title: Informational: Federal Court arraignments

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt: Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Sept. 21 was: David Jesus Tapia-Padron, 33, of Butte, and Austin Perry King-Terrell, 29, of Butte, on charges of illegal importation of a tableting press. Tapia-Padron also is charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Tapia-Padron faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years imprisonment, a $5 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. King-Terrell faces a maximum of four years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. Both defendants were released with conditions pending further proceedings. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-15. Lynsi Noel Barnes, 32, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Barnes faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years imprisonment, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Barnes was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Service, Montana Highway Patrol, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and Shoshone County (Idaho) Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-38. Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Sept. 21 was: Esaias Stops Pretty Places, 19, a transient, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. If convicted of the most serious crime, Stops Pretty Places faces a maximum of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and a mandatory minimum of five years to life of supervised release. Stops Pretty Places was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-105. Gabriel Cowan Metcalf, 49, of Billings, on charges of unlawful possession of firearm in a school zone. If convicted of the most serious crime, Metcalf faces a maximum of five years imprisonment, a $100,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Metcalf was released with conditions pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-103. Appearing on Sept. 19 for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint was: Cameron Dimich-Laster, 26, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Dimich-Laster faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years imprisonment, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Dimich-Laster was detained pending further proceedings. Homeland Security Investigations, the Billings Police Department and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-139. Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Sept. 19 was: Donovan Orville Horton, 51, of Vaughn, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth, distribution of meth near a school and drug user in possession of firearms. If convicted of the most serious crime, Horton faces a mandatory minimum of one year to 40 years imprisonment, a $2 million fine and six years of supervised release. Horton was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-88. Merlyn Roger Marceau, 40, of Browning, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted of the most serious crime, Marceau faces a maximum of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release. Marceau was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-89. Larry Thomas McDaniel, 45, of Great Falls, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, McDaniel faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years imprisonment, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. McDaniel was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Great Falls Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 23-61. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl . XXX


title: NASHVILLE MAN CONVICTED OF MULTIPLE ARMED ROBBERY AND FIREARMS CRIMES

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NASHVILLE - A federal jury convicted Terrell Stevenson, 34, of Nashville of multiple armed robbery and firearms offenses yesterday, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Henry C. Leventis. Within 40 minutes on Halloween night 2018, Stevenson robbed a Dollar General Store and a Mapco gas station in Nashville, brandishing a semi-automatic pistol and pointing it at the head of the clerk working at the Dollar General Store. Stevenson and his accomplice were arrested by police officers after fleeing from a traffic stop. Stevenson was charged by a federal grand jury in January of 2020 with two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Stevenson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years, and up to life, in federal prison. He will be sentenced by United States District Judge Aleta A. Trauger on January 29, 2024. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Stephens and Kathryn Risinger are prosecuting the case. # # # # #


title: Sexual Abuser Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Vandrick Yazzie, 34, of Red Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 180 months in prison. Yazzie pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. Between 2018 and 2019, Yazzie, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, sexually abused the minor victim while she was in his care on the Navajo Nation. After Yazzie finishes serving his prison term, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life, and required to register as a sex offender. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Juan County New Mexico Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 21-08132-PCT-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-137_Yazzie # # # 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: 42 Members of a Violent Gang Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in Manatí, Puerto Rico

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 20, 2023, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 42 violent gang members from the municipality of Manatí with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB), Arecibo Strike Force, with the collaboration of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Marshals Service. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), CBP Air and Marine Operations, and the Barceloneta Police Department collaborated during the arrests. “By arresting and prosecuting these defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners are working to uphold the rule of law and punish violent offenders who terrorize our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The Department of Justice is committed to dismantling criminal organizations, holding gang members accountable, and pursuing justice for victims.” “For the last year, the residents in the Manatí area have been victims of violent crimes, going to bed and waking up to the sound of gunshots, tonight they will be able to rest,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI. “This organization is extremely violent; therefore this takedown included the activation of a total of 12 tactical teams and over 200 law enforcement officers from HSI San Juan and the U.S. Mainland along with federal, state, and local partners. This is a clear example of a multiagency collaboration; we were able to dismantle the new generation of a very violent drug trafficking organization that has been stealing the peace of these communities. Not anymore, HSI remains focused, determined, and steadfast to assure Puerto Rico’s public safety.” The indictment alleges that from 2016, the drug trafficking organization called “Hasta los Marcian” (HLM) distributed heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, Tramadol, and Clonazepam within 1,000 feet of the Enrique Zorrilla, Villa Evangelina, Vivamery, and Los Murales Public Housing Projects (PHPs), the Cerro Gandía Ward and the Morovis cemetery, all for significant financial gain and profit. The goal of HLM was to maintain control of all the drug trafficking activities within the Manatí area by the use of force, threats, violence and intimidation. In preserving power and protecting territory, the members of HLM profited from the illegal distribution of narcotics including transportation and distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the continental United States. The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators participated in murders and shootings to further their drug trafficking operations. The defendants and their co-conspirators would sometimes use bullet proof vests to protect themselves when they participated in acts of violence. They modified firearms in order to convert them to automatic weapons (machineguns). On occasions, the co-conspirators legally purchased firearms and then sold them to members of the drug trafficking organization. Also, defendants and their co-conspirators would mail pieces of firearms or entire firearms from the continental United States to other members of the drug trafficking organization in Manatí. The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, to wit: leaders, suppliers, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. The defendants charged in the indictment are: [1] Fabián López-Pino, a.k.a. “Fabi/Gordo/Panda” [2] Michael Ángelo Reyes-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Chucky/Choky” [3] Joshua Siragusa-Romero, a.k.a. “Tres Dobles” [4] Alejandro Sáenz-Escobar, a.k.a. “Fresa/Fresita/Andito” [5] Christopher Alberto Centeno-Marrero, a.k.a. “Chupy/Chupa Compras” [6] Victor Cardoza, a.k.a. “Vitoy” [7] Francisco Efrén Marín-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Frank/F/El Viejo” [8] Cesar Tyron Villegas–Cintrón [9] Daniel Morla-Reyes, a.k.a. “Bebe/Bebe Murales/El Domi” [10] Christopher Maldonado-López, a.k.a. “Gordo Flow” [11] Christian Maldonado-López, a.k.a. “Ninja” [12] José Israel Rivera-Morán, a.k.a. “Isratek/Isra” [13] Christopher Pagán-Moux, a.k.a. “Zion” [14] Carlos Jadriel Rivera-León, a.k.a. “Hulk/Carlitos Hulk” [15] Jacier Collazo-Cruz [16] Kenneth Noel Padilla-Martínez, a.k.a. “Dement/Demente” [17] Jairo Luis Sánchez-Romero, a.k.a. “Grillo” [18] Jonathan Yadriel Negrón-Quintero, a.k.a. “Wiwi” [19] Adán David López-Quintero, a.k.a. “Chaco” [20] Jadriel Yandel Bruno-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Cuty” [21] José Rafael Domínguez-Rivera, a.k.a. “Ojos Bellos” [22] Bryan Joel Nieves-Romero, a.k.a. “Cabulla/Cabuya” [23] Kelvin Joel Rivas-Quiñonez, a.k.a. “Piki/Rubio” [24] Kenneth Córdova-Real, a.k.a. “Pope/Menor” [25] Norma Iris Cintrón-Pino, a.k.a. “Normita” [26] Ángel Javier Marrero-González, a.k.a. “Chacorta/Chacolta/Titi” [27] William Omar Nieves-Maisonet, a.k.a. “Tito Llorón” [28] Kevin Renier Marrero-Ocasio, a.k.a. “Coraje” [29] Edsel Rodríguez-Ramírez, a.k.a. “La R/El Gordo/El Goldo” [30] Miguel Ángel Ayala-De León, a.k.a. “Tonka” [31] Jorge Luis Santiago-Robles, a.k.a. “El Mono/El Mono De Cerro Gandía” [32] Jeremy Nael Rodríguez-Ortega, a.k.a. “Jordan” [33] Shaquille Emmanuel Rivera-De Jesús [34] Jonathan Montano-Menéndez, a.k.a. “Ata” [35] Kelvin Luis Núñez-Otero, a.k.a. “Colilla” [36] Manuel Ángel Jr. Torres-Pérez, a.k.a. “Manolo” [37] María De Los Ángeles Candelario-Rosa, a.k.a. “María Pasillo” [38] Victor David Santos-Medina, a.k.a. “Davisito” [39] Richard Vázquez-Aponte, a.k.a. “BTA” [40] Jorge Luis Rivera-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “El Mono/El Mono De Zorrillas” [41] Isaías Daniel Lugo-Nazario, a.k.a. “Panda” [42] John Anthony Sánchez-Valentín, a.k.a. “Joshua Pauta/Pauta” Thirty-Three (33) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and fifteen (15) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; AUSAs Corinne Cordero-Romo and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Six, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged in Count Seven with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $31,347,400. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former Railroad Employee Sentenced to Two and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Disability Benefits

body_text: CHICAGO – A former railroad engineer has been sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining disability benefits. SCOTT CARLBERG operated and managed a tanning salon in Wisconsin for six years while simultaneously receiving occupational disability benefits from the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. In his application for benefits, Carlberg asserted that he could no longer perform any type of work due to numerous daily limitations, including short-term-memory loss, poor concentration, irritability, frequent loss of temper, and information-processing difficulties. After the benefits were approved, Carlberg misrepresented the nature of his work at the salon and lied about the income he received from it. A federal jury in Chicago earlier this year convicted Carlberg, 53, of Menomonie, Wisc., on four counts of wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang on Tuesday ordered Carlberg to immediately pay more than $279,000 in restitution to the Railroad Retirement Board. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas Williams, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the RRB, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Michelle Parthum. Carlberg was one of six defendants charged in Chicago as part of an investigation into fraud perpetrated against benefit programs administered by the RRB to rail workers and their families. The five other defendants pleaded guilty and admitted fraudulently receiving benefits while simultaneously performing various types of work, including construction, landscaping, managing a donut shop, and captaining a charter fishing boat. If you believe someone you know is receiving fraudulent disability benefits from the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, you can contact the RRB OIG anonymously by calling 1-800-772-4528 or by sending an email to hotline@oig.rrb.gov .


title: Four Time Felon Pleads Guilty To New Drug And Gun Charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ivan Morales, 48, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra. Jr. to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life and an $8,000,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis A. Testani and Casey Chalbeck, who are handling the case, stated that on October 13, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Morales’s Ideal Street residence and seized suspected marijuana, a digital scale, and approximately $2,546.00 in U.S. currency. They also searched a Shanley Street apartment associated with Morales and seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine of cocaine, 12 clear bags containing cocaine, suspected MDMA pills, eight firearms, numerous magazines and ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and 250 $100 bills, for a total of $25,000.00 in U.S. currency. In 1998, 2004, 2006, and 2020, Morales was convicted of felonies in state and federal court and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia. Sentencing is scheduled for January 16, 2024, before Judge Sinatra.


title: Greenbrier County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Raymond Matthew Ramos, 41, of Lewisburg, was sentenced today to six years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 29. 2022, Ramos sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Alderson. Ramos admitted to that transaction and further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine to the confidential informant on July 6, 2022, in Beaver and on July 27, 2022, in Lewisburg. On July 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence where Ramos was staying. Officers seized a quantity of methamphetamine, scales, packaging material, and over $1,000. The cash included recorded money from the July 27, 2022, drug transaction. Ramos admitted that he possessed the seized methamphetamine and intended to distribute it. Ramos also admitted to telling law enforcement officers that he distributed a half-pound of methamphetamine weekly between the third week of April 2022 and July 14, 2022. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The Greenbrier Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force is composed of members of the West Virginia State Police, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lewisburg Police Department. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-228. ###


title: Former Utica Mayor and School Board President Indicted for Mail Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Louis LaPolla, age 78, of Utica, New York, has been charged by indictment with six counts of mail fraud. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Alfred A. Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. The indictment alleges that LaPolla set up a scholarship fund in honor of his late wife, Andrea LaPolla, after she passed away in 2018, with the stated intention of benefitting Utica City School District students who planned to pursue post-secondary education in health-related fields. The indictment further alleges that LaPolla received tens of thousands of dollars in donations intended for the scholarship fund from individuals and businesses and that he spent nearly all of the donated money on himself rather than depositing it into the scholarship fund. LaPolla served as the mayor of Utica from 1984 to 1995, and he served as President of the Utica City School Board from 2018 to 2022, following 21 years of service as a member of the board. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges filed against LaPolla carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Following his arrest on these charges and initial appearance in federal court today, LaPolla was ordered released on conditions pending his trial. FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the New York State Police and the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry is prosecuting the case.


title: Davenport Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – On September 21, 2023, a Davenport woman was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon. According to public court records and evidence, on September 19, 2022, around 11:00 p.m., Davenport Police were dispatched to a disturbance/shots fired call in the 500 block of West 17th Street. Upon arrival, officers observed a person enter a black Ford Fusion and depart at a high rate of speed. An officer attempted to stop the vehicle but it fled at speeds in excess of 75 miles per hour through Davenport neighborhoods until it crashed. The driver then fled on foot. An officer gave chase and eventually apprehended the driver who was then identified as G’Sani Bogan, 22. A search of Bogan’s vehicle revealed a loaded Smith & Wesson, M&P, .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol. The pistol had been reported stolen from a Rock Island, Illinois resident. A shell casing from the scene of the disturbance was identified as having been fired from the pistol. Bogan had been convicted previously in Scott County of two felony offenses and was serving probationary sentences when this incident occurred. The district court ordered the 41-month sentence to be served consecutively to any terms of imprisonment imposed in the Iowa District Court for Scott County. Following her prison term, Bogan will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.


title: Middleburg Man Pleads Guilty To Production Of Child Sexual Abuse Images

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Sam David Harris, Jr. (38, Middleburg) has pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child sexual abuse images. Harris faces a minimum mandatory term of 15 years, and up to 60 years, in federal prison. Harris has been detained since his arrest on April 20, 2023. According to the plea agreement, in February 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into a cyber tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sexual abuse materials being uploaded to a particular site of an electronic services provider. An investigation into that user led law enforcement to Harris. On April 20, 2023, HSI Jacksonville Special Agents and Task Force Officers executed search warrant at Harris’s home and located a thumb drive that had been concealed in the bottom portion of a small box in the top drawer of the nightstand next to Harris’s bed. Subsequent onsite forensic preview of the thumb drive by HSI revealed numerous videos and images depicting child sex abuse materials. Additional analysis of the thumb drive revealed more than 100 images that appeared to have been produced by Harris. Harris’s hand, arm, and forearm are visible in several of the files. A witness identified Harris’s arm/tattoos, as well as Harris’s bathroom and garage that were visible in several other images on the thumb drive. One of the girls depicted in the images was subsequently identified as a child to whom Harris had access. This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Colombian National Pleads Guilty To False Claim Of Citizenship And Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: Orlando, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Oscar Eduardo Sanchez Gamboa (54, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to making a false claim of citizenship to obtain a state benefit and aggravated identity theft. Gamboa faces up to of five years’ imprisonment for making the false claim, and a consecutive minimum mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (OIG–SSA) investigated the use of a Social Security number (SSN) in several loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. The OIG-SSA provided agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with copies of the loan applications. CBP officers then conducted a review of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Records (DHSMV) for the SSN and the name used in the loan applications. The DHSMV records revealed that Gamboa had used the name, date of birth, and SSN of another person, who is a U.S. citizen, to apply for and obtain on separate occasions a Florida driver license and a Florida commercial driver license matching the person OIG-SSA had submitted to CBP. In order for Gamboa to receive these licenses, he affirmed under penalty of perjury that he was a citizen of the United States. A review of U.S. Department of State records and Department of Homeland Security databases by CBP confirmed that Gamboa was born in Colombia, is a citizen of Colombia, and is not a United States citizen. This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.


title: New York Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Escaping from Custody

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Shaquon Hines, 46, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 1o months in federal prison after pleading guilty to escaping from federal custody. Evidence presented to the court showed that in 2011, Hines was sentenced to 188 months in prison after being convicted in the United States District Court of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Hines’ sentence was later reduced, and he was released in October 2021 to report to a halfway house in Columbia to serve out the remainder of his federal sentence. Hines failed to report to the halfway house and remained at large. In July 2023, Hines was arrested in Hickory, North Carolina, after fleeing from police during a traffic stop. He was also found in possession of fentanyl and other drug paraphernalia. Senior United States District Judge Cameron M. Currie sentenced Hines to 10 months in prison, to run consecutively to the undischarged term of imprisonment from Hines’ 2011 drug conviction. Hines also faces an eight-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

body_text: CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Therence Jamsion, 58, of Charleston, was sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Evidence presented to the court showed that in the Fall of 2020, Jamison, a registered sex offender, engaged in sexually explicit conversations via an online dating app with whom he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. After engaging in conversation, Jamison made plans in November 2020 to meet up with the boy at his home to engage in sexual activity. Upon Jamison’s arrival at the home, he was met by an undercover police officer and was arrested. “There is no place in our community for crimes against children,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands ready to seek justice for victims of child exploitation and hold predators accountable. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to help identify and prevent these crimes.” “HSI is committed to protecting children in our communities from predators that seek to abuse and exploit them, ” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Charlotte, which covers North and South Carolina. “This sentencing is the result of the hard work of the agents and officers of HSI and our state and local law enforcement partners, to identify and arrest sexual predators and bring justice to the victims.” United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Jamison to 223 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Mt. Pleasant Police Department, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Orville prosecuted the case. ###


title: Arizona Woman Indicted for Importing Almost 95 Pounds of Methamphetamine From Mexico

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Rosa Villanueva, 39, of Somerton, Arizona, was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on two counts of Importation of Methamphetamine and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that on August 16, 2023, Villanueva drove her vehicle from Mexico through the San Luis Port of Entry and was stopped after a drug-sniffing canine alerted on her vehicle. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered almost 95 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in 161 packages throughout the car. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and up to lifetime supervised release. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Homeland Security Investigations, Yuma Office, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Noah Coakley II, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01295-PHX-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-138_Villanueva # # # 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Inmate Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Weapon at FCI Beckley

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Quordell Tarver, 24, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Beckley, was sentenced today to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a weapon by an inmate of a federal prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 22, 2022, an FCI Beckley staff member conducted a visual search of Tarver and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in Tarver’s underwear. The shank was a piece of metal, approximately 5 inches long, sharpened to a point at one end with a piece of white shoelace wrapped around the base as a handle. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-62. ###


title: Federal grand jury indicts local attorney on child pornography charges

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A resident of Grandview Heights was arrested today on federal charges including transporting, receiving, and possessing child pornography. Stephen Chinn, 39, of Columbus, turned himself in at U.S. District Court this morning to be arrested by federal agents. Chinn then made his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon, and his charges were unsealed at that time. According to the three-count federal indictment returned yesterday, Chinn uploaded child pornography to the internet that depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct including sex acts with adults and animals. Chinn allegedly downloaded and saved other child sexual abuse material between Aug. 11 and Aug. 13. The material further depicted prepubescent children engaged in bestiality and sexual intercourse with adults, as well as minor victims subjected to sadistic and masochistic abuse. On Aug. 16, a search warrant was executed at Chinn’s residence. It is alleged that Chinn possessed a desktop computer containing more than 4,000 child sexual abuse images. At the time, Chinn was employed as a public defender in Franklin County. Chinn was initially arrested on Aug. 16 and charged locally with Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor and Pandering Obscenity. Chinn was released on bond in that matter. The federal indictment will supersede any charges on his local case. Chinn is scheduled to appear again in U.S. District Court at 1:30pm on Sept. 25 for a detention hearing. Transporting and receiving child pornography are federal crimes punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. Both charges also carry a statutory maximum punishment of 20 years in prison, which is the same statutory maximum for possessing child pornography of a prepubescent minor. The case is being investigated by the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Grandview Heights Police Chief Ryan Starns; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; and Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Illegal alien sentenced to 4 years in prison for possessing dozens of guns

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Guadalupe Sanchez-Cruz, 50, of Indianapolis, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 48 months in prison for possessing 45 guns as an illegal alien. According to court documents, Sanchez-Cruz is an illegal alien and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. Sanchez-Cruz, who is originally from Mexico, was the passenger in a truck transporting 45 firearms from Indiana to New Jersey. The defendant was stopped by law enforcement in Ohio on Jan. 20. Sanchez-Cruz told law enforcement officials he was paid to help transport parcels and knew the items contained within were “likely illegal.” The 45 firearms included handguns and rifles, some with high-capacity magazines. They were heavily wrapped in plastic and contained in two boxes on the truck. Sanchez-Cruz was indicted in February 2023 and pleaded guilty in April 2023. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones; announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 21 by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Readout of U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Meeting with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: U.S. Attorney General (AG) Merrick B. Garland hosted Ukrainian Prosecutor General (PG) Andriy Kostin at the Justice Department today. The two leaders discussed efforts to hold accountable perpetrators of war crimes and other atrocities and the importance of strong, independent anti-corruption institutions. “The Justice Department and the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office are united in our resolve that the Russian perpetrators of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Ukraine will not get away with them,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “And the Justice Department will continue to stand beside our Ukrainian partners as they work to ensure the continuity of a justice system the Ukrainian people can believe in.” The meeting highlighted the important progress that the Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team, in partnership with PG Kostin’s Office, continues to make in its domestic investigations. The team also continues its support for Ukraine accountability efforts by providing Ukrainian prosecutors with operational assistance and advice including, recent training on environmental crimes and cooperation on victim witness issues. The AG also noted that earlier this month, the Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team made its second set of contributions of Ukraine-related evidence to Eurojust’s Core International Crimes Evidence Database. The AG and PG also discussed the work of the newly appointed U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression at the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine at The Hague as well as the work of the Department’s Resident Legal Advisor in Kyiv, Ukraine. After reaffirming their commitment to these important efforts, the leaders identified areas for strengthened law enforcement cooperation, including efforts against cybercrime, organized crime, and community prosecution. AG Garland reiterated the Department’s commitment to work with Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) to support and strengthen efforts to target high-level corruption, through the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) Resident Legal Advisor in Kyiv. The PG and Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova then presented Attorney General Garland with the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise award that President Zelenskyy authorized for the Attorney General’s steadfast support to Ukraine. Also at the meeting was the Justice Department’s Counselor for War Crimes Accountability, Eli Rosenbaum, who accepted the order of merit award presented by PG Kostin and authorized by President Zelenskyy. Attorney General Garland also reaffirmed the Department’s continued commitment to seizing and forfeiting illicit assets through the Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and efforts of preventing and disrupting critical technology from being acquired by the Russian war machine. PG Kostin updated the AG on anticorruption efforts as well as the importance of efforts to recover and seek justice for Ukrainian children kidnapped and forcibly deported by Russia and the gravity of Russian war crimes against Ukrainian children and adults.


title: Indian National Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Dhruv Jani, age 40, formerly of Wray, Colorado, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $1,163,947.28 in restitution. According to the plea agreement, starting in January 2020, Jani was part of a conspiracy to launder funds obtained from a government official imposter scheme. Victims in the United States were contacted by telephone and coerced into believing they were under investigation by “Agents” of federal law enforcement agencies (the FBI, SSA, DHS, Treasury, or U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration). Victims were told that their identities had been connected to a criminal incident, that their imminent arrest and/or deportation from the United States had been ordered by law enforcement, and that the only way to avoid arrest and or deportation was to pay the “Government” large sums of money. The “Agent” then convinced the victim to package and ship the cash to alleged government officials via Federal Express or United Parcel Service. Many of these same victims were also directed to mail packages of cash to individuals in other states. “We must protect our elderly and our vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan. “Making victims fearful, this defendant created a scheme that cheated them out of more than a million dollars. For this, he will now spend years in federal prison.” “This sentence holds Mr. Jani accountable for his malicious acts of orchestrating Social Security-related and government imposter scams that preyed upon vulnerable persons,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “My office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who victimize unsuspecting persons, often elderly, to deprive of them of their Social Security benefits and resources. I thank the United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security-OIG, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Sterling, Colorado Police Department for their investigative efforts and U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to ensuring these types of predatory schemes are investigated aggressively,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the Denver Division. “It is imperative that we work with our law enforcement partners to protect our Postal customers, the American people, who unknowingly fall prey to these schemes. We will not allow fraudsters to utilize the mail or USPS products and services to further their crimes.” “Operators of call centers relentlessly target the elderly to steal every penny of their hard-earned life savings.” said Eric DeLaune Acting Special Agent in Charge, HSI New Orleans. “Thanks to the hardworking agents of HSI and the prosecution team with the U.S. Attorney’s Office Jani will be held accountable for his contemptible crimes. HSI continues to investigate cross border call centers like these to stop the abuse of the elderly.” United States District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore sentenced Jani on September 21, 2023. After Jani serves his term of incarceration he will be deported to India. This investigation is being conducted jointly with investigators from the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security-OIG, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Sterling, Colorado Police Department. The District Attorney for the 13th Judicial District has also provided assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha A. Paluch and Laura B. Hurd. Case number: 22-cr-202


title: Retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Pleads Guilty to Concealing Information from the FBI

body_text: Charles F. McGonigal, 54, a former FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, pleaded guilty today to concealment of material facts for his undisclosed receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe while McGonigal was supervising counterintelligence efforts. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 16, 2024. According to papers filed with the court, from August 2017, and continuing through his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. The charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Stuart D. Allen, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Friedman for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Deputy Chief Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.


title: Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. John Trinidad Qualls, age 42, from Tucson, Arizona, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. In a plea agreement, Qualls admitted that, on December 31, 2022, law enforcement traffic-stopped him for speeding. Qualls handed an officer a black pouch, which contained his license, insurance, and registration. There was marijuana residue inside the pouch, and both the pouch and documents smelled of marijuana. Qualls admitted that he had used marijuana earlier that day. Law enforcement searched the car and found 1,200.10 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Qualls remains in custody of the United States Marshal. Qualls faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment and the following maximum penalties: (1) not more than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole; (2) a fine of not more than $10,000,000; (3) a mandatory special assessment of $100; and (4) a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to a term of life. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-2021. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Larchwood Seed Dealer Sent to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and False Statements

body_text: A seed salesman who cut out the seed distributor, and sold corn and soybean seeds directly to farmers for his own benefit, was sentenced September 20, 2023, to more than 2 years in federal prison. Nathan Christie, age 44, from Larchwood, received the prison term after a March 24, 2023, guilty plea to one count of Wire Fraud and one count of False Statements to a Financial Institution. Evidence in the case revealed that Christie, an employee of the seed company, took money directly from farmers for seed, but did not forward that money to the owner of the seed. Instead, he used the money to cover his gambling losses and to pay for other personal expenses leaving the seed bill unpaid. To cover his fraud, Christie manipulated records to make it appear unsuspecting seed distributors had delivered the seed. Christie was nearly caught when one of those distributors asked about a bill he had received from the seed company. Christie however, acquired money to pay the bill. Christie acquired $62,076.23 by forging his spouse’s signature on an Agriculture Security Agreement and another $350,000 by forging his spouse’s signature on a second real estate mortgage on their shared residence. After this near-discovery of his fraud, Christie stopped using the first distributor’s account and found two new victim distributors. On March 24, 2023, Christie appeared before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Kelly K.E. Mahoney and pled guilty to two counts of a two-count Information filed March 17, 2023. The Court ordered Christie released on a personal recognizance bond without pretrial supervision. On July 11, 2023, the United States filed a Motion for Revocation of Pretrial Supervision alleging Christie had violated the conditions of his unsupervised pretrial release by committing a new law violation in light of his arrest for Burglary, Third Degree - Non-Vehicle, as charged in Lyon County, Iowa, Docket No. FECR007731. On July 18, 2023, the Court found there was probable cause to believe Christie had committed the above alleged new law violation, and the Court revoked Christie’s pretrial release and ordered him detained. The state charge is still pending. Christie was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 30 months’ imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently. He was ordered to make $202,440.80 in restitution to AgReliant and $258,825.25 to American State Bank, for a total of $461,266.05 in restitution. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Christie is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Lyon County, Iowa Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ron Timmons and Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-04005. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Colchester Couple Arraigned on Drug Trafficking and Gun Charges

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Melinda Morgan, 41, and Dale Taylor, 39, of Colchester, Vermont were arraigned today on drug trafficking and gun charges arising from a June 30, 2023 traffic stop near Brattleboro, Vermont. According to the indictment in the case, at the time of the stop, Morgan and Taylor possessed cocaine base and fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, and Morgan possessed two firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking offense. Following a hearing today before the Honorable Kevin J. Doyle, United States Magistrate Judge, both defendants were detained pending further proceedings. The indictment is an accusation only and Morgan and Taylor are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted on the possession with intent to distribute charges, Morgan and Taylor face a maximum sentence of twenty years of imprisonment. If convicted on the possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Morgan faces a minimum of five years of imprisonment in addition to any sentence of imprisonment imposed for drug trafficking. Both defendants face a maximum $1,000,000 fine and three years of supervised release, which would follow any sentence of imprisonment. The actual sentence will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles. Natasha Sen, Esq. represents Melinda Morgan. Jean-Claude Charbonneau, Esq. represents Dale Taylor. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.


title: Oklahoma Woman Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement to a Financial Institution as Part of CARES Act Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, KIMBERLY ATLANTA TIPTON , 43, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a financial institution, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On April 4, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 15-count Indictment against Tipton, charging her for devising and carrying out a scheme to steal Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) from several Oklahoma residents. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law in March, 2020, to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act in part provided EIPs, commonly known as “stimulus checks”, to American households. According to the Indictment, from on or about July 9, 2020, to on or about January 5, 2022, Tipton illegally intercepted and deposited 119 EIP checks, totaling $126,400.00. These checks were intended to be paid to individuals other than Tipton. The Indictment alleges Tipton accessed an IRS database, changing the addresses of the individuals the EIPs were intended for, to one of four addresses located in the Western District of Oklahoma where Tipton received mail. She then deposited the checks in two bank accounts under her control, one of which was fraudulently opened using a victim’s illegally obtained personal information. Today, Tipton pleaded guilty to Count 11 of the Indictment, making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. As part of her plea, Tipton admitted to knowing the statement was false when she made it, and further admitted that she made the false statement with the purpose of influencing the financial institution. At sentencing, Tipton faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00. She also faces restitution in the amount of $126,400.00. This case is the result of an investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan J. West is prosecuting the case.


title: Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty After Robbing an Oklahoma City Pharmacy While Armed with a Machinegun

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, CHARLES LAMAR SCOTT , 35, of Greenville, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On May 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a five count Indictment against Scott, charging him with interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a machinegun during and in relation to a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and felon in possession of a firearm. According to the Indictment, on or about December 26, 2022, Scott committed an armed robbery at a CVS Pharmacy located in Oklahoma City. The indictment alleges that during the robbery, Scott discharged two firearms, including a firearm that had been modified to operate as a machinegun. Today, Scott pleaded guilty to Counts 1, 2, and 4 of the Indictment. As part of his plea, Scott admitted that he used force and violence in order to obtain money from CVS, that he discharged a firearm during and in relation to the robbery, and that he was aware that one of the firearms he possessed had been modified to become a machinegun. At sentencing, Scott faces up to life imprisonment, and a fine of up to $750,000.00. This case is a result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stan J. West and David R. Nichols, Jr. are prosecuting the case.


title: Man Who Trafficked Guns into Bridgeport Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANNON WINSTON, 23, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to firearm trafficking and possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, Winston purchased firearms in Georgia, where he resided at times, and provided them to customers in Connecticut. Winston personally purchased at least 18 firearms in Georgia, and he had others purchase additional firearms on his behalf. The investigation, which included gun recoveries after shooting incidents in Bridgeport, revealed that some of the firearms were provided to members of the East End and PT Barnum gangs in Bridgeport. On March 16, 2022, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Winston with firearms trafficking offenses. During his arraignment on March 29, 2022, Winston was informed that he could be required to serve a consecutive term of imprisonment of up to 10 years if he committed a federal felony while on pretrial release. Winston was released on a $100,000 bond on that date. On December 21, 2022, Winston was arrested by Bridgeport Police for possessing a .357 caliber handgun with a loaded high-capacity magazine. He has been detained in federal custody since January 3, 2023. Winston pleaded guilty to one count of crossing state lines with the intent to engage unlicensed dealing of firearms, and one count of receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment. Judge Thompson scheduled sentencing for December 20, at which time Winston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years. This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Jefferson County Chiropractor Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison, Ordered to Repay $4.3 Million for Health Care, Disability Fraud

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Friday sentenced a chiropractor from Jefferson County, Missouri to four years in prison and ordered him to repay $4.3 million lost to a disability and health care fraud scheme that involved 17 other defendants. Beginning in 2011, Thomas G. Hobbs, now 66, fraudulently assisted patients in receiving disability benefit payments through the Social Security Administration’s Disability Trust Fund and through private disability benefit insurance providers. He also falsely claimed to have a medical license. “This sentence is a long-awaited milestone in a complex disability fraud scheme involving facilitators and co-conspirators that our investigators worked diligently to dismantle,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “Dr. Thomas Hobbs was the lead facilitator, and this sentence now holds him accountable for criminal acts that undermined the integrity of the Social Security disability insurance program. I am extremely appreciative of the tremendous work that our investigators and law enforcement partners contributed to the success of this investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in holding Dr. Hobbs and his fellow conspirators accountable for facilitating this fraud.” Hobbs charged patients between $2,000 and $8,600 to prepare disability forms and coach them on how to lie to the Social Security Administration and insurers about their ability to perform basic daily tasks such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting, remembering and taking care of their personal needs. Hobbs submitted fraudulent medical reports, submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement to health care benefit programs for services that were either not provided, medically unnecessary or provided by unqualified persons and used a fictitious medical license number to buttress his medical determinations and further support patients’ disability claims. Hobbs, is co-owner of Power-Med Inc., a chiropractic clinic in Arnold, Missouri. He also admitted in his plea agreement that while falsely claiming to have a medical license, between 2011 and 2019, he purchased and dispensed prescription medications, administered injections and dispensed medications intravenously to patients. Hobbs knew he was not permitted to administer injections because the Missouri Board of Chiropractic Examiners placed him on probation for five years for fraudulently billing insurance companies for unlawfully administering injections. Hobbs pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court to a conspiracy charge. Four of his co-defendants, including his wife and fellow chiropractor, Vivian Carbone-Hobbs, went to trial and were found guilty. Carbone-Hobbs is scheduled to be sentenced next month. All of the patients involved in the scheme were ordered to repay the money that they’d fraudulently obtained. The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry, Dorothy McMurtry Diane Klocke and Gwendolyn Carroll are prosecuting the case. Anyone who suspects fraud involving the Disability Insurance Benefit Program is asked to contact the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General Hotline at: 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report/ .


title: Seattle, Washington, man sentenced to 5 years in prison for drug trafficking on 3rd and Pike while armed with a handgun

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: Seattle – A 30-year-old man from Seattle, WA was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 60 months and one day in prison for drug trafficking and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Lavonta Austin pleaded guilty in July of 2023 in U.S. District Court in Seattle. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart, said, “The statistics are just bleak. People die every day from drug overdoses, but you can’t have overdoses without someone selling the drugs. Gun violence is rampant in our society, but you can’t have gun violence without someone carrying a loaded 45 caliber gun.” “Both 3 rd and Pine and 12 th and Jackson are areas hard hit by the dangers of fentanyl and firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “It is important that we do all we can to keep those areas safe, the businesses around it open, and deadly drugs off the streets.” According to records filed in the case, Lavonta Austin was first contacted by Seattle Police at 3 rd Avenue and Pike Street in downtown Seattle on August 4, 2022. Austin sold fentanyl pills to an undercover officer, and then attempted to run from the police. The police took him into custody. Austin had been carrying methamphetamine, fentanyl, more than $2,000 in cash, and a loaded 45-caliber handgun. A few months later, on October 9, 2022, Austin was arrested at a Seattle motel with fentanyl, methamphetamine, $1,770 in cash, and a loaded 9mm handgun. Both the prosecution and the defense recommended a 5-year sentence. Austin pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The drug possession charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The gun crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years in prison that runs consecutively to the sentence imposed on the drug possession charge. This case is part of an effort to reduce drug trafficking and gun violence at 3rd and Pine and 12 th and Jackson in Seattle. The City of Seattle, along with the Seattle Police Department, the King County Sherriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Western Washington are all a part of this coordinated effort. The Western District of Washington prosecuted several cases in conjunction with the effort to improve public safety on Third and Pine and 12 th and Jackson. All of these cases involved charges of drug trafficking and related firearms crimes, including: Kendall Alston , who was sentenced to 60 months and one day in February 2023; Ceandrick Davis , who was sentenced to 60 months and one day in January 2023; Mar’jon Guyton , who was sentenced to 24 months in January 2023; Joseph Johnson, who was sentenced to 48 months in May 2023; Cuong Cao and Amirkai Brown, both of whom are pending trial over the next several months. This case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.


title: Rochester Drug Conspiracy Leader Going To Prison For More Than 17 Years

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jancarlos Gonzalez-Rivera a/k/a Los, 37, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, 400 grams of more of fentanyl, for his role as the leader of a large and long-standing illegal narcotics ring operating in the Rochester area, was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Gonzalez-Rivera was also ordered to forfeit three firearms, $225,000 in cash, and jewelry seized from his house valued at approximately $118,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Everardo A. Rodriguez, who handled the case, stated that between May 2018, and April 30, 2020, Gonzalez-Rivera conspired with others to sell fentanyl. Gonzalez-Rivera’s role in the conspiracy included communicating with his suppliers to arrange for fentanyl deliveries, arranging for drugs and drug proceeds to be stored at locations in the Rochester area, including 79 Branch Street, bagging and processing fentanyl for distribution to customers and co-conspirators, distributing fentanyl to others, and receiving and storing cash proceeds from the distribution of fentanyl. On April 30, 2020, numerous search warrants were executed in connection with the investigation, including at one of Gonzalez-Rivera’s stash houses where investigators seized approximately 982 grams of fentanyl and 67 grams of heroin, three handguns, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $225,000 in cash. At Gonzalez-Rivera’s residence, investigators found approximately $9,800 and numerous pieces of jewelry, including two Rolex watches valued at $55,000 and $35,000. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rochester Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, the U.S. Marshal Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina; the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter; the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff David Cirencione, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci. Additional assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Buffalo and Syracuse Resident Offices. # # # #


title: Albion Man Going To Prison For More Than 10 Years For Possession Of Child Pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Anthony J. Alello, Jr., 32, of Albion, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison and 35 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that in January 2022, an undercover FBI agent began communicating with Alello online using the Kik application. During these communications, Alello sent the agent links to cloud storage folders that contained child pornography. One folder contained approximately 2,484 videos of child pornography, and another folder contained approximately 45 videos of child pornography. On March 24, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Alello’s residence and seized his cellular telephone. A subsequent forensic examination recovered approximately 1,744 images and six videos of child pornography, some of which depicted pre-pubescent children and violence against children. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Albion Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Mogle, and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger. # # # #


title: Two Tax Shelter Promoters Found Guilty in Billion-Dollar Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal jury sitting in Atlanta convicted Jack Fisher and James Sinnott today of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns and subscribing to false tax returns. Fisher was also convicted of money laundering. The convictions stem from Fisher and Sinnott’s fraudulent tax shelter scheme involving syndicated conservation easements dating back nearly two decades. A co-defendant, Clay Weibel, was acquitted. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Timothy Batten for the Northern District of Georgia remanded Fisher and Sinnott into custody pending their sentencing. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Fisher and Sinnott designed, marketed and sold to high-income clients abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters based on fraudulently inflated charitable contribution tax deductions, promising them deductions 4.5 times the amount the taxpayer clients paid. The evidence proved that Fisher and Sinnott used the funds raised from their taxpayer clients to buy land and property holding companies and then had the tax shelters cause the companies to donate the land or a conservation easement over the land – often within days or weeks of purchase. To reach the inflated fair market value of the donations, Fisher and Sinnott primarily used appraisals of the conservation easements and fee simple land donations at valuations often more than 10 times higher than what Fisher and Sinnott actually paid to acquire the property. The evidence further showed that Fisher and Sinnott backdated or instructed others to backdate false documents to present to the IRS, including subscription agreements, payment documents, engagement letters and other records. Fisher’s accountant, who testified at trial and previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme, prepared tax returns claiming charitable contribution tax deductions in the fraudulently inflated amounts reported in the false appraisals, resulting in fraudulent tax deductions flowing to the clients who purchased units in the abusive and illegal tax shelters. The evidence demonstrated that Fisher, Sinnott and others received more than $41 million in payments that were backdated or late for false and inflated tax deductions. In total, the defendants sold over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions through this scheme. The government proved that Fisher and Sinnott made millions from their scheme. Fisher used the illegal proceeds to purchase a Mercedes Benz automobile, a private jet and an RV and trailer. Fisher also used proceeds of the scheme to purchase homes in the United States and on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, which the jury found to be forfeitable. Fisher and Sinnott face a maximum penalty ranging between three and twenty years in prison for each count of conviction. The government is also seeking the forfeiture of monetary proceeds and real properties purchased by Fisher and Sinnott in connection with their fraud scheme. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and IRS-Criminal Investigation Chief Jim Lee made the announcement, also thanking U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina for her office’s assistance. IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing, Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft, Grace Albinson and Nicholas J. Schilling Jr. of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Huber, who also serves as Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section, for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.


title: Three Defendants Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging They Kidnapped Inland Empire Teenager Held for Ransom in Santa Maria

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – Three men were arrested today and have been charged in a federal criminal complaint alleging they kidnapped a 17-year-old boy in San Bernardino County and held him for ransom in Santa Maria. Fidel Jesús Patino Jaimes, 22, Jair Tomás Ramos Domínguez, 26, of Santa Maria, and Ezequiel Felix López, 27, all of whom told law enforcement they were from Santa Maria, were arrested Friday morning and were charged this evening with kidnapping, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The defendants are expected to make their initial appearances on Monday afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside. “Few things can be as terrorizing to a parent as having your child kidnapped and held for ransom under threat of physical harm,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Together with the FBI and our local law enforcement partners, we have acted swiftly to rescue the victim and bring the abductors to justice. I commend the agents and officers for their heroic efforts to free the victim and prevent a devastating tragedy from occurring.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on the morning of September 18, the defendants allegedly caused a traffic accident in which the victim – a 17-year-old boy – crashed into their silver-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee. After the collision, the victim exited his vehicle. At that point, the defendants allegedly grabbed the victim and forced him into their vehicle. On the afternoon of September 18, the victim’s mother received a telephone call from a Mexican phone number. The caller demanded the delivery of $500,000 to an unspecified location in Nogales, Mexico for the victim, and said that the abduction was the fault of the victim’s father. Shortly thereafter, a different Mexican telephone number was used to send a WhatsApp video to the victim’s mother’s cellphone. The video showed the victim in the backseat of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and reading from a script, saying that the abduction was his father’s fault for an incident that occurred in New York, and saying you know what you stole. For several days afterward, the victim’s mother received multiple phone calls from different Mexican telephone numbers in which the speaker demanded payment and threatened to cut off body parts of the victim if payment wasn’t made. The ransom demand, which went unpaid, was reduced to $100,000. Law enforcement ultimately tracked the defendants down to a motel in Santa Maria, in part by identifying the vehicle used during the kidnapping in a Facebook Marketplace posting and by reviewing Ring door camera footage of the kidnapping. During the execution of a search warrant at one of the motel’s rooms this morning, law enforcement found the three defendants – one of whom tossed a firearm onto the floor – and the victim, who was lying on the floor in a corner of the room, according to the affidavit. A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. The Santa Maria Police Department provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Sean D. Peterson of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.


title: Retired FBI Special Agent in Charge Pleads Guilty to Concealing Information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Charles F. McGonigal Admits Receiving $225,000 Cash Payment WASHINGTON - Charles F. McGonigal, 55, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office, pleaded guilty today to concealment of material facts for his undisclosed receipt of $225,000 in cash from an individual who had business interests in Europe while McGonigal was supervising counterintelligence efforts. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who scheduled sentencing for February 16, 2024. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Donald Alway, and Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office David Sundberg. According to papers filed with the Court, from August 2017, and continuing through his retirement from the FBI in September 2018, McGonigal concealed from the FBI the nature of his relationship with a former foreign security officer and businessperson who had ongoing business interests in foreign countries and before foreign governments. Specifically, McGonigal received at least $225,000 in cash from the individual and traveled abroad with the individual and met with foreign nationals. The individual later served as an FBI source in a criminal investigation involving foreign political lobbying over which McGonigal had official supervisory responsibility. The charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The court will determine the actual sentence based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Aloi and Stuart D. Allen, and former Assistant United States Attorney Michael Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Deputy Chief Evan N. Turgeon of the DOJ’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.


title: District Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison  For Federal Firearms Offenses

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Anthony Glenmore, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and 36 months’ supervised release for possession of a loaded firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Glenmore pleaded guilty in April 2023. According to court documents, on December 17, 2022, in the 2000 block of Georgia Avenue, Northwest, MPD officers, patrolling in a marked police vehicle, saw Glenmore walking south toward U Street, carrying a camouflaged backpack. The officers pulled alongside the defendant, rolled down the car window and asked the defendant if he had a gun in the backpack. The defendant denied that he had a gun and, when asked a second time, started walking away at a fast pace. One of the police officers then called out to the defendant, exited the vehicle, and started chasing the defendant who began running away. As the officer was chasing the defendant, he yelled for the defendant to drop the gun. The defendant then dropped the backpack which the officer picked up as the defendant tried to scale a building. When the officer unzipped the backpack he saw a firearm and wallet which contained the defendant’s identification. The recovered firearm (Black, Intrac Arms, HS2000) contained 9-millimeter ammunition and had 14 rounds in a magazine that had the capacity to hold 16 rounds. The defendant has been detained since December 17, 2022. This case was investigated by the MPD and ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.


title: Former Postal Worker Charged With Stealing Checks  from the U.S. Mail

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Hachikosela Muchimba, 43, of Washington, D.C., was charged by criminal complaint with mail theft and bank fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Imari Niles, of the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General Trevor R. Nelson, of the Department of Treasury-Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. According to the criminal complaint, between October 2021 and March 2023, Muchimba, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service, executed a scheme to steal checks from the U.S. mail and direct those funds into a bank account under his control. Muchimba would remove the name of the proper payee and replace it with his own name. Many of these misappropriated checks were U.S. Treasury checks. He is seen on bank surveillance removing the proceeds from ATM machines. The total amount of the checks that were fraudulently deposited into Muchimba’s accounts was $1,697,909.52. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Muchimba’s personal residence on March 29, 2023. In the course of that search, law enforcement recovered an ATM receipt that reflected a deposit of a U.S. Treasury Check in the amount of $415,173.53. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison; and for mail theft is five years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence would be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The investigation into this matter was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney John Borchert, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Arrested for Allegedly Delivering Cocaine Using Rental Cars and Rideshare Services

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: WASHINGTON - A criminal complaint, unsealed today, charges Raul Rivero, a/k/a Guillermo Raul DeRivero, 54, of Arlington, Virginia, and Dusan Dimic, 40, of Reston, Virginia, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). When DEA Agents arrested Rivero and Dimic last night, they also confiscated a total of 573 grams of cocaine, 90 grams of methamphetamine pills, and more than $4,400 in cash. Search warrants that were subsequently executed at residences affiliated with the defendants resulted in the seizure of approximately 3 kilograms of cocaine and more than $100,000 cash. According to court documents, between August 18, 2022, and August 10, 2023, through undercover controlled purchases, DEA agents made 14 controlled buys totaling approximately 367 grams of cocaine from Rivero in Washington, D.C. The drugs were allegedly delivered as part of a delivery service in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., using various cars, including rental cars and rideshare services. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years, each, for conspiracy and distribution of cocaine. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. A defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division and the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Marin and David Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Offense

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – An Omaha, Nebraska man was sentenced September 18, 2023 to 151 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Timothy James Monte, 58, was stopped for a traffic violation in November of 2022 in Council Bluffs. A search of Monte’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 6.5 ounces of pure methamphetamine. Monte must serve a five-year term of supervised release following the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement investigated the case.


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 250 Months in Prison Related to a Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on September 19, 2023, to over twenty years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and for distribution of over 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Shawn Eric Durrah Jr., 33, was identified through a law enforcement investigation as an individual who was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in and around the Quad Cities Metro Area for several years. The investigation revealed that Durrah was involved in a drug trafficking organization that was distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. During the time that Durrah was involved in the drug conspiracy, he possessed and sold guns to others. After completing his term of imprisonment, Durrah will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.


title: Farrell, PA Resident Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Maurice Brooks was convicted of committing fentanyl and cocaine trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Brooks, age 36 of Farrell, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. Brooks pled guilty to (1) distributing fentanyl on May 2, 2022, and (2) possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine on June 2, 2022. Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing to occur on January 17, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Mercer County Drug Task Force, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the conviction 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 of Justice 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.