title: June Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the June Federal Grand Jury 2024-A 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. Adam Alshekhly. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Alshekhly, 27, transient, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was previously convicted of several felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele W. Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-177 Ronald Buckley Jr.; Terrance Vohn Morrow. Robbery in Indian Country (Count 1); Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Counts 2 & 5); Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery (Count 3); Hobbs Act Robbery (Count 4). Buckley, 38, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with taking property of value by force and using, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Buckley and Morrow, 40, of Kinta, are further charged with affecting interstate commerce by robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff's Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen J. Flynn and Kenneth Elmore are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-174 Dakota Austin Clark. Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Clark, 23, of Grove and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing visual images depicting the sexual abuse of a child under 12 years old. The FBI and Grove Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-179 Fabian Cobos Carpena. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Carpena, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Jul. 2013, at or near Del Rio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele W. Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-173 Jacob Andres Gutierrez. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Gutierrez, 25, of transient and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with breaking into an occupied dwelling with the intent to commit a crime. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele W. Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-176 Lerontez Sherod Hill; Bobbe Gene Taylor; Tashonna Leigh Anderson; Walter Jay Johnson; Kemareay Keishion Green; Jeremiah Hamlin. Kidnapping; Hobbs Act Robbery; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (second superseding). Hill, 38, of Tulsa; Taylor, 25, of Tulsa; Anderson, 36, of Bixby; Johnson, 26, of Tulsa; Green, 25, of Atoka; and Hamlin, 40 of Tulsa, are charged with kidnapping and robbery in Aug. 2021. They are further charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and in relation to robbery. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and John Brahser are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-318 Michael Vincent Martin. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling in Indian Country (Count 1); Abusive Sexual Contact by Force and Threat in Indian Country (Count 2); Tampering with a Witness by Intimidation, Threats, and Corrupt Persuasion (Counts 3 & 7); Sexual Abuse Without Consent in Indian Country (Count 4); Cyberstalking (Count 5); Tampering with a Witness by Intimidation, Threats, and Corrupt Persuasion (Count 6). Martin, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with assault by strangulation of an intimate dating partner, engaging in sexual contact by force or threat, and without consent. Martin is further charged with attempting to influence and prevent the tribal victim from testifying and communicating with law enforcement. Additionally, he is charged with cyberstalking. The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-180 Eliseo Morales-Lopez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Morales-Lopez, 28, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Mar. 2015, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-172 Lazaro Nonthe-Calvio. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Nonthe-Calvio, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Apr. 2020, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-181 Brandon Parada-Reyes. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Parada-Reyes, 27, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Feb. 2023, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-182 Mateo Pinto-Gomez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Pinto-Gomez, 35, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Feb. 2019, at or near Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Weems is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-183 Walther Fabian De La Cruz Rodriguez. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor (Counts 1 & 2); Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country (Counts 3 & 4); Production of Child Pornography (Count 5). Rodriguez, 29, a Mexican national, is charged with coercing and enticing two child victims to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with engaging in sexual acts with two child victims under the age of 16. Additionally, Rodriguez coerced and enticed a child victim to record a video depicting sexually explicit conduct. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Kate Brandon are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-175 Clifton Clay Warren. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country; Attempted Kidnapping in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Warren, 35, of Lawton and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with strangling and suffocating an intimate dating partner. He is further charged with attempting to kidnap his victim. Additionally, Warren is charged with assault that resulted in serious bodily injury. The FBI and Delaware County Sheriff’s Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-171


title: Rock County Man Sentenced to 6 1/2 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Maintaining a Drug House

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Byron D. Broomfield, 37, Beloit, Wisconsin, was sentenced on June 4, 2024, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 ½ years in federal prison for possessing firearms after a felony conviction and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Broomfield pleaded guilty to these charges on February 14, 2024. The Beloit Police Department began investigating Broomfield for drug trafficking in January 2023. During their investigation, police found evidence of substantial marijuana dealing in Broomfield’s trash. On March 6, officers stationed outside of Broomfield’s home observed Broomfield and another man enter Broomfield’s residence with an empty bag. After a short time, the other individual left the home with that same bag full. A few hours later, officers watched another two individuals drive to the home, enter the residence with an empty backpack, and leave a short time later with that backpack full. Officers stopped those individuals and found two pounds of marijuana in that backpack. The individuals told officers that they bought the marijuana from Broomfield, who was also known to associate with firearms. Police then obtained and executed a search warrant at Broomfield’s residence and found 6,599 grams of marijuana commercially packaged for distribution and a loaded Taurus G3C 9mm handgun that had Broomfield’s DNA on it. Officers also searched Broomfield’s car and found a Glock Model 19 handgun with a Glock “switch” attached, and a Masterpiece Arms Defender 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number. A Glock switch is a common name for an illegal after-market device that converts a semi-automatic handgun into a fully functioning machine gun. An obliterated serial number is a serial number that has been altered or destroyed, making it more difficult to identify the firearm or trace it to other crimes. At sentencing, Judge Conley emphasized that gun violence “plagues the nation” and added that the Beloit community was no exception. Judge Conley additionally considered the incredible danger Broomfield posed to the public by possessing a handgun with a Glock switch. This is Broomfield’s second federal felony conviction. In 2010, Broomfield was convicted of distributing cocaine in the Western District of Wisconsin. The charges against Broomfield were the result of an investigation conducted by the Beloit Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg. 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: Pair arrested for extensive CARES Act fraud conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Two individuals are now in custody for allegedly conspiring to submit numerous fraudulent applications for small business loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program provided through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities have arrested Shawn Nicholas Young, 41, Missouri City, and Trenikia Lashae Banks, 40, Houston. They will make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Bennett at 2 p.m. According to the 11-count indictment, Young and Banks devised a scheme to submit fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and several banks authorized to approve and fund PPP loans the government backed. They allegedly submitted false tax documents, including fake personal and business tax returns, to support the loan applications. The indictment alleges Young and Banks used the loan proceeds to make large cash withdrawals and to pay for unauthorized and non-business expenses such as residential mortgages, home improvement loans and the purchase of vehicles. Some of the money also went to Young as kickback payments for submitting fraudulent applications for the businesses Banks and others owned, according to the allegations. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years imprisonment for conspiracy and wire fraud as well as a $250,000 maximum possible fine. The money laundering count carries a possible 10-year prison term and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction. Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Small Business Administration – OIG and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – OIG conducted the investigation with the assistance of Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Shirin Hakimzadeh are prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Former Vice President and employee of Florida aircraft parts broker sentenced to prison for aircraft parts fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On May 28, Daniel Navarro, 50, of Miami Lakes, Florida, the former Vice President of Sofly Aviation Services (Sofly), an aviation parts distribution company, and Jorge Guerrero, 71, of Hialeah, Florida, a Procurement & Asset Management Specialist for Sofly, were sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. U.S. District Senior Judge Federico A. Moreno sentenced Navarro to 30 months in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release; and sentenced Guerrero to 12 months and 1 day in prison, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Navarro and Guerrero were ordered to pay no less than $204,055 in joint and several restitution. A $93,309.22 forfeiture order was placed on Navarro’s property. According to court records, beginning in 2012 and continuing into 2019, Navarro and Guerrero purchased “as removed” aircraft parts and resold them using certificates that falsely claimed the parts to be airworthy under the regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The fraudulent approval tags represented those “as removed” parts to be overhauled, tested/inspected or repaired, which misled their buyers into believing them to be airworthy. Most often, Navarro and Guerrero would use an FAA approved repair station’s FAA certificate number to falsely certify the part to have been overhauled, tested/inspected or repaired by that repair station, when in fact they never were. According to the court documents, those parts were sold to Canadian airlines and a U.S. Department of Defense contractor. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office, and Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG), Southern Region announced the sentences imposed. DOT OIG conducted this investigation jointly with DCIS and with assistance from the FAA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Keller prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Klco handled asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under Case No. 23-CR-20416. ###


title: Harrison Man Sentenced To 55 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting and Abusing a 5-Year-Old Female

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE – A Harrison man was sentenced yesterday to 660 months imprisonment without the possibility of parole on two (2) Counts of Sexually Exploiting a Minor via the Production of Child Pornography. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. According to Court documents, in July of 2023, a five-year old female disclosed to her mother that Aaron Micheal Ricketts, age 32 , had been sexually abusing her. The minor subsequently disclosed in a forensic interview that Ricketts had also taken nude pictures of her. Law enforcement with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office later arrested Ricketts and seized his cellular phone. A subsequent forensic examination of the cellular phone revealed multiple sexually explicit images and videos documenting Rickett’s sexual abuse of the minor starting when she was four years old. At sentencing, the United States presented the Court with evidence that Ricketts also distributed images of the minor on the internet and solicited images from other purported minors in exchange. U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harrison Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Distributor of “Pedo Lives Matter” child pornography chatroom sent to prison

body_text: HOUSTON – A 35-year-old Spring resident has been sentenced for distributing, receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Oscar Barrios pleaded guilty Nov. 30, 2023. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett has now sentenced Barrios to 144 months for the distribution and receipt of child pornography counts and 120 months for the possession of child pornography count, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 144-month term of imprisonment. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted Barrios violated a position of trust as a father with minor children in the household. Barrios was further ordered to pay $20,500 in restitution to the victims and will serve five years life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Barrios will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Barrios distributed and received child pornography on multiple messaging applications such as Kik and Discord. He participated in chatrooms, including one named “Pedo Lives Matter,” where members engaged in trading child pornography. In these chatrooms, Barrios made statements proclaiming sexual interest in a minor female relative. During a search of his electronic devices, law enforcement uncovered 66 videos and one image of child pornography. Barrios will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Saunders and Christine Lu are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Former Fresno Sleep Clinic Owner Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Submitting Over $1.5 Million in Fraudulent Claims for Sleep Studies to Medicare and Medi-Cal

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Jeremy Gober, 43, of Hanford, was sentenced to 46 months in prison Wednesday for committing health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Gober co-owned and co-operated Got Sleep Inc., which operated sleep clinics in Fresno and Orange Counties. Sleep clinics perform diagnostic sleep studies to identify disorders like sleep apnea and narcolepsy. From August 2016 through July 2020, Jeremy Gober caused Got Sleep to submit thousands of claims to Medicare and Medi-Cal for sleep studies that were not actually performed on patients. The claims also falsely stated that the patients had been referred for the sleep studies by physicians with whom Jeremy Gober had previously worked. This was done because Medicare and Medi-Cal will not pay for a sleep study unless the patient was referred by a physician. Gober caused more than $1.5 million in fraudulent claims to be submitted and $587,000 to be paid out by Medicare and Medi-Cal. On March 11, 2024, Jeremy Gober’s brother, Travis Gober, was sentenced to 19 months in prison for his conviction in a similar health care fraud and aggravated identity theft scheme related to other sleep clinics in the Central Valley. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the California Department of Health Care Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Participate in Day Report Center Softball Tournament

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson of the Southern District of West Virginia and others from his office will be on the roster for the latest Southwestern Regional Day Report Center (SRDRC) Slow Pitch Softball Tournament. The tournament, now in its 11 th year, will start at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, June 7, 2024 at the Lick Creek Park softball fields in Danville. This year’s tournament will feature eight teams of players from the criminal justice and recovery communities including law enforcement officers, court officials, SRDRC staff and participants, and others in recovery and their loved ones. “This event shows that people can recover and do things that are positive for the community,” Thompson said. The teams hail from Boone, Lincoln, Logan and Mingo counties, which are the SRDRC’s service area. “For many people struggling with addiction, the toughest step toward recovery is the very first one: recognizing that they have a problem and deciding to make a change. We don’t want them to try recovery alone. This is where community involvement comes in,” said Judge Stacy L. Nowicki-Eldridge of West Virginia’s Twenty-Fifth Judicial Circuit (Boone and Lincoln counties). “Having positive influences and a solid support system is essential. The more people they can turn to for encouragement, guidance, and a listening ear, the better their chances for recovery. It’s important to be involved in things that they enjoy, that make them feel needed, and add meaning to their life. When their life is filled with rewarding activities and a sense of purpose, their addiction will lose its appeal. We as a community need to show our support. Remind them that they are valued, they can do this, and they are not alone.” The SRDRC provides evidence-based substance use disorder treatment and recovery services to high-risk individuals and families, and organizes and hosts the annual tournament. “This tournament brings everyone together in support of the recovery community and provides a fun, supportive event for us all to enjoy,” said SRDRC Executive Director Michelle Akers. 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. ###


title: Smyrna Man Sentenced for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Witness Tampering

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – Pierre Burns, 31, of Smyrna, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. A federal jury previously convicted him of two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of witness tampering for producing sexually explicit images of two minors and then calling one of the minors from jail to influence her trial testimony. According to the evidence at trial, in March 2020 the defendant picked up two runaway minors at a Nashville Waffle House. Over the course of the next several days, he used his phone to photograph and record the minors engaging in sexual acts. Following a traffic stop, these sexually explicit images were discovered on the defendant’s phone. One of the minors depicted in the images was in the car with the defendant during that traffic stop. While the defendant was awaiting trial on child exploitation charges, he called one of the minors from the jail in an attempt to influence her testimony. The defendant was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment with witness tampering. “Protecting minors from exploitation continues to be one of the Justice Department’s top priorities,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Today’s sentence, and the excellent investigative and trial work that preceded it, will ensure that this defendant will not get anywhere near children for the next two decades.” “This sentencing is a result of cooperation between HSI and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to rescue children being sexually exploited,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “Our investigators work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice to those who engage in the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.” The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Ahoskie Man Convicted on Federal Charges Relating to His Shooting at Hertford County Sheriff’s Deputies

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted an Ahoskie man this week on charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition. “Gun violence and attacks on law enforcement officers are an attack on the rule of law itself,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We are prioritizing any case where a felon draws, levels, or fires a gun at law enforcement. I personally met with the deputies in this case and commend their courage and poise under fire. They did their jobs honorably, and we are proud to do ours in securing this guilty verdict. The people of North Carolina should be grateful for their sacrifice and thankful they survived.” Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes stated, “July 16 changed these deputies’ lives, today justice for that horrible day has been served. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our FBI partners for their time and effort they put into the case. Thank you to the Deputies who were involved in this case – they did an outstanding job on July 16, 2023, and continue to do so today.” According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Talametrius Kenyon Spruill, 42, possessed four cartridge casings that were left behind after he fired at Hertford County Sheriff’s Deputies in the early morning hours of July 16, 2023. Deputies responded to a call about a suspicious person after a woman reported that someone was banging on her window at 3am that morning. The first responding Deputy found Spruill sitting in the front passenger seat of the homeowner’s vehicle, holding a firearm. The Deputy ordered Spruill to put the gun away when Spruill fled to the wood line behind the residence. The second Deputy saw Spruill in the wood line as he pulled up in his squad car. The Deputy immediately exited his vehicle with his gun drawn and announced, “Sheriff’s Office, Show me your hands!” as he approached Spruill, who was now crouched in a shallow drainage ditch behind a neighboring house. Spruill did not show his hands and instead fired a Glock 19 semiautomatic handgun four times at the Deputy. The Deputy retreated and returned fire while tripping over a doghouse on the property and getting bit by the resident dog. Despite the exchange of gunfire, neither the Deputy nor Spruill was struck. Spruill managed to evade Deputies and ditch his firearm in a junkyard. On the evening of July 17, 2023, Hertford County Deputies were dispatched to call about a suspicious person four miles away in Aulander, where they found Spruill attempting to crawl under his aunt’s home. Spruill was arrested and interviewed by the FBI, where he confessed that he was at the original crime scene, ran from the police, and discharged his firearm before getting rid of it in the junkyard. A video of the pursuit may be viewed here . Spruill faces a maximum penalty of 180 months in prison when sentenced on a future date. Spruill still faces state charges of two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on government officials and possession of a firearm by a felon related to this incident. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the verdict. Hertford County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Kimberly Dixon is prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.4:23-cr-00041-M-BM.


title: U.S. Trustee Program Updates Safeguards for Bankruptcy Funds Through Modernized Depository Agreement

component: U.S. Trustee Program

body_text: The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently updated safeguards for bankruptcy funds by introducing a revised and modernized form depository agreement for banks and financial institutions that accept bankruptcy estate deposits. On June 3, the USTP began transmitting the new agreement to existing authorized depositories and any banks that have expressed interest in signing up. The modernized agreement reflects the evolution in the way that the USTP, Department of the Treasury and financial institutions conduct business. The agreement was last revised in 2013. “Banks that serve as authorized depositories provide vital foundational support to the bankruptcy system by safeguarding critical recoveries,” said Director Tara Twomey of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “In modernizing this agreement, the USTP remains dedicated to ensuring broad access to banking services for debtors, including those in rural and remote areas.” The new agreement accommodates advances in technology and the reorganization of the Treasury, and it reflects changes in the methods used for safeguarding certain deposits and in applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, the new agreement aims to simplify the process for banks to become authorized depositories and streamlines two versions of the prior agreement into a single document. The changes come as the USTP continues to strengthen important safeguards for bankruptcy estate funds following recent banking instability. As the banking turmoil unfolded, the USTP undertook a comprehensive review of its systems for monitoring the deposit and collateralization of funds by trustees and other fiduciaries whom the USTP is charged to supervise. The USTP’s policies and procedures worked as intended. Even in the absence of federal intervention, all bankruptcy funds were protected from a risk of loss except where bankruptcy courts waived the safeguards. Still, the USTP found areas where changes would be beneficial due to technological updates and modernized banking practices. The modernization of the depository agreement is the product of a robust outreach process, including meetings with stakeholder groups and informational sessions for banks and software vendors that work with trustees. Under bankruptcy law, trustees and other fiduciaries, including chapter 11 debtors-in-possession, must deposit or invest bankruptcy funds with banks or financial institutions that offer products insured or guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the United States. These rules protect the deposits if the bank fails. When deposits exceed applicable deposit insurance limits, banks must “collateralize” the deposits either by obtaining a bond or pledging government securities. The USTP routinely objects to attempts to waive these safeguards in chapter 11 cases. The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders – debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust .


title: Federal Jury Convicts North Port Man Of Producing And Possessing Videos Of Minors Engaged In Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Raul Colon-Ocasio (32, North Port) guilty of producing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possessing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Colon-Ocasio faces a maximum penalty of up to 70 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19, 2024. Raul Colon-Ocasio was indicted on April 5, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2022, a mother called the police to report her minor child was missing. While trying to locate the child, the police observed social media communications between Colon-Ocasio and the child that were sexual in nature. The child was located by the police and returned home. In October 2022, an FBI Task Force Officer assumed the social media account of the child and began communicating with Colon-Ocasio. On October 18, 2022, instead of Colon-Ocasio meeting with the child, he was instead met by the police and his cellphone was seized. A subsequent forensic analysis of Colon-Ocasio’s cellphone revealed numerous videos that he had produced of two minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct that he had saved and collected on his cellphone. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office that assisted in this investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Court Sentences Grand Bay Man to 100 Months Imprisonment in Multi-Defendant Interstate Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – On June 5, 2024, United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Grande sentenced David Willis Hale to 100 months imprisonment for his role in a multi-defendant interstate methamphetamine drug trafficking conspiracy. Documents filed with the Court established that Hale was involved with five other persons to transport and distribute methamphetamine from Texas to Mobile County, Alabama. Hale served as a drug courier in the organization. On numerous occasions Hale transported methamphetamine from Lafayette, Louisiana, where he met another courier (co-defendant Daniel Castillo Garcia) working for the Texas supplier (co-defendant Christopher Perales). Hale would then transport the methamphetamine back to Mobile for David Eric Crumpton and Heather Jeanean Boone. On August 3, 2020, Hale was stopped in Hancock County, Mississippi with $8,000 in U.S. currency, given to him by Boone to purchase approximately one pound of methamphetamine from Perales. On December 28, 2020, Hale was stopped in Harrison County, Mississippi, with approximately 300 grams of crystal methamphetamine that he was in the process of delivering to Crumpton in Mobile. Crumpton had ordered the methamphetamine from Perales and then directed Hale to meet Castillo-Garcia in Lafayette, LA to obtain the methamphetamine. Crumpton, Castillo Garcia and another member of the conspiracy, Julie Alesia Roberts, have already been sentenced by the Court. Perales and Boone will be sentenced in the future. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mobile Police Department, Narcotics Unit, the Harrison and Hancock County, Mississippi, Sherriff’s Offices and the Galveston County Texas Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Leader of Brooklyn-Based Ninedee Gang Convicted of Racketeering and the Murder of a Former Government Witness

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A federal jury in Brooklyn today returned a guilty verdict against Maliek Miller, a leader of the Ninedee Gang, a violent criminal enterprise operating out of the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York, on all counts of a second superseding indictment charging him with racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in-aid-of racketeering, murder in-aid-of racketeering, unlawful use and possession of firearms, causing death through the use of firearms, being a felon in possession of ammunition and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. The verdict followed a four-week trial before United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. When sentenced, Miller faces a mandatory term of life in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict. “Today’s verdict is momentous because it holds Miller accountable for orchestrating a cowardly plot to kill a woman who bravely stood up to his Ninedee Gang, and it upholds the rule of law for the residents of the Pink Houses who just want to go about their lives and raise their children without the plague of violence and danger inflicted on them by ruthless criminals like the defendant,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The verdict ensures that Miller will spend the rest of his life in prison, which I hope provides some measure of solace to the family of Shatavia Walls.” “The perceived need for revenge never justifies murder. In 2020, Maliek Miller ordered the heinous killing of Shatavia Walls - who testified against Miller's gang - to send a message to residents in the Louis H. Pink Houses not to cooperate with law enforcement. There is no place for such egregious violence in our city, especially when used in retaliation to incite fear. May today's conviction offer some closure to Shatavia Walls's family and serve as a deterrent to gangs who use violent tactics in furtherance of their criminal activity,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “Today’s guilty verdict is another step toward eradicating gang violence in New York City,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “The NYPD will continue to partner with the FBI and everyone at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District to present solid cases for prosecution, to secure meaningful federal prison sentences, and to deliver justice for victims, their families, and our communities.” As proven at trial, Ninedee Gang members are affiliated with the “5” and “6” Pink Houses apartment buildings and have engaged in ongoing gang-related violence within and outside of the New York City Housing Authority complex. The Ninedee Gang’s main rivalry, dating back over a decade, is against the “7” and “8” buildings in the Pink Houses. Ninedee Gang protects its turf through violence, makes money by selling drugs and committing fraud and seeks to silence anyone who they perceive to be working with law enforcement. The murder of former government witness, Shatavia Walls, was coordinated by Miller and other Ninedee Gang members as part of that ongoing gang rivalry. Specifically, the victim was targeted by the Ninedee Gang because of her affiliation with the “7” and “8” buildings associated with the Makk Baller Brims gang and because she had previously testified at a federal criminal trial against a Ninedee associate in the Eastern District of New York . Prior to her testimony, fliers had been posted around the Pink Houses stating, “Shatavia Been a Rat And She Still Ratting.” On July 4, 2020, Ms. Walls and others were involved in a physical altercation with members of Ninedee, including Miller’s cousin, for lighting fireworks around young children. Miller went to the scene of the altercation, called Ms. Walls a “snitch,” fought with Ms. Walls and fired a shot in the air. Following the altercation, Miller agreed with other Ninedee Gang members to kill Ms. Walls, and set a plan to do so in motion. On July 7, 2020, Walls was spotted by a Ninedee Gang hit team, who chased her down a path at the Pink Houses. She was shot numerous times by Ninedee Gang members Quintin Green and Joe Santana. Ninedee Gang member Shakur Bey destroyed the clothing that Green and Santana wore during the shooting by throwing the items down an incinerator chute. Ninedee Gang member Kevin Wint, who was not present at the murder, rented a hotel room at a Best Western Hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport to provide a place where the shooters could hide out overnight. Ms. Walls died of her injuries ten days later. Green, Santana, and Bey have pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder and are currently awaiting sentencing. Wint pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was later sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean, Margaret Schierberl and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed and with the assistance of Intelligence Analyst Eungee Hwang and Intelligence Specialist Ashley Hinkson. The Defendant : MALIEK MILLER Age: 30 Brooklyn, New York Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty: SHAKUR BEY (also known as “Speedy) Age: 27 Brooklyn, New York QUINTIN GREEN (also known as “Wild Child”) Age: 23 Brooklyn, New York JOE SANTANA (also known as “Baby Joe”) Age: 20 Brooklyn, New York KEVIN WINT (also known as “Kev G”) Age: 30 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-331 (LDH)


title: Luxury Jewelry Company Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Stealing, Selling Millions of Dollars Worth of Precious Metals

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A manufacturing supervisor for a luxury jewelry company pleaded guilty today to stealing gold, silver and platinum from his employer over a period of more than three years. Benjamin Preacher, 54, of North Attleboro, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods and one count of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Sept. 18, 2024. In March 2024, Preacher was charged by criminal complaint. Since 2018, Preacher worked fulltime as a manufacturing supervisor at a Rhode Island facility operated by a company that sells luxury items, including jewelry made from gold, silver and platinum. Preacher used his position to steal precious metals from the company’s facility in Rhode Island and then sell the metals to various businesses in Massachusetts. Specifically, from in or about March 2020 to March 2023, Preacher sold precious metals to a Canton-based metals dealer roughly one to two times per month – with sales to that dealer alone totaling more than $1 million. Preacher’s sales of stolen metals included $50,521 in 18-carat gold in March 2020; $21,821 in 18-carat gold, “platinum scrap” and “sterling” in April 2021; and $30,939 in platinum in January 2022. Preacher also sold more than $177,000 in stolen precious metals to a separate metals dealer in West Bridgewater between on or about May 16, 2023 and Nov. 16, 2023. This included gold sheets used by Preacher’s employer, which Preacher stole and sold, along with other gold scrap, for nearly $21,000. On March 1, 2024, approximately 30 minutes into his shift, Preacher was captured on company security cameras stealing a piece of white gold “flat stock,” measuring approximately an inch in diameter and approximately as thick as a quarter, valued at roughly $2,200. Precious metal in scrap form were located and seized during a search of Preacher’s home on March 14, 2024. The charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the monetary gain or loss, whichever is more, and the charge of unlawful monetary transactions provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the laundered funds. 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 Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Fake Law Firm Scheme that Defrauded Distressed Homeowners Out of $15 Million

body_text: WASHINGTON – Terrylle Blackstone, 36, of Woodbridge, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in a conspiracy that fraudulently promised thousands of homeowners across the U.S. legal help in avoiding foreclosure. The scheme generated at least $15 million for the conspirators but never provided any legal services to the client-victims. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office. Blackstone today pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud before U.S District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss, who scheduled sentencing for October 3, 2024. According to court documents, when entering his guilty plea, Blackstone admitted that, from January 2018 until February 2021, he worked with codefendants David Maresca of Virginia, attorney Scott Marinelli of New Jersey, and attorney Sam Babbs of Florida. The co-conspirators told homeowners that they operated a “national law firm” based in Washington, D.C.; that attorneys would review the homeowner’s file and provide legal representation to the homeowners; that an attorney in the homeowner’s local area would be assigned to assist them; that the homeowner could meet and consult with those attorneys about the case; and that attorneys in their law firm could help the homeowner, if necessary, file for bankruptcy. Blackstone further admitted that, from 2016 until 2019, the conspirators marketed Synergy Law with telephone, television, and internet advertising which told homeowners that attorneys at Maresca and Marinelli’s Synergy Law in Manassas could help them avoid foreclosure. In early 2019, Marinelli was incarcerated in Pennsylvania. Yet Blackstone, Maresca, Marinelli, and others continued to operate Synergy and collect monthly payments purportedly for legal services. During this time, there was no attorney who was a member of Synergy who could practice law. Synergy never had attorneys review all homeowner files and Synergy never had attorneys contact a client’s lender to discuss a mortgage resolution. They also continued to use the interstate wires to operate their “law firm” in ways that were essential to the scheme, such as soliciting clients by telephone. And Blackstone admitted that, from 2019 until at least 2022, the conspirators marketed another firm, Themis Law, with television and website advertising which told homeowners that attorneys with Themis could help them avoid foreclosure. Themis operated a call center at an office in Manassas, Virginia. Call center workers used scripts during their phone calls with homeowners in which Themis falsely promised that an attorney would review the homeowner’s case file; that this attorney knew their lender’s “internal guidelines” for a “mortgage resolution”; and that an assigned “legal team” would contact the homeowner’s lender to negotiate a resolution. Themis required homeowner-clients to pay an initial retainer amount followed by a monthly recurring amount for as long as the firm represented the homeowner. Themis Law never provided legal services to the homeowner-clients. When Themis clients faced imminent foreclosure, Themis advised those clients to consider filing for bankruptcy to save their home and referred the clients to Babbs at Babbs Law Firm. Those clients then signed a new retainer agreement and paid additional fees to Babbs. During his dates of employment at Synergy Law and Themis Law, Blackstone received no less than $163,199.30 in direct payments from the companies. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence for Blackstone after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In addition, the United States also will seek a forfeiture money judgment against him for an amount not less than $163,199.30 This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Washington, D.C. Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Borchert. 23cr123


title: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nearly Seven Years in Prison for Firearm Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced yesterday for being a felon in possession of loaded firearms. Jey Luis Guerrero, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 81 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In February 2024, Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. On April 13, 2023, while on parole following a state court drug distribution conviction, Guerrero’s state parole officer conducted an unannounced home visit. Located in Guerrero’s bedroom were 12 bags of suspected fentanyl and two loaded firearms that had been reported stolen – one of which was equipped with a large capacity magazine. The drugs and firearms were subsequently seized. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Lowell Police Superintendent Greg Hudon made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Campbell County Man Sentenced for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Cocaine

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Newport, Ky., man, Tyjuan Eugene Crossty, 41, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 188 months, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. According to his plea agreement, on March 24, 2023, Crossty was traffic stopped by law enforcement in Covington, where law enforcement smelled marijuana, located a small amount of marijuana, and uncovered a loaded handgun in the glove compartment. Law enforcement utilized DNA evidence collected from the firearm located in the glove department and it showed to be a match with Crossty’s DNA. After obtaining a search warrant for Crossty’s Covington residence, on June 9, 2023, law searched his residence and discovered 32.7 grams of crack cocaine, 3.898 grams of actual methamphetamine, and items that were consistent with manufacturing crack cocaine and with distributing both crack and crystal methamphetamine. Crossty admitted to law enforcement that he distributed large amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine, and further admitted that he was distributing pressed fentanyl pills, in amounts of 2500-3500 pills at a time, as a middleman on multiple occasions. Crossty was previously convicted of aggravated robbery, in Hamilton County, Ohio, in 2000. Under federal law, Crossty must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon release from prison, Crossty will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; Director Scott Hardcorn; Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, and the Covington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Macon Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A multiple-time convicted felon has been sentenced to serve 18 years in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. Antonio Jenord Whitehead, 37, of Macon, was sentenced to serve a total of 216 months in prison (168 months imprisonment to be served consecutively to the revocation sentences of 24 months imprisonment in Case No. 5:23-CR-16 and 24 months imprisonment in Case No. 5:23-CR-17) to be followed by five years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on June 5. Whitehead previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on April 3. There is no parole in the federal system. “Those who push fentanyl into Middle Georgia risk lives and make our communities more dangerous places to live and work,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “This case reflects that the penalties for such conduct will be steep, especially when the perpetrators are repeat felons.” “Despite previous convictions, Whitehead continued to plague our communities with fentanyl, fueling the deadliest drug epidemic our country has ever seen,” said Robert Gibbs, Senior Supervisor Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “This conviction demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and remove the leaders of these drug trafficking operations from our streets.” According to court documents, on Feb. 20, 2023, the car Whitehead was traveling in was stopped for multiple violations on Georgia Highway 401 by a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy. The officer smelled drugs, and the driver had a suspended license. As backup arrived, and a probable cause search was being conducted on the vehicle, Whitehead ran to the driver’s seat and attempted to drive away. An officer shot out the rear tires of the vehicle to prevent a high-speed chase, and Whitehead was arrested. Inside the vehicle, deputies located a suitcase which contained plastic bags filled with fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. Whitehead also had several bags of marijuana and a bag of fentanyl on him. In total, Whitehead possessed 207 grams of fentanyl, 554 grams of methamphetamine and 101 grams of cocaine. At the time of this traffic stop and arrest, Whitehead was under supervised release for two prior federal drug distribution convictions in the Southern District of West Virginia. The case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To Prison For Conspiracy And Attempted Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose L. Vargas, age 39, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, for conspiracy and attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. After his release, Vargas will serve an additional five years on supervised release. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Vargas was the target of a reverse sting operation by the DEA in which he attempted to retrieve five pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Vargas had left the methamphetamine in the possession of an acquittance, who began to cooperate with law enforcement. The DEA took possession of the nearly two and one-half kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and arranged through the confidential informant to have Vargas retrieve the drugs from a car parked in Hazleton. Unfortunately, the undercover police vehicle locking mechanism locked the vehicle prior to Vargas’s attempt to retrieve the drugs. Vargas then telephoned another individual and directed him to retrieve the drugs and bring them to Vargas. That individual was arrested when he retrieved the drug from the then, unlocked vehicle and cooperated with police against Vargas. Vargas was convicted of conspiracy and attempted possession of the methamphetamine after a three-day trial in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Vargas is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and subject to deportation upon his release from federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the DEA and the Hazleton, Pennsylvania Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Todd K. Hinkley and James Buchanan prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Campbell County Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Newport, Ky., man, Derrick Buchanan, 31, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 87 months, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of marijuana from Buchanan at his residence in Newport, and the informant reported that Buchanan had a gun openly displayed during the drug transaction. Thereafter, law enforcement searched Buchanan’s residence, finding 2.66 kilograms of marijuana, $2,010 in cash, and a loaded handgun, which matched the description of the informant. Buchanan admitted that one of the reasons he possessed the firearm was to protect himself, his drugs, and his proceeds from robbery. Buchanan was sentenced had previously been convicted of trafficking in marijuana in Campbell County Circuit Court in 2021, and he was aware that conviction and that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Under federal law, Buchanan must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by DEA and Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. — END —


title: Campbell County Inmate Sentenced for Trafficking in Fentanyl Resulting in Two Overdoses

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – An inmate at the Campbell County Detention Center, Jonathan Bernard Stanley, Jr., 39, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 264 months, for distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious physical injury. Stanley had recently been convicted and sentenced to a term of 51 months in federal prison, for conspiring to distribute heroin, by the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky in 2018. He was ultimately released from custody in July 2022, and began an eight-year period of supervised release. According to court documents, on November 8, 2022, Stanley was arrested for a violation of his supervised release and was lodged at the Campbell County Detention Center. Thereafter, on November 15, 2022, Campbell County Detention Center staff were notified of an issue inside of one of the cells. Specifically, one of the inmates was unconscious and not breathing, and the other was also exhibiting signs of a suspected drug overdose. EMTs administered naloxone to both inmates, retrieved the remainder of the substance, and transported both inmates to the hospital. Both inmates eventually recovered. The second inmate told law enforcement that they both consumed the same substance, which was supplied to them by Stanley in exchange for money to be deposited into his jail account. Hospital records and testing of the substance confirmed that the two inmates each overdosed from fentanyl. Jail surveillance video and other inmate interviews also confirmed that Stanley had distributed the substance that caused the two overdoses. Under federal law, Stanley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; James Daley, Campbell County Jailer; and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division, jointly announced the sentences. The investigation was conducted by the Campbell County Detention Center and DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Hot Springs Woman Sentenced to more than 19 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

body_text: HOT SPRINGS - A Hot Springs woman was sentenced yesterday to 235 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of More Than 50 Grams of Actual Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Hot Springs. According to court documents, beginning in April of 2021 and into May of 2021, Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted two (2) separate controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Melissa Kay Lane, age 46, in the Western District of Arkansas, Hot Springs Division. The suspected methamphetamine from both controlled purchases was submitted to the DEA Southeast Laboratory and determined to be a total of 219.13 grams, or approximately 8 ounces, of pure methamphetamine. In September of 2021, Lane was arrested on outstanding drug warrants issued by the State of Texas. Subsequent to her arrest, it was determined that Lane was in possession of over seven (7) kilograms, or approximately 15.5 pounds, of methamphetamine at her residence. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case with assistance from the Hot Springs Police Department and the 18 th East Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn 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 . Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov .


title: Studio City Man Arrested for Allegedly Causing Fireworks to Be Shot from In-Flight Helicopter in Video He Directed for YouTube Channel

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he directed a YouTube video in which two women in a helicopter – flying near the ground and without filming permits – repeatedly shot fireworks at a Lamborghini sportscar last year in San Bernardino County, the Justice Department announced today. Suk Min Choi, 24, a.k.a. “Alex Choi,” of Studio City, is charged with one count of causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft. Choi is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. He was arrested on Wednesday and his arraignment is expected in the coming weeks. According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on July 4, 2023, Choi posted on his YouTube channel a video entitled, “Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks.” In the video, Choi allegedly presses a “fire missiles” button while two women are in a helicopter, shooting fireworks at a speeding Lamborghini sportscar. Law enforcement believes the video was shot on the El Mirage Dry Lakebed in San Bernardino County. YouTube Screenshot of YouTube video from the complaint affidavit in USA v. Choi . Credit: DOT-OIG After shooting what appears to be a live-action version of a fictionalized video game scene, the video transitions to a behind-the-scenes look at how Choi shot the first third of the video. During this portion of the video, Choi allegedly makes various references to himself coordinating the shoot. Specifically, the video states that Choi directed it. In the video, Choi thanks a camera company for “being a part of my crazy stupid ideas.” He also allegedly said in the video that the group who helped make the video “[expletive] up” at one point “because I forgot to tell my friend how to use a torch.” Finally, as noted in the affidavit, during the video it appears Choi made the decision to end filming when someone asked if they would film again, stating, “No, that’s it. We’re out of fireworks, right?” In other parts of the video, Choi is seen next to the helicopter, holding what appears to be a firework, according to the affidavit. Law enforcement believes that Choi committed the offense sometime in June 2023, that he did not have a permit to film a shoot using fireworks on a helicopter, and that he purchased the fireworks in Nevada because they were illegal in California. A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Choi would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Dominique Caamano of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section is prosecuting this case.


title: San Antonio Man Sentenced to More Than 41 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Child

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 502 months in prison followed by lifetime supervised release for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, Demetrio Ramirez, 34, produced and shared across social media 20 videos depicting himself and a prepubescent minor engaged in sexual conduct. The child sexual abuse material was identified on Feb. 15, 2023, through Operation Rescue Me, a joint operation by the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Ramirez pleaded guilty without a plea agreement on Feb. 20 to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. He was also ordered to forfeit his phone and any online accounts used to commit the offense. Restitution will be decided at a later date. “Thanks to the vigilance of our FBI and the NCMEC, we were able to put an end to the repeated sexual abuse of a young child and lock up the offender for the next four decades,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Let us be clear. The sexual abuse and exploitation of children will not be tolerated. We will relentlessly pursue these cases and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.” "Demetrio Ramirez preyed on children, one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, and this sentence ensures he can't hurt another child," said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our partners at the NCMEC and DOJ, through their Project Safe Childhood, for their continued assistance in keeping our communities safe from predators.” The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Crime

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert Micco Harjo, age 30, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. The Indictment charged Harjo with knowingly possessing a firearm and 117 rounds of ammunition on December 3, 2023, after having been previously convicted a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charges arose from an investigation by the Stilwell Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Jason Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Harjo was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.


title: Convicted Felon Arrested For Avionics Equipment Theft

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Mario Mercier Hernandez (59, New Port Richey) with five counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. If convicted, Mercier faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Mercier that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture for proceeds obtained from the offense. According to court documents, beginning around 2019, Mercier embarked on a string of thefts of avionics equipment from more than two dozen airports across the United States, including airports in Florida, Tennessee, New Jersey, Maryland, and South Carolina. Mercier entered each airport, broke into airplanes, and stole valuable electronics equipment from the planes. After each theft, Mercier transported the stolen equipment to the Middle District of Florida. Mercier owned and operated JWG International and JWG Aviation in the Middle District of Florida. These companies purported to provide aid to impoverished children in Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine. Mercier used these companies to sell the stolen avionics equipment on various websites to unsuspecting purchasers around the United States. Mercier’s thefts continued until May 23, 2024, when he was arrested while stealing equipment from aircraft at the Caldwell Executive Airport in Caldwell, Idaho. In 2008, Mercier was convicted for transportation of stolen property in the Middle District of Florida, relating to a similar scheme to steal and resell avionics equipment. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation Officer of Inspector General, St. Mary's Sheriff's Office (Lexington Park, Maryland), Canyon County Sheriff's Office and Caldwell Police Department (Caldwell, Idaho), Wilkes County Sheriff's Office (Wilkesboro, North Carolina), McClain County Sheriff's Office (Purcell, Oklahoma), Concord Police Department (Concord, North Carolina), Baxter County Sheriff’s Office (Mountain Home, Arkansas), Moore County Sheriff's Office (Carthage, North Carolina), Hillsborough Township Police Department (Hillsborough, New Jersey), Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina), Statesville Police Department (Statesville, North Carolina), Dorchester County Sheriff's Office (Summerville, South Carolina), Asheboro Police Department (Asheboro, North Carolina), Oconee County Sheriff's Office (Walhalla, South Carolina), Nashau Police Department (Nashau, New Hampshire), Citrus County Sherriff's Office (Inverness, Florida), Greenwood County Sheriff's Office (Greenwood, South Carolina), Lane County Sheriff's Office (Eugene, Oregon), Ontario County Sheriff's Office (Canandaigua, New York), Stow Police Department (Stow, Massachusetts), Burke County Sheriff's Office (Morganton, North Carolina), Iredell County Sheriff's Office (Mooresville, North Carolina), Charles County Sheriff's Office (Waldorf, Maryland), Thomasville Police Department (Thomasville, Georgia), Clarksville Police Department (Clarksville, Tennessee), Macon County Sheriff's Office (Franklin, North Carolina), Lincoln County Sheriff's Office (Lincolnton, North Carolina), McMinn County Sheriff's Office (Athens, Tennessee), Robertson County Sheriff's Office (Springfield, Tennessee), Lumberton Police Department (Lumberton, New Jersey), Bedminster Police Department (Bedminster, New Jersey), Spanish Fork Police Department (Spanish Fork, Utah), and Vancouver Police Department (Vancouver, Washington). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Schmidt and Karyna Valdes.


title: Sallisaw Resident Sentenced To Five Years For Burglary In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Christopher Dean Dod, age 39, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment for Burglary in the Second Degree in Indian Country. The charge arose from investigations by the Sallisaw Police Department, the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On February 6, 2023, Dod pleaded guilty to one count of a superseding indictment of Burglary in the Second Degree in Indian Country. According to investigators, on April 6, 2022, Dod forced his way into a Sallisaw apartment, on the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and attempted to burn the apartment by lighting combustible materials on the kitchen stove. Dod fled the scene, but was apprehended and arrested a short time later by law enforcement after neighbors spotted Dod gaining entrance into a nearby residence. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Dod will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Former Sheriff's Deputy Pleads Guilty To Falsifying Records To Obstruct A Federal Investigation

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Wesley Wayne Hunter, Jr. age 28, of Yukon, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in a federal investigation. The Government’s Superseding Indictment alleged that on July 20, 2023, while on duty in his official capacity as a Canadian County Sheriff’s Deputy, Hunter purposefully deactivated the mobile tracking system on his work phone, altering and falsifying the official record of his activities. As part of his plea, Hunter admitted to deactivating the mobile tracking system while transporting a female pretrial detainee from Bryan County to Canadian County before pulling his patrol car off the transport route. Hunter further admitted he did this to conceal and impede any future investigation into his subsequent criminal misconduct. The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable John Russell, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Hunter will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending a presentence investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Richard Lorenz, in consultation with Trial Attorney Laura Gilson from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, represented the United States.


title: Level-2 Sex Offender Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: BOSTON – A Chelsea man was sentenced yesterday for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Lasall Johnson, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In March 2024, Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. “Mr. Johnson’s incredibly dangerous predatory actions perpetuated the exploitation and abuse of the most vulnerable members of our society. The sentence imposed not only removes a threat from our communities but also sends a clear and unequivocal message to other potential offenders that possessing child sexual abuse material comes with grave and severe consequences,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Possessing child pornography is far from a victimless crime. Each image and video represents a real child who has been horrifically victimized, and consuming and distributing this material contributes to a cycle of abuse that leaves lasting scars on victims. Our office remains steadfastly committed to protecting children from such predators. This sentence is a reflection of our unwavering dedication to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our communities, particularly the children who depend on us for protection.” “Johnson secretly hoarded hundreds of images depicting the sexual abuse of innocent children until HSI investigators discovered that he shared those horrific images on a file sharing network available to users who sought them out. This sentence ensures that our communities are safer with him in federal prison,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI works tirelessly to bring to justice those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse imagery. Each image immortalizes the trauma of a child and we will do everything possible to stop the consumers who create the demand for this abuse.” In or about June 2021, an investigation into a peer-to-peer file sharing program identified Johnson as the owner of an IP address distributing large quantities of CSAM files. On more than 85 occasions ranging from approximately June 2021 to April 2022, that IP address was offering to share suspected CSAM torrent files. During a search of Johnson’s rented bedroom, six electronic devices were seized including three cellphones, two thumb drives and an electronic tablet. A subsequent forensic analysis located approximately 341 image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of children across three of the seized devices, including files depicting victims as young as four years old. In 1989, Johnson was convicted in Norfolk County Superior Court of two counts of assault to rape, for which he received a 20-year state prison sentence with two years committed and the balance suspended for 18 years. As a result of those convictions, Johnson is a Level-2 registered sex offender. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HSI SAC Krol and Chelsea Police Chief Keith Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Raytown Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man who is a convicted sex offender pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing thousands of videos and images of child pornography. James Anthony Bee, 56, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of possessing child pornography. Bee has a prior federal felony conviction for distributing child pornography, for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Bee’s term of supervised release began on Dec. 30, 2021. On Nov. 2, 2022, probation officers conducted an unannounced home inspection at Bee’s residence. A probation officer noticed several cell phone charging cords on his bedroom floor. The terms of Bee’s supervised release prohibited him from possessing electronic devices with access to any on-line computer service without the prior approval of the probation office. Upon retrieving the cords, the probation officer discovered that one of the cords was connected to an SD card reader, which contained a micro-SD card inside the reader. When Bee arrived and realized the probation officers had found the SD card and were going to search it, he struck the living room window twice with his hand, breaking it. He retrieved a piece of glass and attempted to cut his neck with it. The probation officers contacted emergency services and Bee was transported to the hospital for treatment. A forensic examination of the SD card found more than 1,300 videos of child pornography and more than 9,000 images of child pornography. Under federal statutes, Bee is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on Oct. 24, 2024. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth W. Borgnino. It was investigated by the U.S. Probation Office and the FBI. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jon Ryan LaFever, 29, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty today to production of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 16, 2023, LaFever posted a picture of a minor female on an instant messaging mobile app. LaFever received a direct message after posting the photo from an app user asking about the minor female. LaFever admitted that he messaged the user that the minor female was a 7-year-old girl to whom he had access. LaFever further admitted that he sent the user several additional photos through direct messaging. The photos included one image of the minor female in her underwear and with her legs spread open, and two images of a minor female’s nude genital area. LaFever also admitted to sending two videos of the minor female to the app user. In both videos, LaFever touches the minor female’s buttocks while she was asleep on a bed, attempts to pull her shorts and underwear aside to expose her genital and pubic area, and stops when she appears to be waking up. On March 20, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of LaFever’s Parkersburg residence. LaFever admitted to officers that he sent the videos on the messaging app. Officers seized LaFever’s cell phone during the search and a forensic analysis found it stored several images and videos depicting the minor female on a bed in his residence. LaFever admitted to creating the images and videos with his cell phone. They included the two videos of the minor female that he created with his cell phone on March 6, 2023. LaFever further admitted to possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on his phone and an online file-storage account, and that some of this child pornography depicted prepubescent minors. LaFever is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. LaFever also owes restitution, in an amount to be determined by the Court, and must register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia . Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-199. ###


title: Former Federal Credit Union Employee Sentenced To 54 Months In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced defendant Jalen Craig McMillan, age 30, of Jessup, Maryland to 54 months in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, and restitution of $165,891.68. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Christina Bentham of the U.S. Secret Service – Baltimore Field Office. According to the evidence presented at his four-day trial, McMillan used his position as a “Member Service Representative” at a federal credit union to facilitate both the opening of accounts in the names of identity theft victims and subsequent financial transactions, including assisting with loans. As detailed at trial and in court documents, co-defendant Archie Paul and his co-conspirators obtained, possessed, and used fictitious identities and the personal identifying information (“PII”) of real persons (the “victims”), which Paul and co-defendant John Fitzgerald Washington used to manufacture and procure false identification documents displaying the PII of the victims, but photographs of others. Paul, co-defendant Tiffany Rainel Williams and others then used the false identification documents to impersonate the victims and with the help of McMillan and other conspirators, open bank accounts and conduct financial transactions in their names, including making large withdrawals from the victims’ accounts. In addition to the conspiracy and bank fraud charges, McMillan was convicted of aggravated identity theft for providing the identifying information of a bank customer to Paul, knowing that it would be used to facilitate the fraud. Specifically, the evidence proved that McMillan used his special access to the bank’s customer database to steal confidential PII belonging to Victim 5, a customer at the bank. McMillan provided that information to Paul. A co-conspirator subsequently opened a bank account using Victim 4’s PII and Victim 5’s banking information. McMillan serviced the transaction and assisted the co-conspirator in obtaining a $10,000 loan in Victim 4’s name, which the co-conspirator immediately withdrew in cash. Trial evidence proved that the conspirators intended to fraudulently obtain more than $400,000 from the bank and successfully defrauded the bank of more than $150,000. Co-defendants Archie Paul, a/k/a “Carter Hill” and “Zion Davis,” age 31, of Laurel, Maryland; John Fitzgerald Washington, age 52, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Tiffany Rainel Williams, age 37, of Glenarden, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and have been sentenced. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron praised the U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation and thanked the City of Laurel Police Department for its assistance. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Bijon Mostoufi and Ranganath Manthripragada, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Three United Kingdom Nationals Charged In Connection With “Evolved Apes” NFT Scam

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging MOHAMED-AMIN ATCHA, MOHAMED RILAZ WALEEDH, and DAOOD HASSAN, all United Kingdom nationals, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. The charges arise from the defendants’ scheme to defraud victims into purchasing digital artwork known as the “Evolved Apes” collection of non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”). The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants ran a scam to drive up the price of digital artwork through false promises about developing a videogame. They allegedly took investor funds, never developed the game, and pocketed the proceeds. Digital art may be new, but old rules still apply: making false promises for money is illegal. As we allege, thousands of people believed these false promises and were tricked into buying these NFTs, including here in the Southern District of New York. NFT fraud is no game, and those responsible will be held accountable.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “These three defendants allegedly were part of a scheme to pump up the price of NFTs with lies to the public about developing a related videogame, and to surreptitiously transfer the proceeds of the fraud to their personal accounts. Ghosting customers without fulfilling a promise not only reflects poor business integrity, it also violates the implicit trust buyers place in sellers when purchasing a product, no matter if that product is in a store or stored on a blockchain. The FBI remains committed to pursuing those who perpetrate fraudulent schemes out of a selfish desire for a quick profit.” According to the allegations in the Indictment: [1] In the fall of 2021, ATCHA, WALEEDH, and HASSAN executed a type of scam commonly known as a “rug pull,” where developers advertise a digital project, collect funds from purchasers, then abandon the project and keep the funds. ATCHA, WALEEDH, and HASSAN allegedly created and promoted an NFT project called “Evolved Apes” that involved the marketing of digital images of cartoon apes. The following is a graphic typical of the images that became Evolved Apes NFTs: The creators and promoters of the Evolved Apes project publicly promised to use funds raised from selling the NFTs to develop a videogame based on the NFTs, which they claimed would increase the NFTs’ value. But after selling the NFTs and collecting large sums from purchasers, including in the Southern District of New York, they quickly shut down the Project’s website and kept the funds without developing the promised videogame. ATCHA, WALEEDH and HASSAN then laundered the misappropriated funds through multiple cryptocurrency transactions to their own personal accounts to conceal their ill-gotten gains. * * * ATCHA, 23, WALEEDH, 23, and HASSAN, 23, all United Kingdom nationals, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel L. Raymond and Josiah Pertz are in charge of the prosecution. The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.