title: Six Tampa Gang Members Indicted For Racketeering And Other Felonies

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Christian Andujar Rivera (26, Tampa), Irving Diego Bruzon (28, Tampa), Xavier Chase Gardner (31, Tampa), Mohamed Nidal Jaber (32, Tampa), Julissa Collazo (27, Port Ritchey), and Kyle Miller (33, Orlando) with racketeering conspiracy and various related charges including conspiracy to commit robbery, bank fraud, murder in aid of racketeering, arson, and possession with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies each defendant that the United States intends to forfeit any assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. According to the indictment, these individuals were members and associates of a criminal organization or enterprise operating in Hillsborough County and elsewhere, known as “AP,” short for Alexander Park. AP engaged in narcotics distribution, bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and acts of violence to include murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and arson. In furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy, AP members also committed acts outside of Florida including Oregon, California, and Michigan. Those acts include aggravated assault, home invasion robbery, and burglary. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for the 13 th Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale 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 . Download Indictment


title: Federal Jury Convicts St. Petersburg Armed Career Criminal

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Devaris Lemain Simmons (33, St. Petersburg) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The jury further found that Simmons is an Armed Career Criminal after having committed three prior serious drug offenses. Simmons faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on March 23, 2023, officers with the St. Petersburg Police Department approached an idling vehicle registered to Simmons and smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from inside. When Simmons opened the vehicle, officers observed green leaf-like particles inside and conducted a search. During the search officers located a Taurus PT-111 Millennium Pro 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition stored in the center console. A DNA swab of the grip and trigger of the firearm matched the DNA of Simmons. Testimony and evidence presented at trial also established that Simmons had sold cocaine on three separate occasions in 2014 to an undercover officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department. The jury found that the above three offenses were committed on occasions separate from one another. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee. 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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: St. Cloud Woman Pleads Guilty To Theft Of Funds From The Department Of Defense

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Elizabeth Carpenter (44, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Carpenter faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Carpenter has agreed to forfeit $183,079.60, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2024. According to the plea agreement, Carpenter was employed as an accounting technician by Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center resort owned by the Department of Defense (“DOD”) located on Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista. Between July 13, 2022, and March 19, 2024, Carpenter used her position as a DOD employee with computer credentials to access guest accounts to refund a portion of guests’ room payments to Carpenter’s personal credit card accounts. Carpenter engaged in at least 652 unauthorized transactions totaling approximately $183,079. This case was investigated by the Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.


title: Durham Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Role in Mortgage and COVID-19 Pandemic Fund Frauds Exceeds $2.9 Million

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Durham man was sentenced to 84 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining over $1,300,000 in mortgages and over $1,600,000 in fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) proceeds. On April 13, 2023, Reynold Eugene Mullen pled guilty to the charges. “This white-collar fraud on American taxpayers is stunning. We live in a generous nation that lends a hand to those in need,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. "When defendants like Mullen take advantage of that generosity – to buy beach houses and plastic surgery – we will fight for every penny to be returned to the public purse.” “Mullen not only used washed credit reports and fabricated bank statements to obtain mortgages; he also took advantage of aid programs intended to provide critical relief for hardworking members of our communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak by fraudulently obtaining pandemic program loans,” said Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Thomas, Charlotte Field Office. “IRS CI, along with our law enforcement partners remain vigilant in identifying, investigating, and recommending those individuals for prosecution who willfully seek to defraud the United States Treasury and blatantly disregard the victims of their schemes.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, between 2019 and 2021, Reynold Eugene Mullen, 48, and his girlfriend, Tiffany Dawn Russell, used “washed” credit reports and fabricated bank statements to obtain four mortgages totaling $1,374,000, for the purchase of properties in Miami, Florida, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and Nags Head, North Carolina. Between March 2020 and July 2021, Mullen and Russell also submitted fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications on behalf on entities that were either owned entirely, or in part, by them. On these applications, Mullen and Russell provided false monthly payroll amounts and misrepresented the entities’ number of employees. Mullen and Russell also submitted fraudulent tax returns as part of these applications. As a result of these frauds, Mullen and Russell obtained more than $1,600,000. Mullen and Russell used the fraud proceeds to purchase six properties and pay for Mullen’s plastic surgery. On May 25, 2022, Russell (5:20-cr-00505-D-3) was sentenced to 63 months in prison and five years of supervised release for her role in this scheme. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa K. Labresh prosecuted the case. 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. 5:23-CR-33-D.


title: Owner and Operator of Colorado Natural Gas Processing Plant Agree to Pay $1M Fine and Improve Leak Detection and Repair Equipment and Practices

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State of Colorado today announced a settlement with Enterprise Gas Processing LLC and Enterprise Products Operating LLC (jointly, “Enterprise”). The agreement, which includes a $1 million civil penalty, will protect community health and the environment by strengthening leak detection and repair practices at the Meeker Gas Plant in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. A complaint filed concurrently with the settlement alleges that Enterprise violated leak detection and repair requirements in accordance with the Clean Air Act and state clean air laws. The violations resulted in excess emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants to the atmosphere. “All gas refining and processing facilities must comply with the Clean Air Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement includes important provisions to improve leak detection, repair practices and staff training, which applied here will help protect public health in western Colorado.” “Together, EPA and CDPHE are committed to delivering enforcement, inspections and compliance assistance that provide tangible benefits for Colorado’s communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “This action will secure facility compliance and reduce emissions of air pollutants in Meeker and the surrounding area.” “The protection of Colorado’s air quality made possible through this settlement with Enterprise is a testament to the power of collaboration between dedicated state and federal public officials,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “We are proud to support the state’s Air Pollution Control Division as it continues to lead the way to reduce air pollution from oil and gas operations and pursue better air for all Coloradans.” As part of the settlement, Enterprise will take corrective actions and pay a $1 million civil penalty. Half of the penalty will go to the federal government and half will go to the State of Colorado, where a portion will fund projects to benefit disproportionately impacted communities through the state's environmental justice grant program. Under the settlement, Enterprise will strengthen its leak detection and repair practices at the Meeker Gas Plant. These commitments include: Installing equipment that leaks less pollution to the atmosphere; Reviewing compliance with leak detection and repair requirements; and Repairing leaking equipment faster. Enterprise will also improve staff training and use optical gas imaging technology to improve the visual detection of leaks to address them more quickly. Equipment leaks at the Meeker Gas Plant emit VOCs, which lead to the formation of ground-level ozone. Ozone contributes to serious public health concerns, including respiratory illness, aggravation of existing heart disease and temporary breathing difficulty for people with asthma. Young children and older people are especially sensitive to these impacts. Leaks from equipment at the Meeker Gas Plant also emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The EPA investigated the case. Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case. The Justice Department filed the consent decree with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period. It is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees .


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced to 105 Months in Prison for 2023 Armed Carjacking in South Philadelphia

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ronald Brown, 21, of Blackwood, New Jersey, was sentenced today to was sentenced today to 105 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge John R. Padova, for one count of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a crime of violence. In October of 2023, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging the defendant with carjacking and carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, charges arising from the defendant’s involvement in a carjacking in the early morning hours of July 16, 2023. The defendant pleaded guilty to both counts in February, admitting to carjacking at gunpoint two people sitting in a Chevrolet Camaro parked outside a South Philadelphia Dunkin Donuts. The day after the carjacking, two Philadelphia police officers had observed the stolen vehicle and attempted to follow it, but the defendant escaped. A short time later, officers again observed the vehicle and Brown fled at a high rate of speed. Brown then crashed the carjacked vehicle into a building and fled on foot. The officers arrested Brown after a brief foot chase and later recovered the firearm used to commit the carjacking from the stolen vehicle. “Carjackings terrorize their victims and can upend the entire community’s sense of security,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That’s exactly why we stood up the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, pooling resources to identify, investigate, and prosecute violent offenders like Ronald Brown. As his sentence shows, if you commit a carjacking in our city, best be prepared for an extended stay in one of our federal facilities.” “Carjacking is a dangerous crime and as this case shows, federal carjacking penalties are severe, putting offenders in federal prison for years,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Brown was one of multiple culprits in this series of violent crimes. ATF continues to work with local, state and federal partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force to seek justice in all cases, and to prevent and deter further carjackings.” “Today's sentencing is a clear message to those who seek to terrorize our communities through violent acts like carjacking,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The Philadelphia Police Department, in collaboration with our federal partners, remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our neighborhoods. The swift apprehension and prosecution of Ronald Brown underscores our dedication to bringing justice to victims and restoring peace to the community. We will continue to work tirelessly to deter such crimes and uphold the rule of law in Philadelphia.” This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina I. Coker and Robert E. Eckert.


title: Man Who Attempted to Shoot and Kill A Spokane Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Ray Anthony Wynecoop pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, one count of Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke accepted Wynecoop’s guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 25, 2024, in Spokane, Washington. In the plea agreement accepted by the court, and in information disclosed during court proceedings, Wynecoop was involved in two separate incidents. First, on December 11, 2021, an officer with the Spokane Police Department (SPD) observed Wynecoop, who was driving a white Dodge Charger with no license plates, fail to use a turn signal. SPD attempted to conduct a traffic stop using the patrol car’s lights and siren. Instead of stopping, Wynecoop began driving erratically in attempt to elude SPD, including driving at excessive speeds on residential streets. SPD stopped following the vehicle when it became too dangerous. A short time later SPD located the Dodge Charger and observed that it had been involved in a crash. Wynecoop attempted to run from the scene but was arrested. During a search of the Charger, law enforcement located a loaded 9mm pistol with a black laser mounted on the end of the barrel, a backpack with Wynecoop’s ID and two more lasers for the pistol. Officers also located a .380 semi-automatic pistol inside the vehicle, as well as a fanny pack that contained once ounce of heroin and fentanyl laced pills. The second incident occurred on June 26, 2022, when Wynecoop was armed with a .22 caliber pistol that had a loaded drum-style high-capacity magazine seated in the firearm. Wynecoop, along with another man, were involved in multiple drive-by shootings. Based upon video evidence, they intentionally set out to locate a police officer and kill them. Wynecoop and his passenger began to follow a SPD officer and when a second officer came to their aid, Wynecoop opened fire, shooting the officer in the leg and the head. The other man with Wynecoop, videotaped it. The officer thankfully recovered from his injuries. During a search of the vehicle used by Wynecoop in the shooting, detectives located thousands of fentanyl pills, a small quantity of heroin, and other drug related items. On April 5, 2024, Wynecoop was sentenced in Washington State Court to more than 65 years in prison on multiple charges in connection to the shooting. The federal case was brought during the pendency of those state charges. “The violence in this case is shocking. Mr Wynecoop, a felon who was not allowed to possess firearms, went on a violent criminal spree that included a premeditated attempt to kill a police officer. His blatant disregard for the law and the safety of our community put all of us at incredible risk,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for the brave men and women of law enforcement who place themselves in harm’s way every day to keep us safe from individuals taking dangerous actions like Mr. Wynecoop.” “This case highlights the importance of our collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, the Spokane Police Department, and the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, to find innovative solutions to take violent offenders off the street,” said Ron Deist, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Spokane District Office. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and the Spokane Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.


title: U.S. Compounding, Inc. Pleads Guilty To Multiple Fraud Offenses And Company Vice President Indicted In Scheme To Distribute Drugs Nationally Using False Prescriptions

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that U.S. COMPOUNDING, INC. (“USC”), a subsidiary of DMK Pharmaceuticals Corporation, pled guilty to multiple fraud offenses before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, and a former USC executive, SAM GLOVER, was charged in an Indictment with conspiring to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). GLOVER was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Arkansas. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Distributing prescription drugs with sham prescriptions is wrong and illegal. The corporate resolution entered into today, and the indictment of Sam Glover, an executive who oversaw and allegedly perpetuated that scheme, reflects this Office’s commitment to holding accountable those who seek to violate laws designed to ensure that the drugs distributed across the United States are safe, necessary, and legal.” FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “U.S. Compounding, Inc. and its former executive, Sam Glover, allegedly committed various frauds and violated the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act by falsifying prescription orders. Despite scrutiny by members of the company who suspected the orders were unverified, the company’s leadership continued to allow the requests and collect profits as a result. This investigation is part of the FBI’s larger effort to ensure that both individuals and organizations who devise complex fraud schemes are prevented from furthering their illegitimate arrangements and making money off mistruths.” According to admissions and court documents, as well as the allegations in the Indictment: [1] Beginning in approximately 2015, while USC was still a privately-held corporation, a USC sales representative (“Sales Rep 1”) entered into an illegal arrangement with a veterinarian (the “Veterinarian”), wherein Sales Rep 1 would use the Veterinarian’s state veterinary licenses to generate false prescriptions in order to justify shipping prescription drugs directly to consumers, including to consumers in the Southern District of New York, in violation of the FDCA. Those consumers otherwise lacked bona fide prescriptions for those drugs. The Veterinarian was promised a 10% commission of all such sales generated using his credentials, even though Sales Rep 1 and his supervisor, GLOVER, the Vice President of Sales at USC, knew that the prescriptions issued in the Veterinarian’s name were a sham. GLOVER, Sales Rep 1, and the sales team working under them generated approximately $1 million in sales annually because of the false prescription scheme, which comprised approximately one-third of Sales Rep 1’s total sales of USC drugs. On or about March 28, 2016, USC was acquired by Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Adamis”), a publicly traded company that has since changed its name to DMK Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“DMK”). USC retained its essential functions, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Adamis, and much of its staff remained employed, including GLOVER. Following the acquisition, an executive at Adamis (the “Adamis Executive”) was made aware of the scheme and the Veterinarian’s role in it. GLOVER, in conjunction with the Adamis Executive and Sales Rep 1, continued the false prescription scheme and attempted to enter into a sham consulting agreement with the Veterinarian that purported to pay the Veterinarian an hourly rate for consultations. In actuality, the consulting agreement was a means to cover up the commission payments the Veterinarian was receiving as part of the scheme. GLOVER and others intended to claim the Veterinarian was a USC consultant if the commission payments to the Veterinarian were ever questioned. In or about December 2019, the head of the USC pharmacy responsible for fulfilling prescription drug orders (“Pharmacist-1”) resigned due to USC’s failure to halt the practice of fulfilling drug orders submitted by USC’s sales representatives based on unverified prescriptions. Pharmacist-1’s replacement (“Pharmacist-2”) refused to fulfill any further orders for prescription drugs predicated on unverified prescriptions submitted by USC’s sales representatives. Pharmacist-2 raised concerns regarding USC’s prescription practices with GLOVER and the Adamis Executive. Pharmacist-2’s concerns were initially dismissed, but they ultimately convinced Adamis to implement a new veterinary software platform that was intended to eliminate the involvement of USC’s sales representatives in the creation or submission of prescriptions in connection with drug orders. Nonetheless, GLOVER, the Adamis Executive, and Sales Rep 1 allowed sales representatives to submit false prescriptions through the new software, circumventing the control that Pharmacist-2 had insisted on implementing. Consequently, in or about September 2020, Pharmacist-2 and two other pharmacists employed at USC resigned. A fourth pharmacist employed at USC resigned the following week. USC sales representatives continued to falsely indicate through the new software that drug orders were accompanied by valid prescriptions when they were not. In or about July 2020, in response to increased perceived scrutiny of USC’s operations, USC sales representatives ceased submitting false prescriptions in the name of the Veterinarian. Instead, USC sales representatives falsely classified direct-to-consumer sales of prescription drugs as sales of office stock to the Veterinarian, on the pretext that the Veterinarian was prescribing these drugs to USC’s customers. According to USC’s internal sales data, sales of a particular prescription drug to the Veterinarian’s practice increased proportionally as direct-to-consumer sales of that drug declined. In or about April 2021, the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy issued an Order and Notice of Hearing directed to the pharmacist who replaced Pharmacist-2. Prior to any hearing, USC entered into a consent order wherein USC agreed to cease all operations in Arkansas, and USC agreed to relinquish its Arkansas State licenses as a pharmacy and wholesale distributor. USC also entered into a resolution in which they made the following factual admissions: USC “failed to ensure prescribing veterinarians were licensed in the state into which product was ordered and/or shipped”; USC “allowed for issuance of veterinary legend products directly to consumers without receipt of a legal prescription”; USC “provided remuneration directly to a veterinarian in connection with a veterinary prescription”; USC “provided veterinary prescriptions drugs to animal owners without the authorization of a licensed veterinarian and a prescription”; and USC “filled veterinary prescriptions for patients that did not have a valid practitioner-patient relationship.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York reached its resolution with USC based on a number of factors, including the nature, seriousness, and pervasiveness of the offense conduct. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also considered USC and its parent company’s efforts to cooperate with the federal criminal investigation. After learning of the federal criminal investigation in May 2021, Adamis, through its Audit Committee, cooperated in the investigation, which included making presentations to, and addressing questions posed by, the U.S. Attorney’s Office after conducting an internal investigation. Moreover, since learning of the investigation, Adamis, on behalf of USC, made remedial efforts, including ceasing all USC’s operations; terminating all employees and severing its relationships with all individuals involved in the criminal conduct, including senior personnel; and engaging a third party to conduct a cross-company enterprise risk assessment evaluating governance, product services, internal audit, risk management, compliance, and operations and implementing and effectuating the resulting recommendations. Pursuant to the plea agreement, USC agreed that it is subject to an approximately $4.2 million forfeiture payment and a criminal fine of up to $16.9 million. * * * GLOVER, 45, of Arkansas, is charged with one count of conspiring to violate the FDCA, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the Food and Drug Administration and the Customs and Border Protection for their support of this investigation. This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi and David Felton are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Convicted Felon from Carroll Plantation Sentenced to 15 Months after Loaded Firearm Recovered During Arrest

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Carroll Plantation man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jason Levasseur , 48, to 15 months time served to be followed by three years of supervised release. According to court records, in November 2022, a Maine State Police trooper arrested Levasseur for a state probation revocation after recognizing his pickup truck at a gas station in Danforth. The trooper ordered Levasseur to get on the ground and restrained him. The trooper removed a sheathed knife from Levasseur’s belt and asked whether he was carrying a gun. Levasseur indicated there was a firearm in the truck, and the officer retrieved a .458-caliber rifle wrapped in a blanket from the backseat. The rifle had two rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. Levasseur is precluded from possessing firearms due to multiple prior convictions including three state convictions for illegal possession of a firearm. The Maine State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. ###


title: Man Involved in St. Louis Gas Station Shooting Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a man involved in a shooting at a St. Louis gas station to 11 years in prison. On August 8, 2022, Santino Taylor, 20, of University City, Missouri, was stopped by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers who were investigating a shooting at the Shell Gas Station at 2800 North Florissant Avenue two days earlier. In the car, they found a black 9mm pistol that was used in the shooting. They found a magazine that fit the gun and 70 capsules containing fentanyl on Taylor. The police investigation revealed the victim of the shooting had exchanged words with a man and was advised by the man to leave the gas station parking lot. The victim did but returned a short time later. At that point, two men began shooting at the victim's vehicle. Police identified one of those shooters as Taylor. Taylor returned to the Shell two days later with a pistol tucked into his waistband. Taylor pleaded guilty in March to three felonies: possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Okanagan Woman Indicted in Connection with Theft of Colville Tribe Funds from Family Member

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted Nina Rae Tatshama-Marchand, of Okanagan County, Washington, for bank fraud in connection with the unauthorized withdrawal and transfer of funds belong to a developmentally-disabled member of the Colville Tribe. The Indictment announced today charges Nina Rae Tatshama-Marchand, of Okanagan County, Washington, with five counts of bank fraud. The Indictment alleges that Tatshama-Marchand opened a checking account with a developmentally-disabled minor and that after the victim, an enrolled member of the Colville Tribe, turned 18, he received tribal funds due to his tribal membership. The indictment alleges that Tatshama-Marchand diverted the vast majority of the funds intended for the victim into her own accounts and converted it for her own personal use. According to the indictment, Tatshama-Marchand fraudulently obtained at least $34,900.00 in this manner. “Protecting vulnerable members of the community and safeguarding precious and limited tribal funds are top priorities of our office,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “My office will work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold fraudsters accountable when they prey on innocent members of the community in order to line their own pockets.” The fraud charges carry sentences of up to 30 years in federal prison as well as restitution for fraudulently-obtained funds. This case was investigated by the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Case No: 2:24-CR-81-TOR


title: Justice Department Leads Efforts Among Federal, International, and Private Sector Partners To Disrupt Covert Russian Government-Operated Social Media Bot Farm

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced the seizure of two domain names and the search of 968 social media accounts used by Russian actors to create an artificial intelligence-enhanced social media bot farm that spread disinformation in the United States and abroad. They used elements of artificial intelligence (AI) to create fictitious social media profiles – often purporting to belong to individuals in the United States – which the operators then used to promote messages in support of Russian government objectives, according to affidavits unsealed today. In conjunction with the domain seizures and search warrant announced today, the FBI and the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), the Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), Netherlands Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), and the Netherlands Police released a joint cybersecurity advisory detailing the technology behind the social media bot farm, including details regarding how the bot farm’s creators leveraged their bespoke AI system in furtherance of the scheme. The advisory will allow social media platforms and researchers to identify and prevent the Russian government’s further use of the technology. In addition, X Corp. (formerly, Twitter) voluntarily suspended the remaining bot accounts identified in the court documents for terms of service violations. “With these actions, the Justice Department has disrupted a Russian-government backed, AI-enabled propaganda campaign to use a bot farm to spread disinformation in the United States and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As the Russian government continues to wage its brutal war in Ukraine and threatens democracies around the world, the Justice Department will continue to deploy all of our legal authorities to counter Russian aggression and protect the American people.” “Today’s action demonstrates that the Justice Department and our partners will not tolerate Russian government actors and their agents deploying AI to sow disinformation and fuel division among Americans,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As malign actors accelerate their criminal misuse of AI, the Justice Department will respond and we will prioritize disruptive actions with our international partners and the private sector. We will not hesitate to shut down bot farms, seize illegally obtained internet domains, and take the fight to our adversaries.” “Today’s actions represent a first in disrupting a Russian-sponsored Generative AI-enhanced social media bot farm,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Russia intended to use this bot farm to disseminate AI-generated foreign disinformation, scaling their work with the assistance of AI to undermine our partners in Ukraine and influence geopolitical narratives favorable to the Russian government. The FBI is committed to working with our partners and deploying joint, sequenced operations to strategically disrupt our most dangerous adversaries and their use of cutting-edge technology for nefarious purposes.” “We support all civic engagement, civil dialogue, and a robust exchange of ideas,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “But those ideas should be generated by Americans, for Americans. The disruption announced today protects us from those who use unlawful means to seek to mislead our citizens and our communities.” “The disruption announced today is the result of a combined response with our international partners to a serious and unique threat,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Multiple U.S. and foreign governmental components worked closely and efficiently to address the threat and develop and execute a mitigation strategy. Through vigorous enforcement efforts and collaborative international partnerships, the Justice Department works tirelessly to disrupt criminal cyber activity.” Overview According to court documents, a bot farm is an enhanced software package which allows for the creation of false personas on social media platforms. Bot farms are enhanced by integrating components which contain artificial intelligence, such as image production or text generation. As described in the affidavits filed in support of the warrants, development of the social media bot farm was organized by an individual identified in Russia (Individual A). In early 2022, Individual A worked as the deputy editor-in-chief at RT, a state-run Russian news organization based in Moscow. Since at least 2022, RT leadership sought the development of alternative means for distributing information beyond RT’s standard television news broadcasts. In response, Individual A led the development of software that was able to create and to operate a social media bot farm. As planned, the social media bot farm would create fictitious online personas for social media accounts, through which RT, or any operator of the bot farm, could distribute information on a wide-scale basis. The development was executed by Individual B and others, who hid their identities and location (Russia) while beginning to purchase infrastructure for the social media bot farm in April 2022. In early 2023, with the approval and financial support of the Presidential Administration of Russia (aka “the Kremlin”), a Russian FSB officer (FSB Officer 1) created and led a private intelligence organization (P.I.O.), as explained in the affidavits. The P.I.O.’s membership was comprised of, among others, employees at RT, including Individual A. The true purpose of the P.I.O. was to advance the mission of the FSB and the Russian government, including by spreading disinformation through the social media accounts created by the bot farm. According to the affidavits, FSB Officer 1, Individual A, and other members of the PIO had access to the social media bot farm. The following are examples of Russian-government narratives that the bot farm posted on X in October and November 2023: A purported U.S. constituent replied to a candidate for federal office’s social media posts regarding the conflict in Ukraine with a video of President Putin justifying Russia’s actions in Ukraine; A purported resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, posted a video of President Putin discussing his belief that certain geographic areas of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania were “gifts” to those countries from the Russian forces that liberated them from Nazi control during World War II; A purported U.S. resident of a city identified only as “Gresham,” posted a video claiming that the number of foreign fighters embedded with Ukrainian forces was significantly lower than public estimates. The same purported individual posted a video of President Putin claiming that the war in Ukraine is not a territorial conflict or a matter of geopolitical balance, but rather the “principles on which the New World Order will be based.” To register the fictitious social media accounts, the social media bot farm relied on private email servers, which in turn relied on the two domain names seized by the FBI. An individual who controls an internet domain can create email accounts using the domain. For example, an individual controlling the domain name www.example.com can create email accounts using @example.com (e.g., EmailAddress@example.com). Here, the actors obtained and controlled the domain names “mlrtr.com” and “otanmail.com” from a U.S.-based provider. They then used those domains to create the email servers that ultimately allowed them to create fictitious social media accounts using the bot farm software. The FSB’s use of U.S.-based domain names, which the software used to register the bots, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In addition, the accompanying payments for that infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws. The Justice Department commends members of the private sector who coordinated with law enforcement efforts on this disruption, including X for its voluntary efforts to suspend the identified bot accounts from its platform. Prior to the government’s action, X identified and suspended a significant number of the bot accounts. The Justice Department’s investigation is ongoing. The National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.


title: Former Coffeewood Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to  Child Exploitation, Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A former prison officer at Coffeewood Correctional Center in Mitchells, Virginia pled guilty recently to a series of federal charges related to child exploitation and child pornography. Davey Jonathan Sisk, 29, of Culpeper, Virginia, was arrested on February 15, 2024, and pled guilty last month to two counts of sexually exploiting and attempting to sexually exploit a child as well as one count of receiving child pornography. Under the plea agreement, he faces up to 40 years in federal prison. According to court documents, between June 2023 and February 2024, Sisk used the social media application “Telegram” to engage another individual to create and then send him videos and photos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During this time frame, one of the victims was three years old and another was six years old. In addition, from 2021 through 2022, a now-15-year-old minor living in Texas engaged in sexual intercourse with another minor child and then sold videos and images of these sexual encounters on the internet through various social media applications, including Snapchat. Sisk admitted to using the Snapchat username “JAKESMOOT2021” and to paying approximately $465 through Cash App to the minor in exchange for multiple sexually explicit images and videos. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations – Harrisonburg, VA and Washington, D.C. investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.


title: Rhode Island Man Admits to Straw Purchase of Three Firearms

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island man today admitted to a federal judge that he made false statements while purchasing three firearms that he purchased from federally licensed firearms dealers, asserting on forms that he was the actual buyer and that he was not purchasing the guns with the intent of transferring them to another person when, in fact, he transferred the firearms to his employer who is prohibited from possessing a firearm, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Appearing in U.S. District Court in Providence, Keith Greene, 27, of Warwick, pleaded guilty to three counts of false statement during purchase of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to information presented to the court, Greene purchased three firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers in Rhode Island between January 30, 2023, and February 21, 2023. During each purchase, Greene represented on ATF forms that he was the actual transferee/purchaser of the firearms, and then signed the form directly beneath a warning that it is a felony to falsely claim to be the actual buyer . When taking possession of the firearms, Greene again asserted on the same federal forms that the information he previously entered was accurate and that he was, in fact, the transferee/buyer of the firearms. In December 2023, members of the East Providence Police Department discovered all three firearms in the possession of his former employer. They were seized during an unrelated investigation. Also seized at the time was a document signed by both Greene and his employer acknowledging the transfer of one of the firearms. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Micheal Seaman. The matter was investigated by ATF, with the assistance of the East Providence Department. ###


title: Man Sentenced Following Multiple Arrests for Machinegun Possession

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: NEWNAN, Ga. – Drevion Evans has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing semiautomatic Glock pistols that were illegally converted to function as fully automatic machineguns, and for attempting to deliver one of those machineguns to his home, along with a pound of marijuana. “Machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as ‘switches,’ are classified as illegal machineguns under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This investigation and subsequent prosecution demonstrate the high priority given by our office, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to removing these dangerous devices from criminals.” “One of ATF’s top priorities is to deny criminals access to firearms and protect the rights of law-abiding citizens,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “The offender illegally possessed firearms that subsequently could have been used against our citizens and our communities; ATF takes this very seriously.” “I am glad the Chamblee Police Department was a major partner in assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office with removing another armed and dangerous individual from the streets of our community,” said Chamblee Police Chief Michael Dieppa. “Our primary goal is to uphold justice and maintain the safety and trust of our community.” “This arrest is only one example of the many benefits of having a valued partnership with our local, state, and federal partners,” stated Chief Mirtha V. Ramos, DeKalb County Police Department. “By working collaboratively, we will continue to reduce crime and violence in our community.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On August 15, 2022, a police officer on patrol in Chamblee, Georgia attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Drevion Evans. In response, Evans put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to flee. Evans was ultimately arrested, after which a search of his car revealed a .40 caliber pistol on the driver’s side floorboard. The pistol was loaded with an extended magazine and had been converted to fire automatically. Evans had no prior arrest history and was released from custody on a bond. On October 20, 2023, Evans attempted to arrange the delivery of a second fully automatic pistol with an extended magazine to his home by hiring an Uber driver to collect a package from a Carroll County, Georgia store. The driver picked up the package but delivered it to the Carrollton Police Department after noticing an odor of marijuana emanating from the package. Police officers searched the package and discovered 16 one-ounce bags of marijuana and the loaded, illegally modified pistol (which had been reported stolen). Ten days later, police officers in DeKalb County, Georgia saw Evans’s vehicle and stopped him for outstanding warrants issued by a judge in Carroll County. While detaining Evans, one of the officers observed a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine on the floorboard in front of the driver’s seat. This third firearm was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Drevion Micah Evans, 24, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to six years, six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Evans pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a machinegun and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on January 10, 2024. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Carrollton Police Department, Chamblee Police Department, and DeKalb County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg 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 further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Interstate Extortion Conspiracy

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Ellenwood, Georgia, has been sentenced in federal court to two years of imprisonment on his conviction of conspiring and traveling interstate to commit extortion, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Richard W. Long, 50. According to information presented to the Court, in July of 2022, Long participated in a conspiracy to extort money from victims in Western Pennsylvania. Conspirators who had access to cell phones while incarcerated in a Georgia prison called victims and falsely represented themselves as sheriff’s deputies who had arrest warrants for the victims. Victims were told that these warrants were the result of their purported failure to appear for a court hearing pursuant to a subpoena that had supposedly been served on them. The callers convinced victims that, to avoid arrest, they needed to appear at bail bond agencies in Pittsburgh, where victims then paid cash “bonds” or “fines” to Long when he met them in the parking lot. Three victims paid a total of approximately $39,750 to Long and his co-conspirators. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman spoke to the “reprehensible” conduct of the conspirators, noting that they specifically targeted good, hard-working citizens to get their money. Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Sheriff's Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Long.


title: Poughkeepsie Gang Member Pleads Guilty To June 2020 Murder Of 16-Year-Old

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of ELIJAH BERMUDEZ, a/k/a “Quiet,” in connection with his criminal activities as a member of the violent gang Bully Hard Hunna Blood (“Bully Hard”), including his role as the shooter in the June 20, 2020, murder of 16-year-old bystander Frederick Wells, known to his friends and family as “Khabir.” The murder arose out of a dispute between Bully Hard gang members and members of a rival set of Bloods called the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (“Gorilla Stone”), which led to, three months later, a retaliatory September 21, 2020, broad daylight murder of a second minor victim, 15-year-old Jalani Jones, in Poughkeepsie. BERMUDEZ pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In a tragic three-month stretch in 2020, brutal gang violence between the Bully Hard and Gorilla Stone sets of the Bloods caused two senseless murders of minor victims in Poughkeepsie. Previously, Gorilla Stone leader Brandon Soto was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in planning out and ordering the retaliatory September 21, 2020, murder of a 15-year-old. Today, thanks to our law enforcement partners and the dedicated prosecutors of this Office, Elijah Bermudez has now admitted to an earlier, June 20, 2020, murder that prompted the retaliatory September 2020 murder. Today’s plea is a reminder that this Office will relentlessly pursue any gangs who threaten the safety of New Yorkers.” According to allegations in the Indictment and Information and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: From early 2020 to April 2022, BERMUDEZ was a member or associate of a racketeering enterprise known as Bully Hard, a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking, and fraud. Bully Hard operated in New York City and Upstate New York, including in Poughkeepsie. Members and associates of Bully Hard engaged in a series of violent disputes with rivals of Bully Hard, as well as those within Bully Hard who they deemed disloyal. During these disputes, members and associates of Bully Hard committed murder, shootings, and assaults against their rivals and against fellow members of Bully Hard. They also distributed heroin and marijuana. On June 20, 2020, BERMUDEZ shot and killed 16-year-old bystander Frederick Wells in the vicinity of Charles Street in Poughkeepsie in furtherance of his membership in the Bully Hard racketeering enterprise. Specifically, on the night of June 20, 2020, BERMUDEZ and another member of Bully Hard (“Bully Hard Member-1”) got into a physical fight with members of Gorilla Stone, a rival set of Bloods. During the fight, Bully Hard Member-1 confronted a 17-year-old Gorilla Stone member (“Gorilla Stone Member-1”). At the time, Gorilla Stone Member-1 was standing with Wells, who was Gorilla Stone Member-1’s friend from school, was not in a gang, and was a bystander to the altercation. BERMUDEZ then stabbed Gorilla Stone Member-1, picked up Bully Hard Member-1’s gun, which had dropped to the ground, and shot Wells as Wells tried to run away. Wells was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head. * * * BERMUDEZ, 31, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to possess ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. BERMUDEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Román on October 17, 2024. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department and Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton, Courtney L. Heavey, Shiva H. Logarajah, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Phoenix Woman Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Alien Smuggling and Assault of a Federal Agent

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Shatasia Emoney Sanders Taylor, 25, of Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 27 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Taylor pleaded guilty to Alien Smuggling and Assault of a Federal Officer on September 6, 2023. On February 7, 2023, U.S. Border Patrol agents observed Taylor picking up suspected undocumented noncitizens in a desert area near Bisbee. An agent approached the vehicle while it was stationary. As he reached his arm through the passenger door window, Taylor hit the gas pedal. Taylor dragged the agent alongside the vehicle, finally coming to a stop after traveling several hundred feet. In the backseat of the vehicle, agents discovered three undocumented noncitizens whom Taylor was illegally transporting further into the United States. Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1295-TUC-RM RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-090_Taylor # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Boyd County Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm and Fentanyl Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland, man, Christopher Prince, 43, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 205 months for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In May 2023, law enforcement officers with ATF, DEA, and the Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force, received information regarding the drug distribution activities of Christopher Prince. During the ensuing investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 250 grams of crystal methamphetamine (actual methamphetamine), 3 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.5 grams of fentanyl and 2 firearms. Prince admitted that he possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity. Under federal law, Prince must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon Prince’s 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, Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF, DEA, and the Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker 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: Georgia Precious Metals Dealer Sentenced for Tax Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: Saleem Hakim was sentenced today to four years in prison following his conviction in January on charges of tax evasion and failing to file tax returns. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, during at least the years 2009 through 2013, Hakim was in the business of brokering the sale of precious metals to clients. Hakim earned more than $2.8 million in commissions for converting cash to precious metals for his clients during those years which enabled him to fund a lavish lifestyle that included purchases of high-end watches, jewelry, designer accessories and furs. Despite earning substantial income during 2009 through 2013, he did not file income tax returns for those years. Hakim last filed an income tax return for tax year 1999. The evidence introduced at trial additionally showed that, from 2020 through 2022, Hakim and his wife worked for businesses in Atlanta that were engaged in the purchase and sale of jewelry and luxury handbags. The Hakims earned a combined income of more than $260,000 for those years but did not file returns. The evidence also established that Hakim attempted to conceal his and his wife’s income from the IRS by diverting their income into a trust that he established after being initially charged with tax crimes for the years 2011 through 2013. Hakim attempted to obstruct the investigation into his tax misconduct for 2020 through 2022. After a witness received a grand jury subpoena for records relating to income that the witness paid to Hakim and his wife, Hakim drafted a letter for the witness falsely stating that the witness did not have any business records in his possession relating to the Hakims and asked the witness to send the letter. The witness sent the letter to federal prosecutors and IRS agents. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown for the Northern District of Georgia ordered Hakim to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,219,225.73 in restitution to the IRS, and $4,490.52 in prosecution costs. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind and Colleen McCarthy of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia for the substantial assistance they provided in the investigation and prosecution of this matter. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg also thanked Trial Attorney Christina Grimes and former Trial Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Kathryn Carpenter of the Tax Division who previously worked on this matter.


title: Merrillville Man Sentenced to 390 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Tyrone Johnson, 36 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of crimes against children offenses, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Johnson was sentenced to 390 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, following a two-day trial in August 2023, a jury found Johnson guilty of two counts charged in the Second Superseding Indictment. Specifically, Johnson was convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. He was also convicted of committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required by law to register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson said, “Outcomes such as today’s sentencing are only possible when we have an alert and engaged public that willingly joins with law enforcement to prosecute those who would harm the most vulnerable members of our community. I want to thank our partners both within law enforcement and in the general public who helped bring this Defendant to justice and I encourage and implore anyone who suspects a child is being harmed to take action and report it to law enforcement.” “Today, justice was served as the court handed down a fittingly significant sentence to Johnson for his involvement in the egregious crime of producing child pornography,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “This decision underscores the profound gravity of such abhorrent acts and reaffirms HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society.” This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police (ICAC and Digital Forensics Lab), the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Unit (Indiana), the Peru Police Department (Illinois), the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office (Illinois), the City of LaSalle (Illinois) Police Department and the Illinois State Police Offender Registration Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Morgan and Philip Benson, as well as former Assistant United States Attorneys Abizer Zanzi, Molly Kelley and Jill Koster. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Arizona Man Detained on Methamphetamine Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – An Arizona man has been ordered detained in federal custody in Rhode Island after more than four kilograms of methamphetamine were seized in an investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine into Rhode Island from western states, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. According to charging documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Providence, it is alleged that Carl Sharp, 49, of Peoria, AZ, participated in a conspiracy to ship controlled substances through the U.S. Mail from Arizona, California, and Nevada to numerous addresses in the Providence Metro Area, and to ship money from Rhode Island out West. It is alleged that United States Postal Inspectors (USPS) identified at least 16 Priority Mail parcels that were shipped to Rhode Island from the Western United States, and six related parcels that were sent from Rhode Island to Western states. Investigators seized and searched four of these packages pursuant to federal search warrants and seized 4.44 kilograms of methamphetamine, 249 grams of cocaine, and $3,000 in cash. According to court documents, a financial investigation of Sharp, conducted with the assistance of the FBI, determined that, between January 2022 and May 2024, Sharp deposited over $320,000 in cash into his personal bank account. Most of these cash deposits were made at ATMs in Arizona and Rhode Island, with some of the money deposited at ATMs in California, Nevada, and Massachusetts. It is alleged that during this time, Sharp withdrew over $225,000 in cash at casinos. According to investigators, casinos are often used to launder money by converting illicit funds into chips and then cashing out those chips after gambling. Sharp was ordered detained following his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on Monday on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. He was arrested by Providence Police in the early morning hours of July 6, 2024. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra R. Hebert. The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of the Providence Police Department. ###


title: U.S. Army Reserve Officer Admits to Military Pay Fraud While Another Is Charged

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A second U.S. Army Reservist from Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command was indicted July 3, 2024, by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for military pay fraud that occurred at Fort Douglas, Utah, during the coronavirus pandemic. According to court documents, Captain Jean Philippe Martial, 48, of Midvale, Utah, defrauded the United States out of more than $140,000 in unearned military pay entitlements from June 2019 to September 2021. Last month, Colonel Reece Roberts, formerly of Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command, pled guilty to filing a fraudulent claim against the United States, conspiring to defraud the United States, and other federal crimes. See former press release . These announcements come as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service to resolve cases of military pay fraud and corruption that occurred at Fort Douglas during the coronavirus pandemic. According to court documents, both defendants misrepresented their residences to qualify for additional pay entitlements, fabricated lease agreements, falsified rent payments, and submitted over a dozen false vouchers to military officials. Charging documents further allege these misrepresentations allowed the defendants to receive family separation allowances, reimbursement for lodging expenses, and other entitlements that were not available to local servicemembers. Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.1 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Martial’s initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled on July 31, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating these cases. Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting these cases. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Repeat Fraudster Sentenced for Leading Pandemic Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton woman was sentenced today to five years in prison for identity theft and leading a conspiracy to defraud the government and financial institutions for pandemic-related loans and other benefits. According to court documents, Lapondia Wallace, 53, was responsible for at least 22 fraudulent pandemic loan applications and five additional fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment insurance benefits. This fraud resulted in more than $250,000 in loss to the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Wallace withdrew substantial amounts of the fraud proceeds as U.S. currency before they could be seized and spent the money on gambling, travel, and luxury retail items like clothing and shoes. Wallace has at least fifteen prior convictions for fraud, forgery, and related offenses, including a 2021 federal conviction for mail fraud. She committed the pandemic fraud at issue while under court supervision for her prior federal conviction for mail fraud. In her prior federal case, Wallace and her co-conspirators repeatedly filed fraudulent insurance claims. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Mack Coleman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-66.


title: Buffalo man going to prison on gun and drug charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Mario Kelly, 38, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan E. Leydecker, who handled the case, stated that in April 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Kelly’s Kenmore residence, during which they seized approximately 374 grams of fentanyl, approximately seven grams of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and three firearms. Kelly was previously convicted of two felony crimes in Erie County Court, and three federal crimes in the Western District of New York, and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Mexican citizen sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornography

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Mexican citizen who lived part-time in Stevensville, Montana, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for taking videos of himself having sex with a minor girl in Mexico and viewing the material while in Montana, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Efren Zanabriga Zuniga, 36, of Oaxaca, Mexico, pleaded guilty in February to production of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered $3,000 restitution. In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2023, Homeland Security Investigations received several CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding files depicting a minor female and adult male engaged in sexually explicit conduct that were uploaded to a Google Drive account. An investigation determined the Google Drive account belonged to Zuniga and that he was the adult male depicted in the videos and images while the victim was a minor girl. Zuniga, who worked part of the year in the United States on a work visa, would return to Mexico where he would create the images and videos using a cell phone. When he returned to Montana, he viewed the material on his Google Drive account, where he had placed the files. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. HSI and Missoula Police Department conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . XXX


title: A Former TSA Employee is Indicted After a Bomb Hoax at the Tulsa International Airport

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, a former TSA employee made an initial appearance before the federal court for leaving notes in the airport restroom, claiming there was a bomb in the airport. Sharon Jean Devine, 48, of Tulsa, is charged with two counts of False Information and Hoaxes in an unsealed indictment. “My office has no tolerance for threats of violence, especially bomb threats within an airport,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Every time a threat is made, a sophisticated law enforcement response is set into motion to ensure public safety,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Kaplan of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Bomb hoaxes like the ones alleged to have been fabricated by the defendant put the community at risk and will not be tolerated.” Statement from the Tulsa International Airport: “Tulsa International Airport Police received a report of a bomb threat on a handwritten note that was located in the pre-security side of the airport. Airport police immediately responded and secured the area and determined that there was no threat to public safety. Airport police then conducted an investigation where they identified a possible suspect and contacted the Tulsa FBI office. Tulsa FBI took over the investigation from that point forward and proceeded with their own investigation.” As a result of the investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma filed a criminal indictment. Court records show that Devine left a note in the restroom on March 5, 2024, and March 23, 2024. The notes stated there was a bomb located in the airport. If convicted, Devine faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The FBI, Tulsa Airport Police, and the Tulsa Police Department are assisting in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan E. Michel is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Repeat Raleigh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Over 17 Years

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Jeremiah Williams, a 40-year-old resident of Raleigh, has been sentenced to 174 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine in the Raleigh area. Williams also received a consecutive sentence of 36 months for a supervised release violation for a total sentence of 210 months in federal prison. “The distribution of cocaine and other dangerous drugs has no place in our community. The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) is committed to ensuring that the flow of these dangerous substances is stopped through intentionality and a deliberate focus on prolific drug dealers. In this case, a habitual offender was taken off the streets and can no longer harm our neighborhoods. Once again, we are grateful for the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of NC and U.S. Attorney Easley’s commitment to public safety,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson. According to court documents and information presented in court, in March 2021, RPD received a tip from a confidential informant (CI) that “Dirty,” later identified as Jeremiah Williams, was selling crack cocaine. On March 31, 2021, the CI contacted Williams by phone to purchase crack cocaine and met him at a fast-food restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the sale was captured on audio and video. On April 6, 2021, the CI contacted Williams again, and they agreed to meet at an apartment complex in Raleigh for another drug deal, which was also recorded. After selling crack cocaine to the CI, law enforcement attempted to arrest Williams. He tried to flee but was apprehended. While running, he threw a bag of crack cocaine to the ground. A search incident to the arrest of Williams led to the seizure of 26.8 grams of cocaine, 4.78 grams of crack cocaine, 17.7 grams of marijuana, cash, and a digital scale. Following his arrest, Williams admitted to officers that he was at the apartment complex to sell drugs and confessed to selling drugs for the past few weeks. He also admitted to possessing the drugs recovered during his arrest. Further investigation revealed that Williams was previously convicted in federal court for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine Base (“crack”) and a Quantity of Marijuana, as well as Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. Williams had been released from federal prison for approximately six months when he sold crack cocaine to the CI mentioned above. Moreover, the investigation uncovered Williams’s criminal history dating back to 2001, which includes several prior felony and misdemeanor convictions, multiple convictions for drug trafficking, and at least two prior convictions for assaulting a female. Williams was found to be responsible for the possession and distribution of 5.67 grams of crack cocaine, 26.8 grams of powder cocaine, and 22.4 grams of marijuana. While Williams was detained pending the resolution of his case, when one of his family members passed away. The court granted Williams a furlough to attend the funeral. Upon Williams’ return to the Albemarle District Jail, it was discovered that Williams had swallowed a bag of marijuana, which had to be surgically removed from his throat. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case. 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 number 5:21-CR-00336-FL. ###


title: New York Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Investigation into Workplace Death

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Richard Zagger, of Blue Point, New York, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy and three charges of obstruction. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16. The four-count indictment alleges that Zagger was a supervisor for Northridge Construction Corporation, located in East Patchogue, Long Island, New York. On Dec. 8, 2018, Zagger was overseeing employees of Northridge Construction Corporation who were constructing a metal shed on the Northridge property. During the construction, one of the employees fell from the improperly secured shed roof and died. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the employee’s death and violations of worker safety standards. Among other worker safety standards, OSHA regulations require maintaining the stability of a metal structure at all times during construction. The indictment charges that during the investigation, Zagger made false statements and conspired with others to make false statements to obstruct the federal agency’s inquiry. The maximum penalty for the conspiracy count and each obstruction count is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the economic gain to the defendant or loss suffered by the victim because of the crime. Also, in regards to the same fatal incident, Northridge previously pleaded guilty to violating a worker safety standard causing the death of one of its employees and to making two false statements that obstructed OSHA’s investigation. The corporation is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 6. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division made the announcement. The Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorneys Daniel Dooher and Richard J. Powers and Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Butler Felon Charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Thomas James Clark, 32, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on January 20, 2024, Clark—who has prior felony convictions—possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine C. Jordan and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Norwell Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Possessing Counterfeit Fentanyl-Laced Pills

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Norwell man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for narcotics charges. Frederick Dechristoforo, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In February 2024, Dechristoforo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. In December 2021, a search was conducted at Dechristoforo’s residence in Norwell. During the search, approximately 785 pills that were laced with fentanyl were seized. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and John Reynolds of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Bloods Gang Leader Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering Charges

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, New York, Howard Davis, also known as “Mousey” and “Mr. Fedup,” a leader of the violent Bloods street gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to life in prison plus 132 years for attempted murder, assault, robbery, distribution of controlled substances, obstruction of justice and brandishing and discharging firearms during the commission of these offenses. Davis was convicted of all 48 counts in the indictment after a six-week trial in June 2021. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and Robert E. Waring, Acting Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence. “Davis and his violent gang tormented our Long Island neighborhoods for years,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence ends his reign of terror and demonstrates my Office’s commitment to eradicate gang violence that has plagued our communities for too long.” “Howard Davis’s tyranny over Long Island has come to an end. His myriad of crimes repeatedly violated the law as Davis used his status as the gang’s leader to breed further criminality and gun violence. Today’s sentence demonstrates the FBI’s determination to take armed criminals who threaten the safety of our communities off the streets,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis. “Howard Davis was a prolific gang leader responsible for heinous crimes that terrorized Long Island communities and he actively recruited other members of the Bloods to perpetuate the same brutality. Today’s sentencing has effectively stripped him of the violent power he once wielded with impunity,” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “As a result of the outstanding coordination between HSI New York and our law enforcement partners, this merciless gangster can no longer wreak havoc on our communities.” “Howard Davis committed countless crimes while both free and incarcerated which proves his callousness and depraved indifference to others,” SCPD Acting Commissioner Waring stated. “It is my hope this sentence sends a message that the Suffolk County Police Department and its law enforcement partners will stand against these criminal organizations.” As proven at trial and in court filings, Davis was the leader of Long Island-based G-Shine set of the Bloods, a racketeering enterprise that engaged in multiple crimes of violence and narcotics trafficking. While leading this criminal organization, Davis directed a campaign of violence against his rivals, including issuing a standing order to kill certain individuals whenever and wherever they were found. Between June 2016 to November 8, 2017, Davis ordered two shootings that left two people wounded; he ordered two armed home invasions; he actively participated in three shootings, including one where three victims were struck by gunshots leaving one of those victims in a coma for an extended period of time; he ordered an armed robbery of two individuals; he physically assaulted a person at a bar, causing the victim to suffer a broken kneecap and broken nose; he sold fentanyl, heroin and crack; and he possessed countless firearms. Davis also convinced the mother of his child to testify falsely before a federal grand jury, resulting in the 2016 dismissal of a firearms charge. While incarcerated, Davis continued to commit crimes. He incurred nine disciplinary violations, including assaults and slashing a victim in the face. In addition to those violations, on Christmas in 2018, Davis used the mother of one of his children and his infant child to smuggle narcotics into the Metropolitan Correctional Center. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Caffarone and Mark Misorek are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder. The Defendant : HOWARD DAVIS (also known as “Mousey” and “Mr. Fedup”) Age: 36 Bellport, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 17-CR-615 (JMA)


title: Waterbury Man on Supervised Release Charged with Possessing Guns and Drugs

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging D’METRIUS JOHNSON, formerly known as D’METRIUS WOODWARD, and also known as “Meech,” 29, of Waterbury, with unlawful possession of a firearms by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The indictment was returned on June 20, 2024. Johnson appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on state charges on November 21, 2022. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on November 12, 2014, Johnson was sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy. He was released from federal prison in January 2018. On November 21, 2022, while Johnson was on supervised release, Brookfield Police arrested him on state charges related to the theft of catalytic converters. On that date, a search of Johnson’s Waterbury residence revealed a Ruger 57 semiautomatic pistol, a Glock 31 semiautomatic pistol, a Ruger LCP handgun, ammunition, approximately 89 grams of cocaine, and pills containing MDMA (“ecstasy”). It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Unlawful possession of a firearm carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Johnson faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Brookfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale. This prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psn .