title: Hobbs Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking and Federal Firearms Offenses

body_text: Albuquerque – A federal judge sentenced a Hobbs man to federal prison for cyberstalking Jane Doe and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition which he used to shoot and murder her in 2022. Guadalupe Antonio Navarrete , 37, of Hobbs, New Mexico, was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 6 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2022, deputies from the Lea County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to Navarrete’s residence in Hobbs following a report of an unwanted subject on the premises. Upon arrival, they discovered Jane Doe deceased from a gunshot wound to the temple in the driver’s seat of her vehicle. In the days and weeks preceding her death, Navarrete had sent multiple threatening text messages and voicemails to Jane Doe, including a threat to shoot her mere hours before she was killed and a threating voicemail only minutes before shooting her. Investigators determined that Navarrete was sitting in the rear passenger seat of Jane Doe’s vehicle when he fired a gun through front passenger headrest, striking her through the temple while she was seated in the driver’s seat and leaning over the front passenger area. On March 10, 2023, Navarrete pled guilty to cyberstalking resulting in life threatening bodily injury and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Lea County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and Mark A. Saltman prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

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

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, Cameron Antonious Lee, 27, was found in possession of a firearm by MBN Agents and Capitol Police Officers at a driver’s license checkpoint during a crime suppression operation in Jackson involving multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Lee was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Vernon Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Glen Buehler, 68, of Vernon, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday to a 30-month term of imprisonment, following his guilty plea to possessing child pornography, also referred to as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Buehler to serve a 15-year term of supervised release following his release from prison, and pay $33,000 in restitution to victims of his offense. According to court records, on February 2, 2023, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire police detective was conducting an online investigation of the BitTorrent network, looking for individuals sharing CSAM. A BitTorrent user was identified as sharing likely CSAM files, and a download of some of those files occurred on the evening of February 2, 2023. After the source of the files was determined to likely be in Vermont, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Derby, Vermont. HSI’s investigation revealed the source of the files downloaded from BitTorrent to likely be Buhler’s residence in Vernon, Vermont. A federal search warrant was executed on April 3, 2023, resulting in the seizure of a number of Buehler’s electronic devices. A forensic examination of the devices revealed over 4,000 video and image files of CSAM. During an interview, Buehler admitted to agents that he had downloaded the materials, and also admitted he knew that others could obtain the materials from his devices using peer-to-peer software. After Buehler appeared in federal court on charges of possessing CSAM, he was ordered released on pretrial conditions that included monitoring of his electronic devices. That monitoring revealed that Buehler continued to access CSAM while on pretrial release. A second federal search warrant was executed at Buehler’s residence on June 6, 2023, resulting in the seizure of additional electronic devices that were determined to contain CSAM. Buehler was thereafter remanded to custody for violating his conditions of release. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of agents of Homeland Security Investigations, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department, the New Hampshire ICAC, the Vermont ICAC, and the detectives of the Office of the Vermont Attorney General’s Criminal Division. He also thanked the Vermont State Police and the Brattleboro Police Department for their assistance. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Buehler is represented by the Assistant Federal Public Defender Mary Nerino. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section(CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Grand jury indicts Butler County man for sexually exploiting toddler on Snapchat

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A Middletown man has been indicted for sexually exploiting a toddler. The defendant shared the alleged sexually explicit conduct on Snapchat. A federal grand jury returned the indictment against Daveion Wright, 31, on March 20. According to the indictment, on at least five instances in January 2024, Wright sexually exploited a 2-year-old victim and shared the explicit conduct on Snapchat. Law enforcement officials ask members of the public to call the FBI at 513-979-8821 if you believe you have information related to victimization of other minors by Wright. Sexually exploiting a minor is a federal crime punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison. Wright has also been charged locally and those charges remain pending. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and Middletown Acting Police Chief Eric Crank announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Laplace Resident Sentenced to  Twelve Months for Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Applications for Cares Act Financial Assistance and Post-Hurricane Ida Disaster Assistance

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LYNN SCHOFIELD , age 60, a resident of LaPlace, La., was sentenced on March 19, 2024 by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to twelve (12) months in prison, with six (6) months to be spent in home detention, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. Judge Vitter also sentenced SCHOFIELD to three (3) years of supervised release and ordered her to repay $282,650 in restitution to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”). SCHOFIELD conspired to prepare and file fraudulent applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). SCHOFIELD’ s son, Bashir Schofield (“Bashir”), and daughter, Munira Schofield (“Munira”), have also been charged for their roles in the offense. According to court documents, LYNN SCHOFIELD , Bashir, and Munira submitted applications to fraudulently obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans. Each defendant submitted at least one fraudulent loan application. All applications falsely represented that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business by overinflating gross receipts. The entities either did not exist or earned far less money than reported. They also mis-represented that the loan proceeds were for business purposes, when, in fact, the defendants intended to use the money for personal purposes. LYNN SCHOFIELD submitted fraudulent applications for two entities she claimed to own, AfroTouch, Inc., and Afromerica Touch 360, LLC. She also submitted a modification request that contained false information about Afromerica Touch 360, LLC, that resulted in her fraudulent receipt of an additional $145,000 from the SBA. Further, LYNN SCHOFIELD defrauded the SBA in connection with Hurricane IDA disaster assistance. As a result, she received over $50,000 to which she was not entitled. In total, LYNN SCHOFIELD admitted that this conspiracy caused an approximate $282,650 loss to the SBA. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Greenfield Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children in Person and Online, via Instagram, Snapchat, and X (Twitter) Account “maps.syb”

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Bobby Cyprus Linhart, 22, of Greenfield, Indiana has been charged with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. According to the complaint, on May 13, 2023, investigators with the Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force (HCMCETF) received a tip from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children regarding suspected files of child sexual abuse material that had been uploaded to accounts on popular social media sites, Instagram, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter) by a user called “maps.syb.” According to the complaint, “Maps.syb” was an account used by Bobby Linhart. Linhart was allegedly engaging in sexually explicit conversations with girls who identified themselves to be between the ages of 12 and 15 years old. In addition to having sexually explicit conversations, Linhart was able to coerce the children to produce and send to him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. Linhart also allegedly arranged to meet minors in person to engage in sexual activity. HCMCETF discovered that Linhart traveled to at least three different cities, one which was out of state, to have sex or attempt to have sex with underage children. In at least one of these instances, Linhart sexually abused a 12-year-old girl. Further, Linhart distributed videos and pictures of children that he had obtained from various victims to another child. On March 19, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Linhart’s home in Greenfield and recovered 40 THC vape pens, marijuana, fentanyl drug test kits, suspected cocaine, LSD, and Xanax, and a Springfield XD 9mm handgun. They further seized devices containing evidence of possession of sexually explicit depictions of children. Investigators believe that Linhart messaged and abused other victims. If you or your child believe you have been a victim of “map.syb” or Bobby Linhart, please contact 317-595-3300 or online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=945# Hamilton County Metro Child Exploitation Task Force (affiliate of the Indiana Crimes Against Children Task Force) and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating this case. Should Linhart be convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston and Meredith Wood, who are prosecuting this case. This investigation is being conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts. 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. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possessing Cars Stolen from Norfolk Southern Railyard

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MATHEW MAYE , age 25, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 19, 2024 to five years of probation, including six months of home detention, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possessing goods stolen from an interstate shipment. According to court documents, on March 29, 2023, MAYE and others, stole a 2023 Ford F-150 and 2023 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility. Over the next week, MAYE was captured on surveillance video driving the stolen F-150 and riding as a passenger in the stolen Bronco Sport. 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. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Three Armed Commercial Robberies

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Gary Leon Holloway, Jr., age 46, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to committing an armed robbery and to using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department, and Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department. According to his guilty plea, in January 2020, Holloway and his co-conspirators planned and committed armed robberies of three businesses. Specifically, on January 4, January 15, and January 22, Holloway and at least one of his co-defendants robbed cellphone stores in Ellicott City, Glen Burnie, and Dundalk, Maryland, respectively. Holloway brandished a gun in each robbery and he and his co-defendant stole cellphones and other electronic devices. In the first robbery, Holloway and his co-defendant also stole the wallets of two employees and in the third robbery, they forced the employees to open and empty the safe and stole cash in addition to the cellphones and electronic devices. After the third robbery on January 22, 2020, Holloway and two co-defendants (the other robber and the get-away driver) were arrested. Detectives later learned that Holloway was related to two of his co-defendants. Holloway and the government have agreed that, if the Court accepts the plea agreement, Holloway will be sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson has scheduled sentencing for June 21, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Former Kentucky Probation and Parole Officer Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Women Under His Supervision and Covering Up His Misconduct

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Ronald Raye Tyler, 56, of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison and two years of supervised release for using his former position as a probation and parole officer at the Kentucky Department of Corrections to engage in unwanted sexual contact with women under his supervision. In December 2023, Tyler admitted to engaging in unwanted sexual contact with three women who were under his supervision and to making false statements during an interview with the Kentucky State Police for the purpose of obstructing an investigation into allegations that he had sexually assaulted women under his supervision. “The defendant is being held accountable for preying upon women who were under his supervision because of their probationary status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Probation officers should not use their position of authority to make unlawful and unwanted sexual advances on women, regardless of whether they are in custody or on probation. The Justice Department will continue to pursue justice for victims of sexual misconduct and hold law enforcement accountable for their actions.” “I commend the FBI Louisville Field Office and Louisville Metro Police Department for their outstanding work in investigating this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “Citizens involved in our system of justice have every right to be treated with respect and dignity by employees within the system who exercise authority over them. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those employees who abuse their positions of trust.” “When allegations of abuse of power are brought to our attention, the FBI will stop at nothing to uncover all of the relevant facts,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “In this case, these women were preyed upon by an officer whose duty it was to protect them. Our hope is that today’s sentencing will bring some semblance of closure to the victims and their families, send a message that we will not ignore such egregious behavior, and begin to restore the public’s trust in law enforcement that was once placed in this officer.” The FBI Louisville Field Office and Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit jointly investigated the case through the Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorneys Tara Allison and Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Repeat felon sentenced after being caught again with a firearm

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to seven years and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Sept. 23, 2021, Richmond Police officers recognized Lamar Javon Williams, 31, who was in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a black bag across his chest. Williams got out of the car without the bag and entered the store. As Williams was returning to the car, an officer approached Williams and briefly spoke with him before Williams walked away from the scene. The officers then spoke to the driver, who had a handgun in his pants pocket. Officers recovered Williams’ bag from the passenger side floorboard. Inside the bag were a loaded handgun, a debit card with Williams’ name, and a “corner baggie” with 3.8 grams of heroin and fentanyl. In 2012, Williams was convicted of malicious wounding in Richmond Circuit Court after he shot a man in the chest with a shotgun in December 2010. In 2014, while on a suspended sentence for the malicious wounding conviction, Williams was convicted of possessing a firearm as a violent felon. As a previously convicted felon, Williams could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition. After obtaining a warrant for his arrest, officers located Williams at a gas station on March 25, 2022, and approached his car to arrest him. Williams sped off, almost hitting the police car. Williams was arrested after a brief chase, and was found in possession of a corner baggie of fentanyl and 10 Xanax pills. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Peter Duffey prosecuted the case. 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. 3:22-cr-158.


title: Madison Man Sentenced to 54 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearm While on Federal Supervision

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ramogi Carr, 22, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 54 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and while under federal supervision. Carr pleaded guilty to the firearm charge on January 10, 2024. On March 16, 2021, Carr received a sentence of 15 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Carr started his term of supervised release on September 13, 2021, and on September 6, 2022, a warrant was issued for the Carr’s arrest, alleging that he violated the conditions of his supervised release after he was charged in Dane County Circuit Court with misdemeanor resisting or obstructing an officer. On May 2, 2023, law enforcement officers located Carr in McFarland, Wisconsin, as he and another individual were getting into a vehicle. Officers attempted to arrest Carr when the vehicle pulled into a parking lot in Madison, but Carr fled on foot. Officers caught up to Carr and took him into custody. While searching Carr incident to arrest, officers found a loaded handgun with a 30-round extended magazine and a “switch” inside of Carr’s pants. The “switch,” also known as an auto sear, converted the handgun from semi-automatic to fully automatic, making the firearm illegal to possess regardless of Carr’s felony status. At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Carr’s criminal behavior appeared to be escalating. Judge Conley also stressed the danger that Carr posed to the community when he chose to carry a firearm that was converted to a fully automatic machinegun. The charge against Carr was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department, Fitchburg Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Bronx Daycare Provider Pleads Guilty To Sexual Exploitation Of A Child And Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SILFREDO CASTILLO MARTINEZ pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer to a Superseding Information charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and production of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Silfredo Castillo Martinez exploited the trust placed in him as a daycare provider by sexually abusing one of the minor children under his care and by forcing that child to perform sex acts on him. Additionally, Castillo Martinez had nearly 10,000 images depicting child pornography in his possession, all the while caring for children on a daily basis. Castillo Martinez’s conduct is reprehensible, and he now faces more than a decade in prison for his crimes.” According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information and the Complaint filed on March 10, 2023: From in or about July 2015 through in or about at least May 3, 2022, CASTILLO MARTINEZ operated a licensed daycare facility for children at his residence in the Bronx, New York (the “Daycare Facility”). From at least in or about May 2018 through at least in or about July 2018, CASTILLO MARTINEZ induced an 11-year-old minor (“Minor Victim-1”) who attended the Daycare Facility to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him at the Daycare Facility while CASTILLO MARTINEZ recorded that conduct on his cellphone and camera. On or about May 3, 2022, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at CASTILLO MARTINEZ’s residence and seized several electronic devices belonging to CASTILLO MARTINEZ. Those devices contained, among other things, several images and a video containing child pornography depicting Minor Victim-1 and approximately 9,800 other images depicting child pornography. * * * CASTILLO MARTINEZ, 34, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of production of child pornography and sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. CASTILLO MARTINEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Engelmayer on June 25, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The minimum and 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 the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Delligatti is in charge of the prosecution.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on March 20, 2024, DARRON BLUE , age 27, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). According to court documents, on October 1, 2023, following a shooting in downtown New Orleans, police officers developed BLUE as a suspect and secured an arrest warrant for him and a search warrant for his residence. During the execution of the search warrant, New Orleans police officers seized a firearm, specifically, a Smith & Wesson Model SW40VE, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, as well as .40 and .45 caliber ammunition. At sentencing, BLUE , faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit. * * *


title: West Decatur Resident Pleads Guilty to Producing and Possessing Materials Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of West Decatur, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on March 20, 2024, to charges of production and possession of materials depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Jon Osewalt, 30, pleaded guilty to Counts Two and Four of the Indictment before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in and around April 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Osewalt produced images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, in and around December 2020, Osewalt possessed images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for July 31, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 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 the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Osewalt. This case was brought as a 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: Ohio Man Arrested for Decades-Long Scheme to Conceal His Involvement in the Rwandan Genocide

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An Ohio man has been charged in Boston, Mass. for a nearly three-decade scheme to conceal his alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which left more than 800,000 people dead. The defendant is also charged with obstruction of justice and with perjury for allegedly offering false testimony in the 2019 Boston trial of his former classmate and now-convicted Rwandan genocide perpetrator Jean Leonard Teganya. The defendant allegedly participated in the killing of Tutsi men, women and children by striking them on the head with a nail-studded club and then hacking them to death with a machete. Eric Tabaro Nshimiye, a/k/a Eric Tabaro Nshimiyimana, 52, of Uniontown, Ohio, has been charged in a criminal complaint with falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme or device; obstruction of justice; and perjury. Nshimiye was arrested this morning in Ohio and was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in Northern District of Ohio. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. “For nearly 30 years, Mr. Nshimiye allegedly hid the truth about crimes he committed during the Rwandan genocide in order to seek refuge in the United States, and reap the benefits of U.S. citizenship. Our refuge and asylum laws exist to protect true victims of persecution -- not the perpetrators. The United States will not be a safe haven for suspected human rights violators and war criminals,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to locating and prosecuting those who commit human rights violations abroad and then evade our immigration laws. We will not cease in our pursuit of identifying and bringing to justice those individuals who have participated in unthinkable war crimes and human rights abuses.” “Nshimiye is accused of lying to conceal his participation in one of the greatest human tragedies of all time. The charging documents make specific allegations about the murder and rape of ethnic Tutsis committed during his time as a medical student in Rwanda. The government alleges his testimony in the defense of a convicted genocidaire was a calculated attempt to conceal the horrific crimes committed during the genocide, further distancing himself from his participation in these horrific events, and avoiding consequences of his actions,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Homeland Security Investigations and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center agents spend years investigating cases of alleged human rights violators and war criminals, interviewing survivors, and working alongside historians, in an effort to uncover the true history of perpetrators and hold them accountable for their actions. We are tireless in our pursuit of those who seek to use the United States as a haven from justice.” According to the charging documents, Nshimiye was a medical student at the University of Rwanda campus in Butare, Rwanda in the early 1990s. At that time, the country had significant ethnic division: about 85% of its population were Hutus, and about 14% were Tutsis. Both Nshimiye and Teganya were well-known student members of the MRND political party, the ruling Hutu-dominated party that incited the genocide, and the Interahamwe, the notoriously violent youth wing of that movement. According to court documents, in the spring of 1994, after the Hutu president’s plane was shot down over Kigali, the country spiraled into one of the worst ethnic genocides in modern history. Members of the Hutu majority murdered approximately 800,000 Tutsis, including women and children, in a 100-day frenzy. It is alleged that Nshimiye participated in the killing of Tutsi men, women and children by striking them on the head with a nail-studded club and then hacking them to death with a machete. The charging documents allege specific instances of Nshimiye’s criminal conduct, including his murders of a 14-year-old boy and of a man who sewed doctor’s coats at the university hospital. Witnesses in Rwanda recently identified the locations of the killings and drew pictures of Nshimiye’s weapons. It is further alleged that Nshimiye both participated in and aided and abetted the rape of numerous Tutsi women during the genocide. According to the charging documents, Nshimiye fled Rwanda in the summer of 1994, after an attacking Tutsi rebel group drove genocidaires into the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nshimiye made his way to Kenya where, in 1995, he allegedly lied to U.S. immigration officials to gain admission to the United States as a refugee. Nshimiye emigrated to Ohio and, in subsequent years, allegedly continued to provide false information about his involvement in the Rwandan genocide to obtain lawful permanent residence and ultimately U.S. citizenship. By allegedly concealing his crimes, Nshimiye has lived and worked in Ohio since 1995. In 2017, the United States charged Teganya with fraudulently seeking asylum in the United States by similarly concealing his membership in the MRND and his involvement in the genocide. When called to testify at trial on Teganya’s behalf in 2019, Nshimiye said that neither he nor Teganya participated in the genocide. Teganya was ultimately convicted of two counts of immigration fraud and three counts of perjury in April 2019 . The complaint alleges that Nshimiye assisted Teganya in obstructing justice at Teganya’s trial and falsely testifying about Teganya’s involvement in the MRND. It is also alleged that Nshimiye perjured himself when he denied his own membership in the MRND and Interahamwe. The charging document also alleges that Nshimiye made false statements to federal agents when he was recently interviewed about his activities before coming to the United States and about the documents he signed to obtain citizenship. In response to questions, Nshimiye allegedly continued to make false statements to conceal his involvement in the genocide. The charge of falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme or device provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of perjury provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI SAC Krol; Shawn S. Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director of the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center, the Copley, Ohio Police Department and the Summit County, Ohio Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. McNeil and Amanda Beck of the National Security Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Theft of Postal Money Orders

body_text: BOSTON – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee has been indicted for allegedly embezzling over $19,000. Christine Hedges, 46, of Brockton, was indicted yesterday on one count of theft of government money. She will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the indictment, Hedges began working for USPS around 2020, most recently as a Lead Sales & Service Associate in Brockton. In this role, Hedges had the ability to generate postal money orders, including replacement money orders. Customers could obtain replacement money orders without paying any additional fees if the original money orders were lost, damaged or erroneous. During the relevant period, it is alleged that Hedges issued over $19,000 worth of replacement money orders to herself or other individuals where the original money orders were not erroneous and had not been lost or stolen, which caused the USPS to incur losses of $19,000. The charge of theft of government money provides a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Boston Man Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a money laundering conspiracy. Mark Anthony Figueroa, 50, a/k/a Angel Figueroa, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Figueroa was also ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 and forfeiture of more than $700,000. In March 2023 , Figueroa was convicted by a federal jury of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Figueroa used clandestine deliveries of cash to currency couriers to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking on behalf of Mexican drug cartels. Between February 2019 and May 2020, Figueroa conducted or attempted to conduct six money laundering transactions totaling more than $580,000 in cash. Once the couriers received the laundered cash from Figueroa, the organization Figueroa was working with transferred the funds via the U.S. banking system to Mexican accounts and exchanged it for pesos which could be used by cartels to pay for narcotics sold in the United States. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leah B. Foley and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Maryland man pleads guilty to federal gun and drug crimes in Virginia and West Virginia

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Bowie, Maryland, man pleaded guilty yesterday to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents, on Aug. 18, 2022, William Phillip McDowell, Jr, aka “Mike,” 44, was driving a rental car through Harrison County, West Virginia, with two passengers when an officer from the Clarksburg Police Department stopped the vehicle for speeding. At the time, McDowell’s driver license was suspended, and McDowell was on probation for a felony murder conviction. During a search of the vehicle, police found a pack containing a brick-size package of 997.7 grams of fentanyl, 43 baggies containing a total of 16.46 grams of fentanyl, a bag containing 8.89 grams of cocaine, and a stolen, loaded .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun. McDowell pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl for this case. On July 7, 2023, detectives with the Prince William County Police Department observed McDowell conducting what appeared to be a drug transaction in a parking lot in Woodbridge, Virginia. When McDowell returned to the passenger seat of his vehicle, the detectives detained and searched the vehicle. In the passenger seat where McDowell had been sitting, the detectives found a backpack containing a .380 caliber handgun, .380 caliber ammunition, 388 fentanyl pills, 22 grams of cocaine, a digital scale with cocaine residue, $617.85 in cash, and a wallet with McDowell’s photo identification card. McDowell pleaded guilty to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. McDowell is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug trafficking charge from the Northern District of West Virginia and a mandatory minimum of five years to be served consecutively with any other prison term and up to life in prison for the firearms charge from the Eastern District of Virginia. 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; William J. Ihlenfeld, II, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police; and Mark Kiddy, Clarksburg Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Edwards and Raizza K. Ty are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Flower prosecuted the Northern District of West Virginia case. 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 (EDVA) and the District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (NDWV) or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:23-cr-196 and 1:24-cr-59 for EDVA and Case No. 1:23-cr-42 for NDWV.


title: Broker for Colombian Money Laundering Organization Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison

body_text: BOSTON – A Colombian man was sentenced yesterday for his role in a sophisticated money laundering organization that laundered approximately $1 million in proceeds from drug trafficking through United States banks. Luis Fernando Galindo Ramos, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 38 months in prison. In December 2023, Galindo Ramos pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, seven counts of laundering of monetary instruments and eight counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. Galindo Ramos was arrested in Cali, Colombia in November 2021 and extradited to the United States in June 2023. In or about August 2016, Galindo Ramos was identified as a member of a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Cali, Colombia that laundered approximately $1 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States – including banks in Massachusetts – by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). As a money broker for the organization, Galindo Ramos arranged the domestic transfer of substantial amounts of bulk cash within the United States. He maintained the security of those funds during the transfers through the exchange of passcodes. The funds were subsequently integrated into bank accounts located in the United States and held in the names of businesses and individuals in order to repay drug suppliers in Colombia. By using the BMPE, Galindo Ramos conspired to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement. Approximately $550,000 in laundered bulk currency was seized during the investigation. Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Galindo Ramos. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: March Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Darrius Malik Brown. Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number; Receipt of a Firearm While Under Indictment for a Felony. Brown, 25, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a handgun with the serial number removed. Brown allegedly possessed a firearm while he was under indictment. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-083 Lee Scott Holt; Jennifer Charisa Harrington. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Counts 1 and 2); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 4); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Prior Conviction Allegation for a Serious Drug Felony (Count 5) (superseding). Holt, 59, and Harrington, 48, of Collinsville, are charged with possessing a firearm knowing they’d been convicted of felonies in various states. They both allegedly possessed methamphetamine while maintaining a residence for distribution of drugs. They are further charged with possessing a firearm while drug trafficking. Holt is a Cherokee Nation member. Homeland Security Investigations, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Cherokee Nation Marshals are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher and Justin Bish are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-050 Jonathan Eliezer Miranda Juarez. Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor (superseding). Juarez, 29, of Commerce, is charged with transporting a minor victim with intent to engage in sexual activity Aug. 2023. He is further charged with knowingly persuading and coercing a minor victim from Aug. 2020 through Aug. 2023. The Homeland Security Investigations, Indiana Delphi Police Department, Commerce Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-347 Adam Joseph King. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country (Counts 1 & 3); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country (Counts 2 & 4) King, 35, of Pryor and a member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act with a minor victim under 12 years old. He is further charged with allegedly causing and engaging in abusive sexual contact with the same victim. The FBI and Catoosa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chantelle Dial and Valeria Luster are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-081 Bryon Alan Lee. Production of Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country; Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender. Lee, 31, of Sapulpa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with using a victim under 12 years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. He is further charged with receiving, distributing, and possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Lee allegedly committed a felony offense involving a minor child while being required to register as a sex offender. The Homeland Security Investigations Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse, and Sapulpa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-084 Cameron Lynn. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Lynn, 33, of Tulsa and a member of the Choctaw Nation, is charged with willfully and deliberately killing Alcides Monroig in Feb. 2024. Lynn allegedly used a dangerous weapon to do bodily harm to a separate victim. He is further charged with using a firearm in a crime of violence which resulted in serious bodily injury. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Stephen Flynn are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-076 Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen; Tait Hunter Jaco; Tam Duc Nguyen; Trinh Nguyen. Drug Conspiracy; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute (superseding). Hong Nguyen, 44, Jaco, 32, Tam Nguyen, 56, and Trinh Nguyen, 36, of Tulsa are charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine in Nov. 2023. Hong Nguyen and Jaco were also charged for maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Jaco was further charged for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-407 Dustin Colby Phillips. Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Phillips, 37, of Vinita and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with assaulting a victim that resulted in serious bodily injury. The FBI and Vinita Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Flynn is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-077 Eron Torres-Gaytan; Donald Edward Beckett; John Harden Tucker. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Manufacturing of Methamphetamine (Count 2); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 3 and 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 5); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 6). Torres-Gaytan, 27, a Mexican national; Beckett, 30, of Mounds; Tucker, 54, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in Feb. 2024. Torres-Gaytan allegedly manufactured and possessed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Beckett is further charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Torres-Gaytan and Tucker are charged with allegedly maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Torres-Gaytan is charged with being an alien residing in the United States after being removed in Sep. 2021. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-079 Hank Sallee Williams. Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death; Distribution of Fentanyl to a Minor; Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony. Williams, 23, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly distributing fentanyl, which resulted in the death of Xander Tewis. Williams allegedly distributed fentanyl to someone under 21 years old and used a telephone for communication while drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-080


title: Former Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy Sentenced to 234 Months for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Todd Eric Tripp, age 35, of Sorrento, Louisiana, to 234 months in federal prison following his conviction for receipt of child pornography. Tripp must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment, and he must complete sex offender treatment. The Court also ordered Tripp to pay $9,000 in restitution and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon his release. Tripp, a former Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy, used a multimedia instant messaging application to obtain child pornography from multiple victims. From March 2020 and continuing until October 2020, Tripp received at least 15 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Tripp was previously convicted and sentenced for child sexual exploitation and abuse crimes. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the York County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Edward H. Warner and Criminal Chief Jamie A. Flowers Jr. 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Raleigh County Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ashley Nicole Luster, 28, of Sophia, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Luster sold approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Beckley apartment complex while aided and abetted by co-defendant Angelo Johnson. Luster admitted that she handed the controlled substances over after Johnson took the money. Luster is scheduled to be sentenced on July 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Johnson, 28, of Beckley, was sentenced on December 8, 2023 to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-13. ###


title: Recidivist Sacramento Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Michael Joseph Taylor, 39, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to two counts of distributing child sexual abuse material and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in 2022 and 2023, Taylor used Reddit and Facebook Messenger to distribute multiple images depicting the sexual exploitation of children. During this same period, Taylor also possessed images and videos depicting child sexual abuse in two Google Drive accounts that he controlled. At the time he engaged in this criminal conduct, Taylor was on federal supervised release in Sacramento following a 2021 conviction for failing to register as a sex offender. Taylor was previously convicted in Oregon state court for attempted sexual abuse of a minor. This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, which includes the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case. Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on June 27, 2024. Taylor faces a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison on each distribution count, as well as a maximum of 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison on the possession count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Repeat Felon Pleads to Illegal Possession of Firearms and Distribution of Crack Cocaine

body_text: WASHINGTON – Donnie Wise, 27, a repeat felon from Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to possessing two illegal firearms and distribution quantities of cocaine base and cocaine at his Southeast apartment, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Wise pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2024. According to court documents, on January 18, 2023, at about 6 a.m., members of the MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division executed a search warrant at Wise’s apartment on the 1900 block of 18 th Street, SE. Law enforcement found Wise sitting inside his bedroom. Once handcuffed, Wise told police he was the only one who resided in the apartment. The kitchen was filled with drug making equipment that included digital scales, baking soda, empty zip lock bags. Officers searched Wise’s bedroom and, next to his bed, recovered a Zastava Arms ZPAP92 7.62 x 39mm firearms with 30 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber. Officers also located a Glock 17, 9 mm pistol in the same room with 26 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. Police additionally recovered a 50-round magazine containing 15 rounds, a Zigana gun box containing two magazines, 39 rounds of .40 caliber ammo, a baggie containing empty yellow pill capsules, 21 grams of cocaine base, and 85 grams of cocaine on a shelf over a television. DNA linked Wise to the Glock 17. Wise faces a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment on the felon in possession charge and up to 20 years for distributing cocaine base. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was conducted under the auspices of Project Safe Neighborhoods and investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division in concert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.


title: Franklin Man Indicted on Child Exploitation and Immigration Offenses

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – A Franklin, Tennessee, man is facing federal criminal charges after law enforcement officers executed multiple search warrants and discovered child pornography and fraudulent immigration documents, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. The indictment, returned yesterday by a federal grand jury, charges Camilo Campos-Hurtado, 63, with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, one count of using or possessing fraudulent immigration documents, and one count of possessing an identification document or authentication feature which was stolen or produced without lawful authority. If convicted, Campos-Hurtado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica R. Morrison and Kathryn Risinger are prosecuting the case. If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of, or have any information about, the conduct alleged in the indictment, please contact the Franklin Police Department at (615) 550-6829 or the Department of Homeland Security at (866) 347-2423. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: Lake Mary Woman Pleads Guilty To Stealing Almost $150,000 Of Veterans Affairs Funds

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Priscilla Sumner (70, Lake Mary) has pleaded guilty to theft of government money. Sumner faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. As part of her plea, she has agreed to forfeit $149,084.45, the proceeds of her criminal conduct. Sumner is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2024. According to the plea agreement, Sumner was the fiduciary for a disabled family member’s Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. In February 2015, Sumner failed to notify the VA of a change in the beneficiary’s living situation that would have reduced the benefits amount. She used the excess funds, which were no longer needed to care for the disabled veteran, to pay her own personal expenses and falsified VA accounting forms to cover up her misuse of the funds. This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Suzanne Huyler and Matthew Del Mastro.


title: Pittsburgh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Cocaine and Heroin Offenses

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa.- A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on James Patrick Lewis Jr., 31. According to information presented to the Court, from September 21, 2020, to February 4, 2021, Lewis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine. During the course of the investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, a confidential source made six controlled purchases of heroin/fentanyl from Lewis, each of which occurred in the area of the defendant’s residence/stash house. Search warrants were then executed, and agents recovered over 900 grams of cocaine, 36 grams of heroin, oxycodone pills, bulk marijuana, a money counter, over $12,000, three firearms (including a polymer frame firearm, commonly referred to as a “ghost gun”), and loaded magazines. A loaded firearm also was recovered from the center console of Lewis’s vehicle. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hardy stated that the defendant had a significant criminal history for his relative youth and needed to reverse the course of his life and refrain from committing further crimes. Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lewis. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Recidivist Drug Trafficker and Illegal Firearms Possessor Indicted for Semiautomatic Firearm Violation

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa.- A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Ernest Lee Terry, 45, as the sole defendant in this case. The charge initially was brought in the form of a federal criminal complaint filed after Terry’s March 14, 2024, arrest. Additional information regarding that complaint can be found here . According to the Indictment, on or about March 14, 2024, Terry possessed a .45 caliber Ruger semiautomatic pistol after having been convicted of seven prior felonies—including drug trafficking and firearms charges. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition. The Indictment further alleges that Terry is subject to enhanced penalties as an Armed Career Criminal due to his numerous prior convictions. The law provides for a maximum possible sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life 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 offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas C. Maloney and Vincent Joseph Sonson are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Hoboken Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for $1.5 Million Fraud Scheme that Targeted over 100 Non-Profit Victims, Including Schools and Religious Institutions

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for stealing over $1.5 million from over 100 victims made up mainly of non-profits, private schools, and religious institutions throughout New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Yezenia Castillo, 47, of Hoboken, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, to an information charging her with one count each of wire fraud and tax evasion. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2012 through 2021, Castillo falsely claimed to be a CPA who could provide various financial and accounting services to non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey, including private schools and religious institutions. Castillo was not a CPA and never provided any of these promised services. After she was hired, Castillo used various ways to steal from her clients, including collecting fees for services that she never performed and transferring client funds to herself without authorization. Castillo also collected funds from clients by falsely claiming she would use it to pay their taxes, but she instead kept the money. To conceal her fraud, Castillo told victims that she had filed and paid their taxes, and she falsified receipts to make it appear to the victims as if their taxes were paid. Castillo defrauded over 100 victims, resulting in financial losses totaling over $1.5 million. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Castillo to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $3.25 million and forfeiture of $3.25 million. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William Woolard; and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.


title: Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development Jointly Issue Resource on Protections for Rental Housing Applicants and Tenants

body_text: The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) jointly published today a resource for rental housing applicants and tenants about their rights under federal laws related to tenant background checks, also referred to as tenant screening reports. The Justice Department and HUD enforce the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and other civil rights statutes, and the FTC and CFPB enforce the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). “Rental housing applicants and tenants across our country should not be denied housing opportunities because of unjust background checks and discriminatory screening policies,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Landlords and background check companies cannot use or ask for unnecessary information to deny someone housing. Today we are shining a light on the bad practices that can emerge when landlords maintain unjust screening policies, ensuring that applicants and tenants know their rights, and that housing providers and background check companies are on notice regarding their obligations under federal law.” “Mistakes in your background check shouldn’t cost you a home or create one more hurdle to overcome as you search for affordable housing,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “This collaboration among FTC, CFPB, HUD and the Justice Department helps consumers know their rights, and what to do if landlords or background check companies break the law.” “Tenants have rights when landlords deny housing based on tenant screening reports,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. “These reports often rely on hidden data and complex algorithms and can cause serious harm to families seeking housing. Anyone who thinks they were wrongly denied housing because of a tenant screening report can file a complaint with the CFPB.” “People seeking housing have a right to be free from discrimination, including during the tenant screening process,” said HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Demetria McCain. “HUD is excited to be a part of the release of this joint agency resource that contains important information about the Fair Housing Act's protections against discriminatory background checks. We encourage anyone who suspects they are being discriminated against to file a complaint with HUD.” The new resource provides information about how tenant background checks work, what kinds of background information a landlord might receive from tenant background check companies, how applicants and tenants can respond if they think that information is wrong and their rights under federal laws. It also explains that, in some instances, tenant background checks can lead to illegal discrimination, even if there is no factual error in the report. The FHA makes it illegal for tenant background check companies and housing providers to discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, national origin, color, sex, religion, disability or familial status. A landlord cannot reject an application or treat an applicant or tenant differently than other applicants or tenants because of any of these characteristics. Actions of a tenant background check company or a landlord can also be illegal if they use or encourage the use of irrelevant or unnecessary information to deny individuals housing, and this negatively affects some groups more than others – this may be discrimination even if the tenant background check company or landlord does not intend to discriminate. The resource also explains an individual’s rights under the FCRA, including the right to request a free copy of a report from the tenant background check company if a landlord makes a negative housing decision because of something included in the report and the right to dispute errors on a report. Tenant background check companies are required to take reasonable steps to ensure the information in tenant background check reports is accurate and to investigate within 30 days when someone disputes errors in their report. Read the joint resource here. Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination can submit a report to the Justice Department online at www.civilrights.justice.gov . Such individuals also may contact HUD at 1-800-669-9977 or file a complaint with HUD online . Individuals can submit a report to the FTC in English at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or in Spanish at ReporteFraude.ftc.gov . To submit a report to the FTC in other languages, call (877) 382-4357 and press 3 to speak to an interpreter in your language. Lines are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Individuals can submit a complaint to the CFPB online or call the CFPB at (855) 411-2372 | TTY/TDD: (855) 729-2372 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday (except federal holidays). Help by phone is available in more than 180 languages.


title: Philadelphia Drug Trafficker Who Sought to Have Witness Killed Sentenced to More Than 51 Years in Prison for Narcotics and Gun Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Luis Algarin-Torres, 34, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond to 622 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for distribution of narcotics and firearms possession offenses. On March 10, 2018, Drug Enforcement Administration agents executed a search at the defendant’s home on the 4000 block of North Reese Street in Philadelphia. In a hidden compartment above a kitchen ceiling light fixture, agents found more than $28,000 in cash, 34 grams of cocaine, and a loaded firearm that had been modified to fire automatically. Prior to trial, the defendant pleaded guilty to a number of narcotics offenses, including possession of the 34 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute, and pleaded not guilty to two gun charges. On March 31, 2023, after a three-day trial on those charges, the jury found the defendant guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The jury further found that the firearm had been modified to fire automatically. The evidence also showed that while awaiting trial, the defendant recruited another inmate to try to kill a witness who was scheduled to testify against the defendant. “Luis Algarin-Torres received a very long prison sentence because he’s a career offender and very dangerous man,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “For years, this large-scale drug trafficker helped flood Philadelphia with poison, and after he was arrested for it, tried to have a witness killed to better his chances at trial. Putting violent criminals like this out of business and behind bars makes our community a safer place.” “Algarin-Torres was convicted at trial on federal drug and firearms charges, to include a firearm that was modified to fire automatically,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “Of particular concern was that in addition to his drug and firearms charges, the evidence showed that Algarin-Torres attempted to orchestrate the murder of a federal witness that was scheduled to testify against him at trial. Let this 51-year prison sentence be a message that anyone who seeks to intimidate or harm a witness will face severe consequences in federal court.” The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Ignall and Meghan E. Claiborne.


title: Lake County Businessman Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Harbor Illegal Aliens

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rodrigo Hernandez-Valerio (58, Leesburg) has pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court records, Hernandez owns and operates a concrete company in Lake County. Between at least August 2002 and April 2021, approximately 87% of Hernandez’s employees were hired with false or fictitious identification information and documents. At least 57 of the 65 people employed by Hernandez during this time—including members of his own family—were not lawfully present in the United States and were ineligible to work. Despite being ineligible to work, Hernandez paid his three brothers a combined $2.5 million in their positions at his company. Hernandez admitted that he knew his family members were in the United States unlawfully when he hired them and knew the documents his brothers had provided for employment were “bad.” Hernandez’s actions in employing his brothers shielded them from detection by law enforcement within the United States. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.


title: Former Princeton Resident Indicted in Connection with Multimillion-Dollar Schemes Involving Securities Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, and Business E-Mail Compromise Fraud

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A former Princeton resident was charged today with engaging in multiple fraudulent schemes intended to steal millions of dollars from individual and institutional victims, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced. Ford Graham, 60, formerly of Princeton, New Jersey, is charged in a 29-count indictment with 14 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of securities fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, nine counts of money laundering and one count of engaging in unlawful money transactions. “As alleged in the indictment, this defendant used multiple schemes to steal millions of dollars from victims. The indictment sets forth the different strategies the defendant allegedly employed to dupe innocent third parties into giving the defendant their hard earned money. My office will continue to devote substantial resources to investigating and prosecuting fraudsters who take advantage of the financial system for illicit financial gain.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “We allege Graham used a litany of fraud schemes to steal money from his investors,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Our thorough investigation illustrates how he moved from one to the next, using millions of dollars to fund his lavish life but not his promised investments. The victims in this case, and thousands of others across the country, are losing incredible amounts of money to fraudsters who only see them as personal piggy banks. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners tackle the mountain of evidence all with the sole purpose of bringing these criminals to justice.” “Today's indictment of the defendant sends a clear message, that we have the tools and internal fortitude to protect our financial systems by investigating, prosecuting, and holding accountable, those who seek to defraud the public,” Tammy Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, said. “IRS - Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding the public.” According to the criminal complaint and statements made in court: From December 2012 to September 2013, Graham held himself out as the owner, chief executive, chairman, manager, and/or principal member of dozens of corporate entities purporting to do business under an umbrella organization, Vulcan Capital Corporation (Vulcan). Acting through and on behalf of Vulcan and its associated entities, Graham held himself out as a highly successful financier who had vast experience sponsoring complex energy and natural resource projects and other investment deals. In connection with one such investment that Graham and a Vulcan entity sponsored, one victim invested more than $2 million with Graham, relying on Graham’s misrepresentations and omissions regarding the investment. The investigation revealed that Graham misappropriated substantial amounts of the victim’s investment money and used it for his own personal benefit and enrichment – including, among other things, international vacations, private school tuition for his children, and other personal amenities – instead of the investment purpose that Graham had marketed. Through this and other fraudulent misrepresentations uncovered during the investigation, Graham caused multiple victims to lose a total of more than $2.6 million. Graham also actively participated in a scheme to defraud merchant processing institutions through fraudulent credit card transactions. From December 2017 to February 2018, Graham used at least one payment processing platform to process fraudulent charges on stolen credit card numbers that he obtained. After the payment processing platform credited Graham’s account with the payments requested, Graham quickly transferred or caused to be transferred the fraudulently obtained money to other accounts before the victim institutions could act. When requested by the victim payment processing company to provide supporting documentation, Graham submitted false documentation, including fabricated invoices and credit card authorization forms, fabricated e-mails, forged signatures, altered bank statements, and other false and fraudulent information. This scheme resulted in tens of thousands of dollars of losses and the misappropriation of multiple victims’ personal identification information. From February 2017 to June 2018, Graham conspired with others to defraud victim institutions and individuals of millions of dollars through a business email compromise scheme. Members of the conspiracy sent fraudulent e-mail communications to victims who were scheduled to make substantial outgoing wire transfers to third parties. These fraudulent e-mails created the appearance that they had been sent by the intended third-party recipients of the scheduled payments when, in fact, they were sent by members of the conspiracy. The fraudulent emails requested the victims to reroute the scheduled payments to different bank accounts that Graham and his conspirators controlled. In one instance, a fraudulent email successfully induced one victim to reroute a payment of more than $650,000 to a bank account that Graham controlled. Graham transferred or caused to be transferred substantial portions of those funds to other accounts that he controlled, and which he used and intended to use for his own personal benefit. Through the business email compromise scheme, Graham and his conspirators attempted to defraud multiple victims of at least $6 million. The wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The securities fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Each count of aggravated identity theft is punishable by a statutory mandatory consecutive sentence of two years, which must run consecutively to any other sentence. Each count of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine of $500,000 or not more than twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. The charge of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense or not more than twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transactions. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked investigators with the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, under the direction of Chief Christopher W. Gerold, for their assistance in connection with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division in Trenton. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. graham.indictment.pdf


title: Inmate At The Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, Sentenced To Serve An Additional Six Months In Prison For Possession Of Contraband

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Tyrik Brown, age 29, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 20, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to serve an additional six months in prison on the charge of possession of contraband in prison. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brown, formerly of Washington D.C., previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank.” The charge stems from an incident in April 2023 in which staff at FCI Schuylkill found Brown in possession of the weapon. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case. At the time of the incident at FCI Schuylkill, Brown was serving a sentence from Washington D.C. for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. That sentence does not expire until November 2024. The sentence imposed by Judge Mariani for the charge of possession of contraband in prison will run consecutively to the Washington D.C. sentence. # # #


title: Hanover Man Charged With Hobbs Act Robberies

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mark S. Herrick, age 47, of Hanover, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for five counts of interference and attempted interference with commerce by robbery. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that between October 24, 2023 and October 29, 2023, Herrick robbed, or attempted to rob, five different businesses with a knife. The five businesses stretched across three counties within the Middle District of Pennsylvania. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Palmyra, Swatara, and Lower Allen Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #