Earlier that same day Duran had secured two cashier’s checks made out to two different individuals, along with cash totaling $13,500, from a different branch location of the same bank. Duran received the money by providing false identity documents and purporting to be an individual with an account at the bank. Duran also correctly answered personal security questions to include providing the social security number of the account holder. When Duran was arrested at the second branch location, he possessed identification cards for three separate victims. Each of the false identity documents contained Duran’s picture with the name and information of real people. Duran has pending charges for similar conduct in Lee County, Florida. Duran has been in custody since his arrest and pleaded guilty on March 19, 2024. The statutory penalties for bank fraud are up to thirty years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine. The statutory penalties for aggravated identity theft committed in relation to another felony are a mandatory 24-month sentence, to be served consecutive to the sentence for the underlying crime, up to one year of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. The Springfield Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Cedar Park Man Sentenced for Dealing Firearms Without a License, Making False Statement to ATF

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

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A Cedar Park man was sentenced in federal court in Austin to imprisonment for one year and one day, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for dealing in firearms without a license and making a false statement to ATF agents. The court also ordered forfeiture of 32 firearms. According to court documents, Andrew Darley Pennington, 40, frequently used a gun broker website to advertise firearms shortly after he had purchased them. On Dec. 2, 2021, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant, seizing 32 firearms and approximately 18,430 rounds of ammunition from Pennington’s home. In the seven months prior to the search, Pennington had purchased more than 200 firearms. At the time of the search, Pennington agreed to be interviewed by investigators. When asked by an ATF agent if he had shipped any firearms, Pennington falsely stated that he had not done so since 2016. In fact, he had shipped firearms to California and Nevada on a number of occasions during 2021. “Federal law forbids anyone who is not properly licensed from engaging in the business of dealing in firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Dealing in firearms without a license is a serious, dangerous crime that our partners at ATF regularly investigate, and this office will prosecute.” “Firearms dealing without licensing is a form of firearms trafficking which is a top investigative priority for ATF,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel for the ATF Houston Division. “We will continue to leverage both human resources and crime gun intelligence to tackle the issue. We know that these types of firearms contribute to the violence in our communities, and we will continue leveraging the partnerships that law enforcement has to address the dangerous and illicit activity of firearms trafficking.” ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Castillo and Alan Buie prosecuted the case. ###


title: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Extend Public Comment on Request for Information Targeting Serial Acquisitions, Roll-Up Strategies Across U.S. Economy

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are extending the deadline for the public to comment on serial acquisitions and roll-up strategies that harm competition by 60 days. The joint request for information (RFI) seeks to learn more about how corporate actors, including private equity owned businesses, become larger — and potentially dominant — through acquisitions of several smaller firms in the same or related business sectors or industries. The new deadline to submit comments is Sept. 20. Businesses do not have to report every deal to the federal antitrust agencies, but some non-reportable deals still allow firms to amass significant control over key products, services or labor markets without government scrutiny. These types of transactions can harm competition to the detriment of consumers, workers and innovation across an entire industry or business sector. The agencies’ RFI seeks to understand more about these deals and strategies, and invites a wide range of stakeholders including consumers, workers, businesses and others to submit their comments. Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov . Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov .


title: Murfreesboro Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition Following Easter Sunday Shooting

body_text: NASHVILLE – Anton Rucker, 47, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm related to two separate incidents, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. As a previously convicted felon, Rucker was charged for unlawfully possessing ammunition stemming from his involvement in the March 31, 2024, shooting at Roasted restaurant in Salemtown. One man was killed and several others were injured during the Easter Sunday shooting. Rucker has also been charged by the State of Tennessee with Criminal Homicide in connection with that incident. Rucker was also charged in the indictment with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following an August 26, 2023, road rage incident in Murfreesboro. According to the indictment, Rucker passed another driver on a double yellow line and then pulled in front of him, cutting the driver off and causing him to slam on his brakes to prevent an accident. Rucker then stopped his car, walked to the other driver’s car and started arguing with him before brandishing a firearm. Murfreesboro Police detectives later searched Rucker’s residence and found several firearms. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Murfreesboro Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Hinkle is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: USMS, ICE, AND INTERPOL WASHINGTON COLLABORATION LEADS TO APPREHENSION OF FUGITIVE AND RESCUE OF THREE MINORS IN TENNESSEE

component: Interpol Washington

body_text: U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and INTERPOL Washington collaboration led to the arrest of a Bahamian man, Angelo McQueen, wanted in Nassau for sexual offenses against a minor, and the rescue of three children at his Pigeon Forge, Tennessee residence. McQueen was also employed at a Pigeon Forge amusement park at the time of his arrest. “This joint operation underscores the vital importance of international cooperation and swift action to find dangerous fugitives and protect our most vulnerable,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey Grimming. “We thank our great USMS and ICE partners for their immediate response and will continue to offer our tools, resources, and global network in the fight for justice.” McQueen, a native and citizen of the Bahamas, entered the U.S. on March 1, 2024, in Florida, as a B2 non-immigrant visitor. INTERPOL Washington learned that McQueen was suspected of having committed sexual offenses against a minor in his native Bahamas. Authorities also suspected that McQueen had abducted his biological daughter and brought her to the United States. INTERPOL Washington was able to determine that McQueen was likely residing in Pigeon Forge. Upon relaying the leads to partners, the USMS Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force Eastern District of Tennessee, USMS Missing Child Unit, and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations arrested McQueen at his residence on July 5. During the arrest, three minors were encountered at McQueen’s residence, all of whom were turned over to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. He is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.


title: Forney Man Who Used Hidden Cameras, Molested Toddler Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison

body_text: A Forney man who filmed himself molesting a toddler and used concealed cameras to capture nude images of preteens was sentenced Thursday to 120 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Leslie Michael Alt, 40, was indicted in September 2022 and pleaded guilty in September 2023 to two counts of production of child pornography and three counts of transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday to 1,440 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown. According to court documents, Mr. Alt admitted to using concealed cameras to surreptitiously record sexually explicit videos of two preteen girls. At Thursday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors noted that sexually explicit videos were found on a computer recovered from Mr. Alt’s home in late August 2022. During a subsequent search of Mr. Alt’s residence, an FBI electronic detection canine alerted to a safe in Mr. Alt’s closet. The safe was open and appeared to be empty, but the canine insistently continued to alert on the safe. Agents removed the carpeted flooring of the safe and found SD cards and a concealed camera. On one of the SD cards, they found videos of Mr. Alt sexually abusing a toddler. “Seeing the images he had of my daughter as a toddler shattered me. Unable to voice she was uncomfortable, unable to communicate to me, her mother, that any of this was happening to her,” the victim’s mother testified at sentencing. “She currently does not have a conscious memory of what has happened. One day, I will have to tell her.” One of the teenage victims also spoke, saying the news of the defendant’s crimes “shattered me.” “My trust had been used against me, and I would never fully recover,” she said. “It makes me sick to my stomach.” The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Grand Prairie Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. FBI Electronics Detection Canine “Iris” played an important role in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Camille Sparks (ret.) prosecuted the case.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JOY JOSEPH BANERJEE (“BANERJEE”) , age 57, of New Orleans, pled guilty on July 18, 2024 to possession of prepubescent child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(b). BANERJEE faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $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, BANERJEE faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life after his release from prison, as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court documents, the case against BANERJEE began with an online child sexual abuse material investigation by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office. Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), utilizing its special agents, then assumed the investigation and executed a federal search warrant at BANERJEE’s New Orleans home in April of 2023. HSI’s investigation determined BANERJEE knowingly possessed images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent minors. Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2024 before United States District Judge Susie Morgan. 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 . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Coconut Creek Man Charged with Robbing Boca Raton and Delray Beach Banks

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On July 18, 2024, the United States charged Courtney Mallory, 44 years of age, from Coconut Creek, Florida with the commission of two bank robberies: one occurring on June 5, 2024, at a Boca Raton Truist bank; and another occurring on July 12, 2024, at a Delray Beach Bank of America. According to allegations in the filed criminal complaint, on June 5, 2024, at approximately 9:30 a.m., Mallory is alleged to have entered the Truist Bank on State Road 441, Boca Raton, Florida, brandishing what appeared to be a firearm and wearing a mask. Mallory demanded money from the bank employees, forcing bank tellers to take him to the vault. Mallory fled with thousands of dollars of U.S. currency, in a dark blue Nissan. On July 12, 2024, Mallory is alleged to have committed a second bank robbery. On this date, Mallory entered the Bank of America on Jog Road in Delray Beach, Florida. Once again, Mallory was wearing a mask and brandishing what appeared to be a firearm. Mallory once again escaped with thousands of dollars in US currency again in a dark blue Nissan. On July 17, 2024, FBI agents arrested Mallory at his Coconut Creek residence. At that location, and during a separate search of his dark blue Nissan, agents recovered the clothing and backpack Mallory wore during the robbery, a black pellet gun, and thousands of dollars in US currency, some of which were wrapped in Truist Bank and Bank of America bank bands. Mallory appeared in West Palm Beach Federal Court on Thursday, July 18, 2024, for his initial hearing. He is scheduled for a pretrial detention hearing on July 25, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. before a United States Magistrate Judge in West Palm Beach, Florida. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-mj-8347. ###


title: Nashville Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of Ammunition Following Shooting at WEGO Bus Station

body_text: NASHVILLE – Kenneth Dewayne Johnson, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee, has been charged by a federal grand jury with the unlawful possession of ammunition related to a May 2024 shooting at a downtown Nashville bus station, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Johnson, who was previously charged by federal criminal complaint, has now been federally indicted for the unlawful possession of ammunition following the May 16, 2024, shooting at the WEGO Station located at 400 MLK Jr. Boulevard in Nashville. According to the indictment, a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officer was in the area when the shooting occurred. Shortly after hearing the gunshots, the officer saw a man, later identified as Johnson, holding a pistol and running away from the area. The officer gave chase and witnessed Johnson throw the pistol to the ground as he continued to run. A short distance later, Johnson laid down on the ground and was arrested. Officers recovered the pistol which was loaded with five rounds of ammunition and a high-capacity magazine which contained forty-nine rounds of ammunition. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metro Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juliet Aldridge is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Former Slidell Resident Pleads Guilty to False Statements and Theft of Over $350,000.00 in Covid-19 Benefits

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that RACQUEL PICHON (“PICHON”) , age 40, formerly of Slidell, Louisiana, plead guilty on July 15, 2024 to false statements and theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1001 and 641. If convicted, PICHON faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment, and/or 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, PICHON faces a term of supervised release of no more than three (3) years after her release from prison, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court documents, PICHON applied for multiple Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) loans under the business Exotica Beauty LLC (“Exotica”). PICHON was the registered agent for Exotica. On June 12, 2020, PICHON completed a Small Business Administration (SBA) backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application for Exotica. As a result of the PPP application, on June 19, 2020, PICHON received an SBA backed PPP loan of approximately $194,642.50. According to the indictment, on June 23, 2020, PICHON also completed and submitted an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan application for Exotica. As a result, on June 25, 2020, PICHON received an EIDL advance grant of $10,000.00. Then, on June 29, 2020, PICHON received an EIDL loan of $149,900.00 as a business loan. On or about July 2, through July 7, 2020, PICHON spent, in total, $8,074.00 in EIDL loan proceeds at a high-end retail store in New Orleans. On July 15, 2020, PICHON spent $921.00 in EIDL loan proceeds for tickets to an amusement park in Florida. PICHON also spent $3,303.00 in EIDL loan proceeds at an additional high-end retail store in New Orleans. In total, PICHON received $354,542.50 in COVID-19 funds. Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2024 before United States District Judge Susie Morgan. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, is an active member of the PRAC Fraud Task Force. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Berkeley County Man Admits to Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Beau Thomas Shores, 42, of Bunker Hill, West Virginia, has admitted to the receipt of child pornography. According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported suspicious activity on a cell phone to law enforcement. The investigation led to Shores and a search of his home, phones, and computers. Officers found thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography, some with children as young as 3 years old. Shores faces at least 5 and up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. This case was investigated by personnel from the FBI and the Ranson Police Department assigned to the West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced After Trial Conviction for Carjacking and Federal Firearms Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SHAMPAIN POOLE (“POOLE”) , age 23, of New Orleans, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey on July 15, 2024, to 147 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, along with a mandatory $300 special assessment fee, after previously being found guilty by a jury of carjacking, brandishing a weapon during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, POOLE carjacked a car at gunpoint from an eighty-year-old woman, in front of her home. She immediately reported the crime. Soon after the carjacking, POOLE was spotted driving the car the wrong way down a one-way street by New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers in a marked police car. POOLE abandoned the car, ran from the scene and went to the nearby home of a relative. NOPD officers saw POOLE outside the relative’s home but he again fled and attempted to hide the gun used in the carjacking in the crawl space of another house. NOPD officers retrieved the home security video of that homeowner and recovered the gun, a Smith & Wesson Model M&P 40 Shield, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which was fully loaded with one bullet in the chamber. POOLE had previously been convicted of two felony offenses, including illegal use of a weapon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. United States Attorney Duane A Evans praised the work of the NOPD in this matter, for identifying POOLE as the perpetrator of this carjacking within 15 minutes of the offense. 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit and Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit conducted the trial of this matter.


title: Lake County Man Indicted For Producing Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging John Don Bannister, Jr. (30, Clermont) with two counts of production of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Bannister faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison on each count. Bannister is currently detained pending the resolution of the case. According to the indictment, on April 26 and May 4, 2023, Bannister employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Mascotte Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.


title: Court Sentences Colombian Drug Smuggler Caught with 1,550 Kilograms of Cocaine

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Colombian national was sentenced on July 17, 2024 to 65 months in prison for smuggling 1,550 kilograms of cocaine in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Edgar Parades Sanchez, pled guilty to the drug smuggling offense. Documents filed with the court in connection with his guilty plea established that on November 7, 2023 while on routine patrol in the eastern Pacific Ocean, a marine patrol aircraft located a target of interest Go Fast Vessel (GFV) approximately 105 nautical miles south of Panama. United States Coast Guard Cutter Waesche was patrolling nearby and diverted to intercept the vessel. The cutter Waesche launched its small boats and a helicopter to investigate. When the helicopter arrived on scene, the vessel went dead in the water. The small boats launched from cutter arrived on the scene and a team began boarding the GFV. The boarding team encountered four people on board the vessel, including Edgar Parades Sanchez. The GFV had no physical flag flown, no homeport on the hull, no registration numbers on the hull and no name on the hull. The master of the vessel made a claim of Costa Rican nationality for the vessel. The country of Costa Rica was contacted and Costa Rica could neither confirm nor deny the nationality of the vessel. The vessel was thus considered a Vessel Without Nationality under United States law. The four people on board the vessel and the cocaine found on the GFV were removed to the USCG Cutter Waesche. The vessel was sunk by the Coast Guard due to it being a hazard to navigation due to its distance from land, the fact that there were no suitable tow points, no navigational lights, and there was excessive fuel onboard. The final at sea weight of the cocaine was 1,550 kilograms. The wholesale value of the cocaine seized in this case is conservatively valued at approximately 46 million dollars. The three people on board the GFV with Sanchez were Abelardo Castellon, Jorge Escobar Mejia and Kainor Antoinio Nicolas Castellon. The three other drug smugglers were previously sentenced by the court. The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Rutland Man Charged with Unlawful Firearm Possession and Maintaining a Drug Premises

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that on July 18, 2024 the federal Grand Jury in Burlington returned an indictment charging Daniel McSwiggan, 51, of Rutland, Vermont, with drug and gun offenses. The two-count indictment alleges that, between late June and early July 2024, McSwiggan possessed two firearms as an unlawful drug user and made his residence available for drug use and distribution. McSwiggan will be arraigned in the coming days. According to court records, in late June and early July of this year, McSwiggan possessed two firearms, knowing that he was an unlawful user of cocaine base, and made his residence in Rutland available for use and distribution of cocaine base. Court records also allege that, in the early morning hours of June 24, 2024, McSwiggan shot a rifle at a suspected drug distributor outside of his residence. On July 2, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McSwiggan’s residence and recovered a Savage Model 10 .308 caliber rifle, a Ruger 10/22 .22 caliber rifle, 282 rounds of ammunition, cocaine base, and drug paraphernalia. The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are accusations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, McSwiggan faces maximum penalties of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the unlawful firearm possession, and 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for making his residence available for drug use and distribution. Any sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory and collaborative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Rutland City Police Department, the Rutland Town Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne M. Smith. McSwiggan is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Former Manchester Business Owner Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for distribution of fentanyl and crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Walter Velez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 48 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised released. On April 2, 2024, Velez pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of controlled substances, namely fentanyl and crack cocaine. In April 2023, Velez sold fentanyl and crack cocaine to a confidential informant on four occasions at his then business, Velez Alignment & Auto Services, LLC, located at 416 Lake Avenue in Manchester. The four sales totaled over 200 grams of fentanyl and over 20 grams of crack cocaine. “The defendant distributed a significant amount of drugs from his business, which was located in a densely populated neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Law enforcement in the Granite State remains committed to thwarting out drug dealers at every level in the supply chain to hold them accountable for selling dangerous narcotics and to eradicate drug trafficking in our neighborhoods.” “Velez was caught selling crack cocaine and fentanyl, two deadly drugs that have caused havoc and destruction for too many families in New Hampshire. Today’s sentence puts an end to Velez’s drug dealing. HSI continues to work with our partners in New Hampshire to stop the trafficking and distribution of drugs into our communities,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. The Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward prosecuted the case. ###


title: Eight Members and Associates of the Zhoove Street Gang Indicted for Conspiring to Traffic Fentanyl and Cocaine, with Two of the Defendants Additionally Charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A total of twelve individuals from the Pittsburgh area have been charged with narcotics and firearms charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh returned a three-count Indictment naming Cody Duncan, 33, of Verona; Ronell Cathie, 30, of Pittsburgh; Melvin Gaines, 29, of Oakmont; Curtis Williams, 27, of Pittsburgh; Malik Martinez, 27, of Pittsburgh; Cayce Williams, 22, of Pittsburgh; Devaughn Faulk, 27, of Pittsburgh; and Antonio Arrington, 22, of Pittsburgh, as defendants. The Indictment was unsealed today following their arrests. According to the Indictment, the defendants were members and associates of the Zhoove street gang that operated in and around the Allentown, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, and Mount Washington neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. From March 2024 until July 2024, the defendants allegedly participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, both Schedule II controlled substances. The Indictment also alleges that Arrington and Curtis Williams each possessed a 9mm handgun and ammunition after previously being convicted of a felony, in violation of federal law. Indictments against three related defendants—Morisee Williams, 41; Syere Franklin, 24; and Charles Stephens, 60; all of Pittsburgh—were also unsealed today, charging each defendant with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Finally, Oneal Olive, 31, of Pittsburgh, was arrested this morning during execution of search warrants in this investigation and charged by criminal complaint with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. These defendants allegedly possessed a variety of firearms, including, as to Williams, an AR-style semiautomatic rifle, and, as to Stephens, a Polymer-80 privately made firearm or “ghost gun.” “Street gangs like the so-called Zhoove gang terrorize our law-abiding neighbors who simply want to live in communities free of deadly drugs and guns,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Today’s arrests demonstrate our ceaseless commitment to protecting the people of western Pennsylvania, and we are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our partners at the FBI who stand shoulder to shoulder with us every day.” “Armed traffickers who funnel this poison into our neighborhoods act with utter disregard for human life, and today’s arrests should send a clear message there are serious consequences for this illegal activity,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will remain relentless in our efforts to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who are a danger to our communities.” The drug-trafficking conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. The felon-in-possession charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. An indictment or complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Hendersonville Business Owner Sentenced for Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud and Tax Charges

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: NASHVILLE – Scotty Thomas Lumley, 56, of Hendersonville, Tennessee was sentenced to serve 47 months in federal prison and to pay $1,198,833.62 in restitution earlier today, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Lumley previously pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges in 2015. The charges on which Lumley was sentenced today are based on additional federal crimes that he committed between 2015 and 2021. For example, beginning shortly after he was sentenced in 2015, Lumley kept taxes he withheld from his employees’ paychecks, rather than paying those funds over to the IRS. Court documents also show that in 2017, in an effort to avoid a tax debt, Lumley told the IRS that the only vehicle he owned was a GMC 3500 with a negative value. In truth, however, he also owned a 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider which he sold the following year for $187,000. In 2017 and 2018, Lumley also obtained a series of loans in connection with commercial real estate-related businesses he owned. To obtain those loans, he provided lenders with documents which falsely claimed that his personal net worth was more than $30 million, including cash-on-hand in the amount of approximately $630,000. Lumley also did not disclose that he had an outstanding tax liability of more than $119,000. In total, he tricked lenders into providing more than $3.5 million in loans. Lumley later provided one bank with additional false personal financial statements purporting to show that his net worth had risen to more than $42 million. In November 2020, after becoming aware of a federal criminal investigation into the above conduct, Lumley flew to Morocco and did not return until he was extradited in February 2023. While in Morocco, Lumley used a fabricated purchase order to defraud a Utah company of more than $500,000. In December 2021, a grand jury in the District of Utah charged him with wire fraud for this conduct, and that indictment was transferred to the Middle District of Tennessee for plea and sentencing. “Today’s sentence ensures that this serial fraudster will finally be held accountable for his numerous crimes and kept far away from other potential victims,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “It is also a testament to the outstanding work and tenacity of the investigators and prosecutors who handled this case. I am particularly grateful for the assistance received by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs to secure the defendant’s extradition from Morocco.” “Failure to remit employment taxes withheld from employee wages is a serious criminal offense. Today’s sentencing sends a message to those who scheme to conceal and reduce federal income and payroll tax liability,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) Charlotte Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to pursue anyone who collects these taxes and uses the funds for their own personal gain.” The Tennessee case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips is prosecuting the case for the Middle District of Tennessee. The Utah case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Williams and Tyler Murray prosecuted the case for the District of Utah before it was transferred to the Middle District of Tennessee. The extradition was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with the cooperation of the Moroccan government and assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Morocco. # # # # #


title: Ossining Man Arrested For Threatening To Kill USPS Employees And Burn Down U.S. Post Offices

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today that ANTHONY ALFANO was arrested after he made a series of graphic and violent threats to kill U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) employees and burn down U.S. post offices in Ossining, New York. ALFANO was arrested in Yorktown Heights, New York, this morning and is expected to appear this afternoon in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The charges against the defendant underscore this Office’s unwavering commitment to swiftly collaborate with our law enforcement partners to neutralize threats against the U.S. mail system. Any individual who dares to cross the line and threaten our postal employees and facilities with violence and destruction will be stopped in their tracks, and we will ensure they are held accountable for their actions.” USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service does not take lightly any threats of violence against USPS employees. This behavior will never be tolerated, and we will work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to maintain a safe working environment for the postal employees we protect. That is our mission, and that is our unwavering commitment to the people we serve.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] On Saturday, June 22, 2024, ANTHONY ALFANO was awaiting the delivery of a parcel that had been mailed out via USPS from Florida the evening before. According to ALFANO, the parcel contained cremated remains. In a series of phone calls with USPS call center representatives before the package was scheduled to arrive, ALFANO threatened to kill USPS employees and burn down U.S. post offices because he apparently believed the parcel was not going to arrive when he wanted it to. ALFANO’s threats included the following: ALFANO threatened, “I am gonna start killing you guys one by one.” He also said, “people are going to die,” and that there would be “a lot of dead bodies,” “hurt people,” and people who would “not be returning home.” ALFANO also swore to kill his local mail carrier, stating that he would “walk up to him” and “blow his brains out.” Referencing a notorious “massacre,” ALFANO warned that it would not “have shit on what I’m about to do” and that his actions would go down “in history.” ALFANO also made threats to kill members of the postal police by using incendiary ammunition, as well as threats to burn down U.S. post offices. For example, he welcomed the arrival of the postal police and said, “as soon as they show up at my door they’re gonna catch a hot one,” referring to shooting them with a “napalm round” from his 12-gauge shotgun. “I’m going to kill every one of those motherfuckers,” he said. He further threatened, “I’m gonna burn all the post offices down to the ground” and said he would go to his local post office and “burn it down to the fucking ground.” Underscoring his commitment to carry out his threats, ALFANO said several times, “I don’t make threats, I make promises.” He also expressly swore to carry out his threats and said, “I really don’t care if I go to jail or not.” On Monday, June 24, 2024, ALFANO received his parcel on the next business day after it had been mailed out on the Friday before. ALFANO has a history of encounters with law enforcement because of prior threats he has made against others, including local police officers, delivery persons, and customer service representatives. * * * ANTHONY ALFANO, 46, of Ossining, New York, is charged with threatening interstate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and willfully making a threat involving fire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS in investigating the threats charged in the Complaint and undertaking security measures to protect USPS employees and facilities. Mr. Williams also thanked the Village of Ossining Police Department and City of Peekskill Police Department for their assistance in this case. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reyhan Watson is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Naples Man Charged With Federal Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jadyn Howard Loman (21, Naples) has been charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on all counts, Loman faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Loman that the United States intends to forfeit two firearms traceable to the offense. According to the indictment, on September 29, 2023, Loman possessed methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. In furtherance of that crime, he also possessed two Smith & Wesson firearms. Loman was indicted on February 22, 2024. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey. This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Previously Convicted Man Sentenced to 40 Month Prison Term For Strangulation and Attempted Kidnapping

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jamari Jackson, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for felony strangulation and the attempted kidnapping of a victim in the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Jackson pleaded guilty on April 10, 2024, to one count of attempted kidnapping, one count of strangulation and one count of simple assault. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz ordered Jackson to serve three years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence regarding the attempted kidnapping and strangulation charges, on July 24, 2023, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Jackson approached the victim as she was walking down the street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Northwest Washington D.C. Jackson grabbed the victim by the throat, indicated he had a gun, ordered the victim to “shut up” and follow him, and forced her to walk in the direction of the 3300 block of Holmead Place, NW. Jackson then held the victim against a car. Fearing for her life, the victim struck the defendant in the face and tried to fight him off while shouting repeatedly for help. Jackson assaulted the victim on her torso and ribs and grabbed her by her throat again, choking her. After throwing the victim on the ground and continuing to choke her, the defendant attempted to pull off the victim’s pants in an attempt to sexually assault her. As the victim began to lose consciousness, nearby homeowners came out, and Jackson walked away from the scene. According to the government’s evidence regarding the simple assault, on June 20, 2023, while at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., Jackson threatened to throw a cup of urine on hospital staff. Jackson was then placed in a wheelchair and staff took Jackson over to a different room to be placed in seclusion. When a staff nurse asked Jackson to return the wheelchair, Jackson, without provocation, punched the victim in face causing him to bleed. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Roessler and LaVater Massie-Banks, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the strangulation and attempt kidnapping case; and the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rana Wahdan, of the General Crimes Section, who investigated and prosecuted the simple assault case.


title: Former NOPD Officer, Member of Executive Protection Unit, Charged Federally with Wire Fraud and Making False Statements

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JEFFREY PAUL VAPPIE, II (“ VAPPIE”) , age 52, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted today on seven (7) counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for perpetrating a scheme to defraud the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). VAPPIE was additionally indicted for making false statements to agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). According to the indictment, VAPPIE was a New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer from April 1997 until his resignation in June 2024. VAPPIE was assigned to serve as a member of the Executive Protection Unit (EPU) responsible for providing personal protection for the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. At least as early as November 2021, VAPPIE and Public Official 1 developed and carried on a personal and romantic relationship. VAPPIE attempted to disguise this relationship by making his interactions with Public Official 1 appear related to VAPPIE’s duties and responsibilities as a member of EPU. In doing so, VAPPIE submitted false timecards to NOPD in which he claimed to be working when, in fact, he was engaged in personal activities, including carrying on a personal and romantic relationship with Public Official 1. VAPPIE took other steps to further and conceal the scheme to defraud. For example, among these personal activities, VAPPIE spent substantial time inside an apartment owned by the City of New Orleans to which Public Official 1 had access. Additionally, he ate meals and consumed alcohol with Public Official 1, all while being paid to work as a member of EPU. VAPPIE also traveled on purported work-related trips with Public Official 1, paid for by the City of New Orleans. VAPPIE and Public Official 1 exchanged personal and romantic messages and photographs via an encrypted instant messaging application, to avoid detection and continue their relationship. This exchange of messages and photographs occurred as VAPPIE continued to claim only a professional relationship with Public Official 1 and continued to serve as a member of EPU. Near the conclusion of an NOPD administrative investigation into his alleged wrongdoing, VAPPIE attempted to influence the Interim Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department into exonerating him. During an interview with FBI agents at VAPPIE’s residence on July 14, 2023, VAPPIE made several false statements, including that VAPPIE did not have, and had never had, a physical or romantic relationship with Public Official 1, that VAPPIE had never kissed Public Official 1, and that VAPPIE had never told Public Official 1 that VAPPIE loved Public Official 1. For each count of wire fraud, VAPPIE faces up to twenty (20) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For the false statements count, VAPPIE faces up to five (5) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General and the Metropolitan Crime Commission. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Coordinator, are in charge of the prosecution.