title: Florida Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay More Than $97 Million in Restitution for Participation in Multiple Health Care Fraud and Kickback Schemes

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced in federal court to 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay more than $97 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $30 million and the proceeds from the sale of a yacht for conspiring to commit health care fraud and conspiring to pay and receive unlawful kickbacks, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Daniel Hurt, 59. According to information presented to the Court, Hurt engaged in three separate health care fraud and illegal kickback schemes. First, he and his co-conspirators victimized both TRICARE—a program that provides civilian health care benefits for military personnel, military retirees, and military dependents—and CHAMPVA—a health care benefit program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs—through a scheme that involved the payment of illegal kickbacks. In all, that scheme caused a loss to TRICARE of more than $18 million and to CHAMPVA of more than $450,000. Hurt was initially indicted in the Southern District of Florida for his participation in that scheme, before his case was transferred to the Western District of Pennsylvania for sentencing. Hurt admitted during his plea hearing that, through this scheme, he and his co-conspirators billed TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and other insurance providers for expensive compounded medications that were not medically necessary. Hurt and his co-conspirators worked with patient recruiters to solicit patients who had health insurance, with the patient recruiters then generating prescriptions containing the patients’ information and a limited selection of expensive compounded medications. These prescriptions, which used formulations created or altered to obtain the maximum possible reimbursement from the insurance companies, were then referred to a telemedicine service and sent to a pharmacy owned by Hurt and his co-conspirators. During the conspiracy, patient recruiters and the telemedicine service sent thousands of medically unnecessary prescriptions to this pharmacy, which, after filling the prescriptions, would bill patients’ insurance plans thousands of dollars for the compounded medications. Once the pharmacy received payment for the prescriptions, the pharmacy would then pay a kickback to Hurt and his co-conspirators, who would, in turn, pay kickbacks to the patient recruiters. As part of his plea, Hurt admitted to personally receiving more than $4.2 million from this scheme. Second, Hurt engaged in a scheme that involved the payment of illegal kickbacks related to cancer genomic (CGx) testing, which was billed as if the testing were done in the Western District of Pennsylvania. In all, Medicare suffered a loss of more than $25 million from that scheme. CGx testing uses DNA sequencing to detect mutations in genes that could indicate a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers in the future. Hurt admitted that, beginning in late 2018 and continuing through approximately October 2019, he and his co-conspirators, including individuals associated with so-called marketing entities, acquired thousands of CGx testing samples from Medicare beneficiaries located throughout the United States. Marketers used targeted campaigns to induce beneficiaries to submit CGx specimens by means of cheek swabs sent to their homes or provided to them at purported “health fairs” held throughout the United States. Hurt directed these CGx specimens to be sent to Ellwood City Medical Center (ECMC), a hospital located in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Hurt further used ECMC as the billing entity for Medicare purposes despite the fact that the facility did not possess properly validated equipment to conduct any CGx testing on-site and, as such, ECMC staff were required, at Hurt’s direction, to repackage the samples and send them to third-party reference laboratories that were capable of completing the testing. In order to justify Medicare reimbursement for the CGx testing, Hurt and his co-conspirators obtained CGx prescriptions from telemedicine physicians without regard to the fact that the doctors did not conduct proper telemedicine visits, were not treating the Medicare beneficiaries for cancer or symptoms of cancer, and did not use the test results in the treatment of the beneficiaries. During this time, Hurt directed ECMC staff to transfer millions of dollars from ECMC-related accounts to bank accounts that Hurt controlled. In turn, Hurt admitted using funds he obtained from ECMC to pay millions of dollars in kickbacks to the marketers, among others, in exchange for their efforts to obtain CGx samples. To disguise such kickbacks, Hurt entered into sham contracts with the marketers to make it appear that they were engaged in, and being paid for, legitimate marketing and referral services. Likewise, Hurt, acting through entities he controlled, entered into similar agreements and business arrangements with ECMC that disguised the payments he obtained from the facility as purportedly legitimate payments, including payments related to management services at ECMC’s laboratory. Payments, in fact, were based on the volume of CGx tests and the amount of resulting Medicare reimbursements. Hurt also admitted that he and others used a portion of Medicare reimbursements obtained through the fraudulent submission of CGx claims to engage in monetary transactions in excess of $10,000, including approximately $3 million in payments toward the purchase of a luxury watercraft in Florida called “In My DNA.” Hurt’s third scheme involved illegal kickback payments and cancer genomic testing that caused an additional loss to Medicare of at least $53.3 million. Hurt was initially charged for his participation in that scheme in the District of New Jersey, before his case was transferred to the Western District of Pennsylvania for sentencing. In that scheme, Hurt admitted that he owned several clinical laboratories that conducted or arranged for a variety of medical tests, and that he paid kickbacks and bribes to various entities who supplied referrals and orders for CGx for Medicare and other health care benefit program beneficiaries, without regard to medical necessity. These laboratories submitted claims for payment to Medicare for these CGx tests, and Medicare reimbursed the laboratories without knowing that the services were not medically necessary or were procured through the payment of kickbacks. Hurt admitted paying kickbacks to entities who supplied referrals for each CGx test that was billed to Medicare and other health care benefit programs. To conceal the payments of bribes, Hurt and the suppliers entered into sham contracts to make it appear that the suppliers were engaged in, and being paid for, legitimate marketing and referral services. Hurt received at least $26.9 million from the $53.3 million reimbursed by Medicare. First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division – Florida Fraud Resident Unit for the collaborative investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hurt.


title: California Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – Jason C. Moffat, 41, of San Diego, California, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, the investigation began when the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force received a CyberTip from Kik Messenger. A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. ICAC determined that a Kik account, later identified as belonging to Moffat, had uploaded and distributed child pornography to other users. ICAC obtained a search warrant for the contents of the Kik account and located numerous videos of child pornography, including depictions of infants and toddlers being sexually abused. ICAC later seized Moffat’s cellphone and examined it pursuant to a search warrant. ICAC located additional files of child pornography on the cellphone, along with messages where Moffat discussed his sexual interest in children. Moffat lived in Idaho when he possessed and distributed child pornography. He later moved to California, where he was arrested on the charge. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced Moffat to 15 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim in the images he possessed. Moffat will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction. “The ability to track cyber tips to individual criminals is critical to protecting Idaho’s children,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We will continue to rely on our partnership with the ICAC Task Force and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office to remove child predators from our communities.” “Taking these predators out of our communities is a top priority for my office,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “I’m proud of our ICAC Unit and the dedicated partnerships they have built with agencies across the state and around the country that track down these individuals and hold them accountable for their crimes.” U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the San Diego ICAC Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kassandra McGrady prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Lodge Grass man sentenced to 15 years in prison for role in large-scale meth trafficking ring on Crow Indian Reservation; assault of woman

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass man who admitted running a large-scale, multi-state methamphetamine trafficking organization from his home on the Crow Indian Reservation and beating a woman with a weapon was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Wendell Monroe Lefthand, 55, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lefthand also pleaded guilty in a separate case to assault of a spouse resulting in substantial bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court sentenced Lefthand to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the drug conviction and to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for the assault convictions, with the sentences to run concurrent to each other. In the drug trafficking case, the government alleged that beginning in June 2022, federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, conducted a large-scale investigation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and elsewhere. Lefthand was one of the major players affiliated with the investigation, and Spear Siding was his family residence. The government further alleged that of 26 defendants related to the investigation, Lefthand is at the top portion of the conspiracy, along with his sister and co-defendant, Frederica Lefthand. Until his arrest in June 2022 on another matter, Lefthand was the person running the operation with an individual, identified as co-defendant 1, and supplied a significant portion of the meth sold on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and in neighboring cities and towns. Although incarcerated for most of the investigation, Lefthand had been operating the drug trafficking ring from Spear Siding long before his arrest and played a significant role even after his arrest. Lefthand had a previous Washington source, who introduced him to co-defendant 1. When co-defendant 1 moved onto the Spear Siding property, business started booming. In addition, the government alleged that Lefthand was selling one pound of meth per week and possessed firearms. Investigators learned there were usually 30 to 50 firearms on the Spear Siding property and that Lefthand acquired them by trading drugs for guns. Frederica Lefthand was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for her conviction in the case. In the assault case, the government alleged that on April 4, 2021, Lefthand struck the victim, identified as Jane Doe, with an iron bar after a night of consuming alcohol on property outside of Lodge Grass, on the Crow Reservation. Jane Doe’s adult daughter and two minor children witnessed the assault, and all four ran from the property and hid in a ditch before flagging down a ride. Jane Doe was treated for injuries a few days later. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the drug trafficking case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Harper Suek and Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the assault case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Minnesota Man Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Minnesota man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for wire fraud and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to 2018, Beau Wesley Gensmer, of Prior Lake, developed a scheme to file 63 false tax returns that claimed fraudulently inflated tax refunds on behalf of unwitting taxpayer clients. In furtherance of his scheme, Gensmer hired two tax returns preparers, including one based in Anchorage, Alaska, to whom he knowingly emailed false information, including fraudulent business losses and charitable contributions. The return preparers relied on the information provided by Gensmer, and as a result, prepared and electronically filed false returns for each of his clients. Gensmer charged his clients a commission of approximately 30% for each fraudulent refund. In total, Gensmer caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $6.7 million. As part of his scheme, Gensmer also provided “audit protection services” to clients who were audited by the IRS for the fraudulent tax returns he helped prepare. Gensmer submitted false documents to the IRS during these audits. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim for the District of Minnesota ordered Gensmer to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $4,716,732.35 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello and former Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Kings County Man Charged in Operation Red Reaper Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif . — Louie Molina, 52, of Hanford, was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in March 2019, various agencies partnered in Operation Red Reaper, an investigation into the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño street gang in Kings County. During the investigation, recorded interceptions on a wiretap revealed that Molina was supplying methamphetamine to a codefendant, who was a target of the investigation. On May 3, 2019, Molina delivered about a half a pound of methamphetamine to his codefendant. Law enforcement officers then attempted a to conduct a traffic stop on his car, but Molina sped off and led them on a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, Molina tossed the additional pound of methamphetamine out of his car. After apprehending Molina, the officers recovered the methamphetamine. This case was the product of an investigation by the Kings County Gang Task Force, Agents of the Special Operations Unit which is a team of agents from the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the FBI, the Kings County District Attorney's Office, and the Tulare County Sheriff's Office. The DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations all assisted with the takedown. Assistant United States Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. 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. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Oil Tanker Engineers Plead Guilty to Charges of Concealing Vessel Pollution; Chief Engineer Also Pleads Guilty to Discharging Oily Waste Off Coast of New Jersey

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Two ship engineers on the oil tanker M/T Kriti Ruby pleaded guilty today to charges related to the concealment of pollution by falsifying records, with the chief engineer also pleading guilty to charges related to the discharge of oily waste into the sea from a commercial vessel near a petroleum terminal in Sewaren, New Jersey. Chief Engineer Konstantinos Atsalis, 56, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Atsalis admitted that the vessel’s crew had knowingly bypassed required pollution prevention equipment by discharging oily waste from the vessel’s engine room through its sewage system into the sea, including near a petroleum offloading facility in Sewaren. Atsalis also admitted that he falsified the vessel’s oil record book (ORB) – a required log regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard – by failing to record this illegal activity. Atsalis further admitted that he directed crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers of oily waste from the engine room bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard boarded the vessel. Second Engineer Sonny Bosito, 54, also pleaded guilty to violating APPS, admitting to concealing the discharge of oily waste into the sea through the vessel’s sewage system by causing a false ORB to be presented to the U.S. Coast Guard during its inspection of the vessel. Bosito further admitted to directing crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers from the bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard’s inspection. The maximum penalty of each charge is six years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense. The sentencing for both Atsalis and Bosito is scheduled for Oct. 22. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven M. Frith of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service made the announcement. The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth E. Nelson and Trial Attorney Lauren D. Steele of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen P. O’Leary for the District of New Jersey’s Office Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Ward for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.


title: Virginia Man Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison for Tax Scheme

body_text: A Virginia businessman was sentenced to 78 months in prison for evading the payment of employment taxes, filing false tax returns and obstructing the IRS. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between approximately January 2008 through December 2009, James C. Jones Jr. owned and operated Lifeline Ambulance Service Inc. He was responsible for paying to the IRS approximately $200,000 in Social Security, Medicare and income taxes withheld from his employees’ wages. After Jones failed to do so, the IRS assessed the outstanding employment taxes against him personally. When the IRS attempted to collect those taxes, Jones lied, claiming that he did not have the assets to pay the taxes. In fact, Jones owned several Caribbean beachfront condominiums, multiple foreign bank accounts and a classic “muscle” car collection. Jones later continued trying to thwart the IRS’s collection efforts by filing false 2013 through 2018 tax returns that did not report the rental income from his Caribbean properties and claimed false deductions. After Jones received a subpoena for records of foreign bank accounts from the Justice Department, he falsely reported that he did not have any responsive records, when in fact, he possessed those records as the director and owner of a number of foreign holding companies. Jones’s conduct caused a tax loss to the IRS of at least $1.5 million. In addition to the his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Michael F. Urbanski for the Western District of Virginia ordered Jones to serve three years supervised release and pay a fine of $250,000 and $394,508 in restitution to the United States. Jones was also ordered to pay the costs of prosecution. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division’s Washington D.C. Field Office made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Francesca Bartolomey, Todd Ellinwood and Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene Day for the Western District of Virginia prosecuted the case. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly McGann for the Western District of Virginia for his assistance.


title: Six Alleged MS-13 Members Indicted On Racketeering Charges

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Six alleged members of the La Mara Salvartrucha, or MS-13 gang, have been charged with racketeering charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Two of the defendants are charged with murder in aid of racketeering. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on April 16, 2024, and was unsealed this morning. Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. The four individuals charged with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy are Fredy Mauricio Buruca, aka “Piranha,” “Machete,” and “Insoportable,” 26, of Salisbury, N.C.; Santos Guillermo Ramirez Mancia, aka “Azazel,” “Timido,” and “Johnny,” 32, of Annapolis, Maryland; Juan Francisco Sanchez Estrada, aka “Nene” and “Turbo,” 30, of Salisbury; and Luis Fernando Guardardo Moreno, aka “Fantasma” and “Scrappy,” 26, of El Salvador. The two individuals charged with murder in aid of racketeering activity are Christian Alejandro Garcia Santa Cruz, aka “Crimen,” 31, and Aderly Jose Veliz-Ronquillo, aka “Chanchin,” 30, both of Annapolis. Ramirez Mancia is also charged with accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering. “Street gangs threaten the well-being of our communities and spread violence, fear, and intimidation,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Our coordinated law enforcement efforts prioritize the investigation and prosecution of dangerous gangs to dismantle their operations and disrupt their criminal activities.” “Finding, arresting and prosecuting those involved in gang activity greatly increases public safety and makes a dramatic impact in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Burns. “Cases like this reflect that great work that we and our law enforcement partners do to protect the homeland.” “Violent gangs including MS-13 can wreak havoc in our communities. The FBI is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to target and dismantle gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt. According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants were leaders and members of the MS-13 sub-unit, or clique, known as the Hollywood Locos Salvadorians Clique (the HLS clique), which operated in and around the Western District of North Carolina and other areas in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. From at least December 2018 and continuing through November 2022, as members of the HLS clique, the defendants allegedly were engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that consisted of multiple acts and threats involving murder, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking. The investigation into the gang’s criminal activity revealed that these criminal acts were allegedly sanctioned by MS-13 leadership and were committed to promote a climate a fear and intimidation within the gang, to maintain the gang’s control and to expand its territory, to enforce discipline within the gang and punish any acts of disrespect, to intimidate witnesses and discourage cooperation with law enforcement, and to retaliate against rivals, or “chavalas.” Participation in criminal activity was also intended to increase respect and ranking of members within the gang and to open the door to promotion to a leadership position. The indictment alleges that on November 6, 2022, Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo committed murder in aid of racketeering against a victim identified as W.G.M., for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing position in the MS-13 enterprise. Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo allegedly used and carried a firearm during and in relation to W.G.M.’s murder. Later, Mancia allegedly assisted Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo in order to hinder or prevent their apprehension for murder. Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo had their initial court appearances, and they are in federal custody. The remaining defendants are in local custody on state offenses and will be scheduled to appear on the federal charges before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Charlotte. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI, HSI, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kannapolis Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Prince William County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Annapolis (Maryland) Police Department for their invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Lindahl and David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf .


title: Jury Convicts El Dorado Springs Man of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An El Dorado Springs, Mo., man who was caught with thousands of images and videos of child pornography was convicted at trial today. John Fitzgerald Mullings, 51, was found guilty of two counts of receiving and distributing child pornography. Law enforcement received multiple reports from MeWe, Dropbox and Snapchat of Mullings uploading images and videos of child pornography to their servers. Investigators contacted Mullings at his residence on March 2, 2021. Officers seized Mullings’s cell phone, which contained 678 images and 96 videos of child pornography, including rape and/or bondage of minors. Mullings was indicted on one count of receiving and distributing child pornography from Feb. 2, 2020, to March 2, 2021, based on these images and videos. On Aug. 3, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Mullings’s residence (which also served as the office for his business, Steward Wrecker) in relation to an unrelated state criminal investigation. Officers seized 14 cell phones, multiple computers, laptop computers and computer tablets, as well as electronic storage devices. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of those devices and determined that 11 of those electronic devices contained child pornography. On just one of Mullings’s tablets investigators found 5,197 images and 211 videos. The files included visual depictions of sexual conduct with animals, binding and/or forced sexual contact with persons, and physical assault and deceased persons. In total, investigators found 14,249 images, and 2,054 videos of child pornography among Mulling’s devices. Mullings was charged in a superseding indictment with an additional count of receiving and distributing child pornography from March 3, 2021 to Aug. 3, 2022, based on these images and videos. Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for 27 minutes before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, May 6. Under federal statutes, Mullings is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the El Dorado Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Pearl River Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute over 50 Grams of Methamphetamine

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Neshoba County man was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison for possessing over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to court documents, Marcus Tubby, Jr., 31, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2023, and he pleaded guilty on February 7, 2024. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Regional Agent in Charge Whitney Woodruff of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.


title: Dunklin County Man Caught with Nearly 2 Pounds of Methamphetamine Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a man caught with nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and other drugs to 10 years in prison. During a traffic stop on Nov. 18, 2022, near Advance, Missouri, a deputy with the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted Lee Roy Foley III trying to conceal a bag containing an assortment of pills. Foley was also driving with a suspended license. The deputy arrested Foley, and discovered 849 grams of meth, about two pounds of marijuana and two chocolate bars containing the psychedelic Psilocybin. Foley admitted engaging in the drug trade in southeast Missouri. Foley, of Kennett, Missouri, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.


title: Indiana Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – An Indiana man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 360 months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution of $100,000 along with $10,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 for one count of sexual exploitation of children. According to court documents, Gerald Talman Brann, 43, of Valparaiso, shared images depicting a 10-year-old child in an online instant messaging service between Dec. 25, 2022 and Jan. 4, 2023. The images depicted the minor in various stages of undress and were sexual in nature. The images also depicted the child at various ages, beginning around the age of five or six. Law enforcement agents seized numerous devices during an executed search warrant at the residence of Brann and his co-defendant Veronica Solis in Valparaiso. Cell phones contained images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material, some of which had been produced while the couple resided in the San Antonio area. Brann was arrested March 23, 2023 in New Jersey and has remained in custody. He pleaded guilty Nov. 28, 2023. Solis is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. She pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children Dec. 5, 2023 and faces 15 to 30 years in prison. “The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is an absolutely horrific offense,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “My office continues to prioritize the most vulnerable victims in our society, and the court's sentence of the statutory maximum penalty is appropriate for offenders like Gerald Brann, who go to great lengths to wreak havoc on the lives of innocent children. I also thank our partners at the FBI San Antonio and FBI Indianapolis field offices for their collaboration to investigate this case with Indiana State Police.” “This case is an excellent example of how the FBI works across field offices to bring predators to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our colleagues at FBI Indianapolis and the Indiana State Police for helping to ensure that Gerald Brann is behind bars and unable to hurt another child.” The FBI investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Indiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Lee’s Summit, Belton Men Indicted for Robbing Commerce Bank

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man and a Belton, Mo., man were indicted by a federal grand jury today for robbing Commerce Bank. Gerrad Deshaun Rivera-Willis, 24, of Lee’s Summit, and Rathell Qauvon Ross, 27, of Belton, were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against both men on April 23, 2024. They remain detained in federal custody without bond. The federal indictment alleges that Rivera-Willis and Ross stole $2,033 from Commerce Bank, 8901 State Line Road in Kansas City, Mo., on April 22, 2024. According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Rivera-Willis dropped off a robbery note with a teller and grabbed the cash that was sitting on the counter during a transaction with a customer. Rivera-Willis then took cash out of a teller’s drawer, walked behind the counter, and had the teller show him that the opened safe was empty. Ross placed a note on the counter and was then handed cash by the teller. Rivera-Willis and Ross allegedly fled from the bank in a stolen white Dodge Charger with all blacked-out tinted windows, all black wheels, a rear spoiler, blacked-out taillights, and the word "Dodge" across the top of rear window. The vehicle was wrecked in the vicinity of Gregory and Paseo, the affidavit says, and investigators saw Rivera-Willis and Ross running from the vehicle. Ross, the passenger, was found by a police dog hiding behind the garage of a residence in the 1800 block of East 70 th Street. Ross was hiding under a pile of rubbish covered by a tarp. Rivera-Willis, the driver, was later found sitting on the front stoop of a residence in the 7000 block of Paseo Avenue and arrested. A police dog and his handler walked the scent path taken by Rivera-Willis and found the stolen money in a cinder block near another residence. The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for New Child Pornography Crime

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender who sought child pornography from a 13-year-old to 20 years in prison. Jace Chandler Hickman, now 42, of Washington County, Missouri, was a registered sex offender in October of 2019, when he began using Facebook messenger to communicate with a 13-year-old girl. Hickman told the victim that he was 19, and later said he was 16. He engaged in sexually explicit communications with her and repeatedly asked her to video chat and to meet him in person. He did convince her to send him an explicit photo. Hickman, who used the names Chandler Scott and Chandler Dickman on Facebook, was convicted in Maries County, Missouri in 2018 of two counts of possession of child pornography. Hickman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of possession of child pornography. Due to his prior conviction, the crime carried a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years. The FBI, the St. Clair Police Department, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Berkeley County Man Admits to Federal Domestic Violence Charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kevin Nicholas Munroe, 32, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty today to federal domestic violence charges. United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Munroe pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence protective order, and interstate violation of a protective order. According to court documents and statements made in court, West Virginia State Police were investigating a shooting that led to Munroe, who had an active domestic violence protective order against him filed in Los Angeles, California. Munroe, prohibited from having firearms, was found in Martinsburg with the person who filed the protective order and a .45 caliber revolver. “Those who violate protective orders will be held accountable, regardless of where the order was issued,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Due to the excellent work of the West Virginia State Police, Mr. Munroe faces a long prison sentence for violating an order issued on the other side of the country.” Munroe faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the firearms charge and up to five years for the protective order violation. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was prosecuted as a part of the Northern District of West Virginia’s Domestic Violence Reduction Initiative, formed in early 2023 to protect domestic violence victims, take dangerous criminals off the streets, and enhance community safety. The program focuses on keeping firearms out of the hands of violent offenders. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Illegal Possession of Methamphetamine by Lafayette Man  Leads to 13+ Year Federal Prison Sentence

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

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – Forrest Kevin Dwayne Matthews , 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, has been sentenced on drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Matthews was sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 160 months (13 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On June 2, 2022, detectives with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Unit assisted the New Orleans Police Department in locating Matthews in connection with an armed robbery investigation. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives located Matthews at his residence in Lafayette and took him into custody. A search warrant was obtained for the residence and officers found and seized approximately 1,756 grams of methamphetamine, a Harrington & Richardson .22 caliber revolver, 4 grams of heroin, 4 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale and measuring cups located in a black duffle bag and a backpack. In addition, officers discovered 6 grams of marijuana in the kitchen drawer and a Taurus 9mm handgun in the master bedroom closet. Matthews admitted to law enforcement officers that the items found and seized belonged to him. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory for testing and was verified to be methamphetamine with a combined net weight of 1,696 grams. Matthews pleaded guilty to the charge on December 7, 2023. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy. # # #


title: Cryptocurrency futures market CEO pleads guilty to violating Bank Secrecy Act

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digitex Futures Exchange (Digitex Futures) pleaded guilty today in federal court to willfully causing Digitex Futures to violate the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to establish and implement an anti-money-laundering program. From 2018 through April 2022, Adam Colin Todd, 50, illegally operated Digitex Futures, an online futures exchange company, as an unregistered futures commission merchant within the United States. Todd, as CEO of Digitex Futures, illegally sold and offered futures contracts to customers of Digitex Futures in the United States. Todd willfully failed to establish, implement and maintain an adequate anti-money-laundering program, including an adequate know-your-customer program. Todd publicly stated that he refused to implement know-your-customer policies for Digitex Futures. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled yet. Todd faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other mitigating, aggravating, and statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Jones is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-20478. ###


title: Wyoming County Man and Raleigh County Woman Plead Guilty to Evading Financial Reporting Requirements

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Merrick Rice, 43, of Mullens, and Miranda Aliff, 32, of Rock Creek, each pleaded guilty today to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. Each admitted to structuring bank deposits of illicit drug proceeds to evade currency transaction reporting requirements. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in or around mid-2019 Rice and Aliff, both then in a romantic relationship, became involved in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana and other controlled substances in and around Mullens. Aliff admitted that Rice obtained the marijuana in wholesale quantities from Jack Paskin, 33, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who caused the marijuana to be shipped to them from various sources in California, Oregon and elsewhere. On March 2, 2020, Rice created She Paints Quite a Lot LLC, a single-member limited liability corporation, with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Aliff was listed as the LLC’s sole member. On March 3, 2020, Paskin, Rice and Aliff traveled to the Beckley branch of domestic financial institution where they opened a business bank account in the name of the LLC. Paskin and Aliff were listed as signers on the bank account. Rice and Aliff admitted that the LLC had no legitimate business purpose. Rice and Aliff further admitted that the LLC was created to transfer the proceeds of the marijuana distribution conspiracy from them to Paskin. Beginning on March 17, 2020 and continuing through August 13, 2020, Rice, Aliff and others connected to this conspiracy made cash deposits of less than $10,000 in the LLC’s bank account at the Beckley branch. The deposits were made in 27 transactions and totaled $228,000. Rice and Aliff admitted that these transactions were specifically designed to avoid currency reporting requirements. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement. Rice and Aliff further admitted that the $228,000 consisted of proceeds from the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Rice also admitted to assisting other individuals in depositing a total of $54,000 in increments of $9,000 in the LLC’s bank account on six separate occasions between June 1, and June 23, 2020. Rice admitted that he knew the June 23, 2020, bank deposit was made in an amount that would avoid triggering the reporting requirement. Aliff also admitted that she and Rice purchased 111 U.S. Postal Service money orders totaling $109,000 as part of a method to pay Paskin. Rice drove Aliff to different posts offices in or near Raleigh County and directed Aliff to purchase a $1,000 money order at each post office. Federal law requires the U.S. Postal Service to obtain information from the purchaser of money orders, wire transfers, and stored value cards when the dollar amount of cash purchases total $3,000 or more. Aliff admitted that Rice advised her how to structure these transactions to avoid triggering the U.S. Postal Service reporting requirements. Aliff further admitted that Rice involved another individual to travel to these posts offices and purchase the money orders. The money orders were payable to Paskin or to Akashic Connections, a business entity established by Paskin. Once Rice had secured the necessary amount of money orders, usually totaling $8,000, he and Aliff would deposit them at Beckley bank branches into Paskin’s personal bank account or a business account in the name of Akashic Connections. Rice and Aliff are scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2024, and each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. On February 21, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Paskin with conspiracy to commit money laundering. Paskin awaits trial. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the cases. 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. 5:24-cr-66 (Rice) and 5:24-cr-65 (Aliff). ###


title: Man Convicted in Cold Case Murder on Military Base in Germany

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Pensacola, Florida, convicted a former U.S. Army soldier yesterday for the murder of a pregnant, 19-year-old fellow soldier on a U.S. Army base in Germany more than 22 years ago. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Nov. 3, 2001, Shannon L. Wilkerson, 43, beat and strangled Amanda Gonzales to death in her barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Wilkerson was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of the offense but was later discharged. “The defendant violently beat and murdered Amanda Gonzales—a fellow soldier who was pregnant at the time—at a U.S. Army base in Germany in 2001,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His conviction yesterday, more than two decades later, is a testament to the Justice Department’s unrelenting pursuit of justice. Many dedicated law enforcement officers and prosecutors persisted for years, pursuing every available lead and never wavering in their search for evidence to hold the victim’s killer to account for his heinous crime.” “The murder of Amanda Gonzales and her unborn child was a horrific act of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “This decades-long investigation and resulting prosecution demonstrate the unwavering resolve of our law enforcement partners and their commitment to use every tool available to protect Americans, especially those serving our country.” “Twenty-two years ago, Shannon Wilkerson brutally murdered Amanda Gonzales, who he believed was pregnant with his child,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy R. Langan Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Yesterday’s conviction is a testament to our unwavering commitment of pursuing justice for victims of violent crime. Through the collaboration of law enforcement, the FBI and our partners will continue to seek justice for victims, no matter how long it takes.” The jury convicted Wilkerson of second-degree murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI New York Field Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Department of Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, which originally investigated the case. Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg for the Northern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Greenbrier County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Grover D. Jordan, 57, of Charmco, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jordan in Fayetteville. Jordan admitted that he possessed three firearms discovered during the traffic stop: a Taurus model PT1911 .45-caliber pistol, an Armi Galesi model 9 6.35mm pistol, and a Beretta model 3032 Tom Cat .32-caliber pistol with a removed, altered or obliterated serial number. Jordan also admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver discovered during an August 20, 2023 traffic stop by law enforcement of a motorcycle he was operating in Charmco. Jordan further admitted that he possessed a Dupont electric generator, which is explosive material under federal law, discovered during the traffic stop. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jordan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of wanton endangerment in Raleigh County Circuit Court on March 15, 2019. Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Fayetteville Police Department, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Justin Marlowe are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-29. ###


title: New Iberia Man Sentenced for Possession of Unregistered Silencers

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Brennan James Comeaux , 50, of New Iberia, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph for possession of silencers that were not registered by him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Comeaux was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to information introduced in court, on or about June 2, 2022, Comeaux knowingly possessed numerous silencers and silencer parts, including two silver and three black completed firearm silencers. Law enforcement agents recovered these silencers pursuant to a search warrant that was executed at Comeaux’s residence. Agents also found multiple firearm manuals explaining how to modify and assemble firearms and silencers. Comeaux pleaded guilty to the charge on February 6, 2024. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey Richmond. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn . # # #


title: Nebraska Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession With Intent to Distribute Meth

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Nebraska man who planned to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced on May 7, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Calvin Wright, 33, from Creighton, Nebraska, pled guilty on January 24, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Wright was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2016 in Nebraska. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on July 5, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Wright was a passenger. Due to suspicious activity, a K-9 was deployed and indicated the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle. In a backpack which had been between Wright’s legs in the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 95 grams of pure methamphetamine, scales, and drug paraphernalia. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wright was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of ten years supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Wright remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4052. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Hartford Man Charged with Fraudulently Collecting Social Security, Unemployment, and Food Stamp Benefits

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging RICARDO SANTIAGO, 58, of Hartford, with three counts of wire fraud related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain Social Security, unemployment, and Food Stamp benefits. The indictment was returned on May 1, 2024, and Santiago was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $25,000 bond. As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, between 2002 and 2024, Santiago held jobs with numerous employers and earned income totaling more than $500,000. Santiago concealed his income from federal and state government agencies by providing to employers false identification, including a Social Security number and card belonging to another individual, and, in at least one instance, a false Social Security card. The indictment alleges that, in 2002, Santiago applied for Retirement Survivors Disability Insurance (RSDI) benefits, representing to the Social Security Administration that he was unable to work due to disability. As a result, he began receiving RSDI payments in September 2002. In 2017, Santiago completed paperwork to maintain his benefits in which he asserted that he remained disabled and had not worked for the past two years. Santiago ultimately collected more than $300,000 in RSDI payments to which he was not entitled. The indictment also alleges that, in February 2017, Santiago submitted to the Connecticut Department of Social Services (CT-DSS) an application for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (“Food Stamps”), representing to the CT-DSS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that he earned no income from employment. He began receiving SNAP benefits in March 2017, and subsequently completed forms to renew his SNAP benefits on which he again represented that he had no change in his income and that he earned no money from employment. Santiago made more than $17,000 in purchases with SNAP benefits to which he was not entitled. The indictment further alleges that, in April 2020, Santiago applied to the Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) for Unemployment Insurance benefits. On the application, Santiago used a Social Security number belonging to another individual, and he represented to the CT-DOL and U.S. Department of Labor that he was unemployed but available for work and physically able to work. He subsequently completed weekly certifications making the same representations. From April 2020 through February 2021, Santiago received more than $35,000 in payments to which he was not entitled. If convicted, Santiago faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count of wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont.


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty in Killing of Ex’s New Romantic Partner

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON –Marcus Walker, 23, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder while armed and other charges in the shooting of Erik King in the early hours of October 11, 2022, inside an apartment in Northeast Washington, D.C. announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Walker was also found guilty of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon of an adult female and six-year-old child who were in the room with Mr. King during the shooting, as well as second degree cruelty to children, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device. The verdict was returned on May 7, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert Okun scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, Walker was living in the living room of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. Early in the morning of October 11, 2022, the defendant became upset that his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Erik King, were engaged in sexual relations in the bedroom of the apartment. Walker sent his ex-girlfriend aggressive text messages about the subject for approximately an hour. He then burst in through the locked bedroom door and told the two to stop having sex. When they did not, the defendant shot Mr. King twice—once in the chest and another in the scrotum. Mr. King died on scene. A six-year-old child was also present in the bedroom when the shots were fired. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Alec Levy.


title: Arizona Man Sentenced to 10.5 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl in Pocatello

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: POCATELLO – Larry James Little, 58, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 126 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, in August 2022, BADGES Task Force officers received reliable information that Little and his co-defendant, Adrianne Anderson, 44, also of Phoenix, were distributing fentanyl in Pocatello. After a four-month-long investigation, Anderson and Little were stopped by BADGES Task Force officers after they returned to Idaho from Arizona. BADGES Task Force officers searched the vehicle and located approximately 287 fentanyl pills and a firearm. Another firearm was recovered during a search warrant at a storage unit rented by Little and Anderson. BADGES Task Force officers also intercepted a package that Little and Anderson sent through the U.S. Postal Service that contained two ounces of methamphetamine. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Little to three years of supervised release after the completion of his prison term. On January 31, 2024, Judge Winmill sentenced Anderson to five years in federal prison for her role in the offense. Anderson’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Idaho State Police, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Pocatello Police Department, and the Chubbuck Police Department, which participated as part of the HIDTA BADGES Task Force. The United States Postal Inspection Service also assisted with this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case. This case was investigated through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force. The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region. ###


title: DOJ resolves allegations Tacoma spine surgeon billed for unnecessary surgeries

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman today announced the resolution of a False Claims Act qui tam matter alleging a Tacoma physician billed government insurance programs for medically unnecessary spinal surgeries. CHI Franciscan Health and St. Joseph Medical Center will pay $745,654 to resolve the matter and former Orthopedic Surgeon Kevin Schoenfelder will pay $197,054 to resolve the case. “Unnecessary surgeries put patients at risk of medical complications,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “In this case we are concerned about protecting taxpayer funded health care, but even more concerned that patients may have needlessly suffered when enduring procedures that were more invasive than was necessary.” According to the settlement agreement, on May 21, 2018, Dr. Daniel Nehls filed a qui tam lawsuit alleging Dr. Schoenfelder had been performing medically unnecessary spinal surgeries, among other allegations. CHI resolved claims that the hospital billed for Dr. Schoenfelder’s performance of spinal surgery at more spinal levels than necessary and medically unnecessary spinal fusions at Tacoma’s St. Joseph Hospital. Dr. Scheonfelder resolved claims pertaining to his performance of allegedly medically unnecessary spinal surgeries. Between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2018, these surgeries were billed to government health programs when they were not medically necessary. The surgeries were billed to Medicare, TRICARE, and Veterans Affairs. In resolving the case, neither the doctor nor the hospital and CHI Franciscan are admitting wrongdoing. Each is paying the government health programs the amount that was improperly billed and additional penalties. Additionally, Dr. Nehls, as the relator who reported the false claims, will receive 22% of the payments to the government health programs. Dr. Schoenfelder retired in 2018 and surrendered his physician license in 2019. “Health care providers who perform medically unnecessary procedures compromise the integrity of Federal health care programs and expose their patients to potential harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This outcome demonstrates that HHS-OIG along with our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those who abuse taxpayer-supported health care programs.” “Subjecting veterans to unnecessary medical procedures at the expense of the taxpayer will not be tolerated. Such activities put at risk VA’s ability to provide timely, quality healthcare within the local community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory S. Phelan of the VA Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s programs and services.” “This settlement sends a message to doctors that patient safety and the integrity of our healthcare programs, including the Department of Defense's TRICARE program, are paramount,” said Bryan D. Denny, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to working with its law enforcement partners in protecting the integrity of federal healthcare programs, which facilitates an environment for our healthcare providers to be truly focused on quality patient care and safety.” The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam , or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties known as relators to file suit on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The qui tam suit is captioned United States ex rel. Daniel Nehls v. Catholic Health Initiatives et. al, C18-540-BHS. The resolution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Kayla Stahman and Nickolas Bohl.


title: Chicago Businessman Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charge in Connection With Reverse Mortgage Scheme Targeting Elderly Homeowners

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago businessman pleaded guilty today to a federal fraud charge for bilking elderly homeowners in a home repair and reverse mortgage scheme. MARK STEVEN DIAMOND schemed with others to induce homeowners to unwittingly obtain reverse mortgage loans to pay for purported home repairs that Diamond offered to perform. Diamond and the co-schemers targeted elderly victims based on the amount of equity in their homes and their relative lack of financial sophistication. In some instances, Diamond concealed from the homeowners that they were applying for reverse mortgage loans by falsely representing that they needed to sign certain documents to start the repair work, when, in fact, the documents that Diamond caused them to sign were related to applying for the loan. After the loans were approved and originated by co-schemers, Diamond fraudulently pocketed the loan proceeds and often failed to perform any repairs. Diamond, 67, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, which is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. Diamond acknowledged in a plea agreement that he victimized at least 18 Chicago-area homeowners by fraudulently obtaining approximately $929,000 from financial institutions in the form of reverse mortgage loan proceeds. It will be the government’s position at sentencing that there were at least 80 victims and that Diamond’s actions caused at least approximately $6 million in losses. U.S. District Judge Franklin U. Valderrama set Diamond’s sentencing for Sept. 4, 2024. The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Substantial Assistance was provided by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Netols and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Kelly. All four co-schemers charged in the investigation – loan originators GARY BOHN, of Hoffman Estates, Ill., and MATTHEW FEFFERMAN, of Munster, Ind., Diamond’s employee CYNTHIA WALLACE, of Sauk Village, Ill., and title agency owner FORREST C. FAWCETT, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – previously pleaded guilty and admitted their roles in the fraud. They are awaiting sentencing. Diamond plea agreement


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possessing a Glock Pistol That Police Discovered After He Crashed a Stolen Car on I-295

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jordan Tyler Alexander, 20, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm that was discovered after he fled from police in a stolen car and crashed it following a high-speed chase. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Alexander pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia on February 13 to a count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a felony. Alexander is also facing trial for armed robbery and weapons counts in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In addition to the 46-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ordered Alexander to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, a Prince George’s County police officer was on patrol at 2 a.m. on August 9, 2023, when he watched a white Honda Accord pull into the parking lot of a convenience store in Suitland, MD, and then immediately leave. The officer suspected that the vehicle drove away after spotting his marked police cruiser. The police officer later saw the Honda pull into the parking lot of a tobacco store. The officer ran the vehicle’s license plate number and learned the car had been stolen in an armed robbery on July 24, 2023, in Southeast Washington, D.C. The officer followed the Honda and witnessed it run a red light. The officer switched on his flashers and siren. The Honda sped off. The officer received authorization to pursue the Honda and followed it into the District at speeds that reached 100 m.p.h. before it crashed into a guardrail at I-295 Northbound near the exit for Minnesota Ave., NE. Alexander jumped out of the driver’s side door and ran down I-295 as cars drove past him. An unidentified individual jumped out of the front passenger side of the vehicle. A law enforcement officer caught up to the fleeing Alexander and maneuvered in front of him. Alexander subsequently surrendered. Inside the crashed white Honda investigators discovered a Glock 27, 40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine on the driver’s side floorboard. Next to the firearm was a cell phone. On the front passenger seat, there was an additional black Glock 22, 47 caliber pistol. The Glock on the floorboard was loaded with 17 bullets and had one in the chamber. This case was investigated by the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhood The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable help provided by paralegal Karla Nunez.


title: District Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearms While Trafficking Cocaine and Narcotics

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ronald Hinkle, 46, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for possessing multiple illegal firearms as he distributed cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin in the District. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod A. Forget of the Washington Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hinkle, aka “Ronald Archer,” pleaded guilty on August 2, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In sentencing Hinkle, Judge Kollar-Kotelly also ordered five years of supervised release and community service. According to court documents, law enforcement officers arrested Hinkle on February 21, 2018, on the 2500 block of R Street SE after Hinkle entered a rental car. The agents recovered 84 grams of crack cocaine in plastic bags from Hinkle’s waistband and an additional eight grams of cocaine and 30 grams of heroin from the car. Agents obtained a warrant and searched Hinkle’s nearby one-bedroom apartment where they recovered several kilograms of cocaine, hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of contraband, and three firearms. The firearms, which included two pistols – a Ruger and a Glock – were later tested at FBI forensic labs and found to be linked to Hinkle through his DNA. This investigation was 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. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the DEA, and MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron Tepfer and Thomas Strong.


title: Lake Elsinore Man Who Distributed Fentanyl to Victim Who Took the Drug and Died Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man, who admitted to selling fentanyl to a 33-year-old man who ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and suffered a fatal overdose, was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison. Sergio Maya, 33, of Lake Elsinore, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $19,848 in restitution. Maya pleaded guilty on February 12 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The 20-year prison sentence is the maximum possible penalty under federal law. On the early morning of May 26, 2022, Maya met the victim – identified in court documents as “C.A.” – near the victim’s Lake Elsinore apartment and knowingly distributed fentanyl to the victim. Later that day, the victim used the fentanyl Maya had distributed to him and then suffered a fatal overdose. “The recklessness of this defendant resulted in the victim’s untimely death and his loved ones in mourning,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Today’s 20-year prison sentence sends a message to drug dealers who kill their customers that my Office will seek and obtain the stiffest penalties under the law.” “We are deeply appreciative of our ongoing partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office in combating perpetrators who distribute deadly fentanyl within our community,” said Riverside County District Attorney Michael A. Hestrin. “Our collaboration with the U.S. Attorney's Office on cases incorporating federal statutes often allows for more significant prison sentences for these dangerous criminals. I extend my sincere gratitude to our dedicated staff for their diligent investigation of the Maya case, and to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their successful prosecution efforts. I hope this verdict brings some measure of closure and justice to the victim’s family members.” “The sentencing of this defendant reinforces the steadfast commitment of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to holding individuals accountable for the distribution of illegal drugs poisoning our nation,” said Matthew Allen, DEA Special Agent in Charge Los Angeles Field Division. “I am proud of the hard work and driven determination of our Riverside District Office investigators and the entire prosecution team, all of whom work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe from the fentanyl epidemic.” “We are grateful for the partnership with the Department of Justice and the dedication of our assistant U.S. attorneys who ensure justice for the victims and their families who have been harmed by the distribution of fentanyl,” said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen T. Merrill of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.


title: Petersburg, Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Thirty-Four Felony Counts Involving Crimes Against Children

component: USAO - Illinois, Central

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Petersburg, Illinois, man, Adam L. Power, 30, of the 500 block of 8 th Street in Petersburg, Illinois, pleaded guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography, eight counts of distribution of child pornography, eighteen counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography on May 3, 2024, for his criminal actions between July 2022 and February 2023. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 5, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois. According to the facts in support of his plea, Power, while using online chatting applications such as Snapchat and Kik, identified himself as a minor female to get minor males to produce child pornographic images and videos of themselves. Additionally, Power distributed as well as received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Power was originally arrested in Petersburg, Illinois, on March 21, 2023, and charged for possession of child pornography by the Menard County State’s Attorney’s Office. On June 30, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield charged the defendant with production, distribution, and receipt of child pornography. A Grand Jury returned a ten-count indictment on July 6, 2023. Subsequently, on January 3, 2024, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging him with a total of thirty-four counts involving crimes against children. Power has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since June 30, 2023. Each count of production of child pornography carries a statutory penalty of at least fifteen years with a maximum of thirty years’ imprisonment. The charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography carry a penalty of at least five years to a maximum of twenty years’ imprisonment; and for possession of child pornography, he can be penalized up to twenty years imprisonment. Agencies participating in the investigation include the Department of Homeland Security, Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Athens Police Department, Illinois State Police, Petersburg Police Department, and the Menard County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the government in the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Utah County Man Accused of Supplying Fentanyl that Killed a Woman During Christmas is Federally Charged

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah County man was ordered to remain in custody today by a U.S. Magistrate Judge following the death of a woman on Christmas day after he allegedly supplied her with fentanyl. On May 1, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant. According to court documents, Jared Kory Titcomb, 28, of Spanish Fork, Utah, allegedly distributed fentanyl to a victim on Christmas Eve, 2023. As a result of using the fentanyl, the victim was found dead by a family member on Christmas morning. During the investigation, law enforcement found that the victim reached out to Titcomb on Christmas Eve to purchase fentanyl. The investigation also showed the victim died of a drug overdose and that she had fentanyl in her system at the time of her death. Titcomb is charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. His initial court appearance on the indictment was May 7, 2024, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Spanish Fork Police Department and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force. Special Assistant United States Attorney Peter Reichman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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: Tigard Repeat Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting a Victim Across State Lines for Illegal Sexual Activity and Laundering Proceeds Through a Bottled Water Company

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Tigard, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison today for transporting an adult victim across state lines for illegal sexual activity and laundering the proceeds through a Portland-based bottled water company. Johnell Lee Cleveland, 42, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and seven years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $32,115 in restitution to the Oregon Department of Employment. The sum of restitution Cleveland must pay to his adult victim will be determined at a later date. “In the summer of 2020, Johnell Cleveland received a rare early release from federal prison he could have used as an opportunity to chart a new path away from criminality. Unfortunately, he did the exact opposite, diving headfirst into a remarkable series of crimes,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “We thank the FBI, IRS, and PPB for their efforts in holding Cleveland accountable and securing this nine-year prison sentence.” “Johnell Cleveland has demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the law,” said Douglas A. Olson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “Even after serving a prison term, Cleveland continued his chronic criminal behavior with money laundering, wire fraud, and transporting an adult victim for illegal sexual activity. The FBI, along with our partners, is dedicated to maintaining the safety of our communities, and with Cleveland behind bars, our community is more secure.” “30 days is long enough to form positive habits; it is also more than long enough to return to bad ones, as Mr. Cleveland unfortunately chose to do,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Seattle Field Office. “Given a second chance, Mr. Cleveland did not choose to better himself. Instead, he proceeded to cause immense harm to the people and to the communities around him. This sentencing shows that CI, along with our partners in law enforcement, will bring justice to repeat offenders as many times as needed, as Mr. Cleveland is finding out today.” According to court documents, in July 2019, Cleveland was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for distributing cyclopropyl fentanyl, possessing a machine gun and money laundering. In the summer of 2020, nineteen months before his original projected release date, Cleveland sought and was granted a compassionate release from prison based on health risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Less than 30 days following his release from prison, Cleveland and an associate submitted a fraudulent insurance policy application for nine pieces of jewelry previously seized by law enforcement. Approximately four months after Cleveland and his associate were issued an insurance policy worth more than $100,000, his associate submitted a false burglary report to the Las Vegas Police Department claiming her Mercedes-Benz sedan and various personal property, including the nine pieces of insured jewelry, had been stolen. Seeking reimbursement, Cleveland quickly notified his insurance company of the purported jewelry theft. While his insurance fraud scheme was ongoing, in October 2020, Cleveland devised a separate scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID relief program funds. On October 14, 2020, he applied for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits for a five-month period beginning in April 2020, claiming he was unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, Cleveland was unemployed during this time because he was in federal prison. Despite his false claims, Cleveland’s application was approved, and he began receiving PUA benefits. Investigators later learned that during this same time period, Cleveland transported for illegal sexual activity an adult woman he had, in August 2020, commenced a romantic relationship with. Cleveland told the woman that he needed money to get his business ventures off the ground and fund their future together. Over time, Cleveland became less friendly and more menacing toward the woman, demanding she travel frequently and engage in more commercial sex. Meanwhile, Cleveland kept all the money the woman earned and threatened her with various punishments he claimed to have used on other women, including locking her in a dog cage. To conceal and disguise the nature of his victim’s proceeds, Cleveland used the money to pay business expenses for the bottled water company, including costs for bottling and manufacturing, rental of corporate office space in Portland, merchandising, and a monthly retainer with a modeling agency. On November 3, 2021, Cleveland was arrested without incident in Portland. The same day, investigators seized Cleveland’s vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a secret compartment in the driver-side door that concealed a loaded handgun. On October 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Cleveland and his insurance fraud associate with conspiring to commit and committing wire fraud. Later, in on March 10, 2022, Cleveland was indicted a second time for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; and money laundering. On February 4, 2024, Cleveland pleaded guilty to both counts of his fraud indictment and a three-count superseding criminal information charging him with transportation for illegal sexual activity, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and money laundering. This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS CI, and the Portland Police Bureau Human Trafficking Unit. It was prosecuted by Peter Sax and Nicole Bockelman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. If you or someone you know is in danger, please call 911. If you are a human trafficking victim or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or by texting 233733. Calls and texts are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Human trafficking is a serious federal crime where individuals are compelled by force, fraud, or coercion to engage in commercial sex, labor, or domestic servitude against their will. Traffickers exploit and endanger some of the most vulnerable members of our society and cause unimaginable harm. In February 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland launched a new national strategy to combat human trafficking that aims to prevent all forms of trafficking, prosecute trafficking cases, and support trafficking victims and survivors.