title: El Paso Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Impersonation of Federal Employee

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso woman pleaded guilty Monday to 11 counts related to wire fraud and impersonation of a federal employee. According to court documents, Ana Maria Hernandez, 53, portrayed herself to be a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) employee and defrauded numerous undocumented noncitizen victims and their family members by falsely representing that she would process their immigration applications for a substantial fee. Hernandez’s victims provided her with the documentation required to file and adjust their immigration status. She was not an employee of CIS and never took any actions to adjust the victims’ status. Investigation revealed that Hernandez had amassed thousands of dollars of unexplained wealth within the 18 months coinciding with her fraudulent activity. Following her arrest on Jan. 23, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso Division began receiving calls from dozens of potential victims in Hernandez’s fraud scheme. Hernandez pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of impersonating an employee of the United States. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment on each wire fraud count and three years on the impersonation count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of the HSI El Paso Division made the announcement. HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Aguayo is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Restaurateur Sentenced To 57 Months In Prison For Over $6 Million Pandemic Loan Fraud And Interstate Threats

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that restaurateur BESIM KUKAJ was sentenced to 57 months in prison for orchestrating a sprawling loan fraud scheme, including while he was on pretrial release, whereby he fraudulently sought at least $6.14 million and received $1.5 million in Government-guaranteed loans designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. KUKAJ was also sentenced for attempting to intimidate a creditor as part of an interstate threats scheme with his already sentenced co-defendant Abduraman Iseni, a/k/a “Diamond.” U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Manhattan restaurateur Besim Kukaj took advantage of the hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the federal government’s efforts to help those in need by lining his own pockets with seven figures of illegally obtained funds. He did this out of pure greed, sending some of this money to a Florida real estate developer and using it to buy luxury items from Cartier and Hugo Boss. He even continued to commit the same crimes while he was on bail. And he didn’t stop there. He directed his co-conspirator to physically threaten a victim to whom he owed money. For his brazen crimes, Kukaj will serve meaningful time in prison.” According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of hundreds of billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and additional billions for the separate Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (“EIDL”). Pursuant to the CARES Act, the amount of PPP funds a business is eligible to receive is determined in significant part by the number of employees employed by the business and their average payroll costs. The amount of a loan under the EIDL program is determined in part by a formula based on the date the borrower began operating and the borrower’s gross revenue and cost of goods sold during a period before the pandemic. The loans can be used only for working capital and other normal operating expenses. Businesses applying for loans under the PPP and EIDL program must confirm the accuracy of their loan statements. From at least in or about April 2020 through at least in or about July 2020, KUKAJ, working with others, submitted applications for loans under the EIDL program and the PPP to multiple banks on behalf of various restaurants KUKAJ or a relative of his owned. He did so on behalf of restaurants that were no longer operating or that had far less revenue and far fewer employees than were listed on the loan applications. KUKAJ and his co-conspirators applied for dozens of loans, totaling at least $6.14 million, from numerous financial institutions, using many different corporate entities, and they successfully received at least $1.5 million in loans. KUKAJ was arrested in October 2020 and charged with bank fraud conspiracy and later indicted for the same charges in December 2020. He was released on pretrial release under a court order that notified him of the potential effect of committing a crime while on pretrial release. KUKAJ violated the terms of his bail for continuing to file false loan applications while on pretrial release for the same conduct. Specifically, in 2021, while on pretrial release, KUKAJ filed additional false loan applications that inflated the businesses’ number of employees and payrolls and falsely claimed that he was not under indictment. Separately, on November 6, 2019, at the urging of KUKAJ, co-defendant Abduraman Iseni placed a telephone call to a victim, in which Iseni threatened physical violence against the victim. KUKAJ instructed Iseni to place this call because KUKAJ owed money to the victim. * * * In addition to the prison sentence, KUKAJ, 43, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, was ordered to pay forfeiture of $1,500,000 and restitution in the amount of $1,500,000 to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation New York’s Balkans and Middle East Organized Crime Squad, as well as the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the New York State Liquor Authority for their investigative efforts and ongoing support and assistance with the case. The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and Samuel L. Raymond are in charge of the case.


title: Detroit Street Gang Leader Sentenced to Life Imprisonment  Following Convictions at Trial for Racketeering and Murder

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A 38-year-old Detroit man was sentenced to life imprisonment today for murder, racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and other gang related crimes, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Evidence at trial showed that Duane Peterson acted as the leader of “It’s Just Us” (IJU), a violent street gang. At its peak, the gang boasted 40 members. IJU terrorized the Detroit community from 2014 through the beginning of 2019 by engaging in violent acts, obstruction of justice, and witness intimidation. In May 2017, IJU ambushed a 33-year-old Detroit man for allegedly disparaging an IJU associate. Peterson chased the man down and executed him, shooting him in the back of the head while he lay dying on the ground. In March 2018, Peterson and another IJU member opened fire on a carful of innocent bystanders who happened to be stopped at a red light and saw Peterson beating a female in a liquor store parking lot. Evidence at trial also showed that Peterson ran a heroin/fentanyl drug conspiracy, with at least fifteen IJU members and associates distributing the deadly drugs in Detroit, Jackson, Flint, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Eight defendants were charged in the case. Seven previously pleaded guilty; only Peterson proceeded to trial. United States District Judge Robert H. Cleland sentenced Peterson to life imprisonment. “Thanks to a team effort from multiple federal, state, and local agencies, a violent gang leader has been permanently removed from the streets. Violent gang activity and dangerous narcotics trafficking will not be tolerated in our community,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Duane Peterson was found guilty of committing multiple crimes, including murder, as the leader of the IJU street gang, and for those crimes he will spend the rest of his life in prison,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Violent street gangs like IJU threaten the safety and security of everyone in our community. The FBI, alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the country, will continue to target and dismantle gangs that wreak havoc on our neighborhoods.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Detroit Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and many other state and local agencies in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maggie Smith and Eaton Brown.


title: Former Executives of Outcome Health Convicted in $1B Corporate Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted three former executives of Outcome Health, a Chicago-based health technology start-up company, for their roles in a fraud scheme that targeted the company’s clients, lenders, and investors and involved approximately $1 billion in fraudulently obtained funds. The individuals convicted by jury verdict today were: Rishi Shah, 37, the co-founder and former CEO of Outcome Health (Outcome), which was founded in 2006 and known as Context Media prior to January 2017; Shradha Agarwal, 37, the former president of Outcome, who was described as a co-founder; and Brad Purdy, 33, the former chief operating officer and chief financial officer. Outcome installed television screens and tablets in doctors’ offices around the United States and then sold advertising space on those devices to clients, most of whom were pharmaceutical companies. According to evidence presented at trial, Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy sold advertising inventory the company did not have to Outcome’s clients, then under-delivered on its advertising campaigns. Despite these under-deliveries, the company still invoiced its clients as if it had delivered in full. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy lied or caused others to lie to conceal the under-deliveries from clients and make it appear as if the company was delivering advertising content to the number of screens in the clients’ contracts. Purdy and others at Outcome also inflated metrics that purported to show how frequently patients engaged with Outcome’s tablets installed in doctors’ offices. According to the trial evidence, the scheme targeting Outcome’s clients began in 2011, lasted until 2017, and resulted in at least $45 million of overbilled advertising services. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy were also convicted of defrauding Outcome’s lenders and investors. The under-delivery to Outcome’s advertising clients resulted in a material overstatement of Outcome’s revenue for the years 2015 and 2016. The company’s outside auditor signed off on the 2015 and 2016 revenue numbers because Purdy caused others to fabricate data to conceal the under-deliveries from the auditor. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy then used the inflated revenue figures in Outcome’s 2015 and 2016 audited financial statements to raise $110 million in debt financing in April 2016, $375 million in debt financing in December 2016, and $487.5 million in equity financing in early 2017. Shah, Agarwal, and Purdy lied to investors and lenders to conceal their ongoing under-delivery of advertising campaigns for clients. Shah and Purdy also misrepresented to investors the efficacy of Outcome’s advertising campaigns by concealing the fact that it had failed to meet return-on-investment commitments to clients. The $110 million debt financing resulted in a $30.2 million dividend to Shah and a $7.5 million dividend to Agarwal; the $487.5 million in equity financing resulted in a $225 million dividend to Shah and Agarwal. Three other former employees of Outcome pleaded guilty prior to trial. Ashik Desai, the former chief growth officer pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud; and Kathryn Choi, a former senior analyst, and Oliver Han, a former analyst, both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Desai, Choi, and Han will be sentenced at a date to be determined. Shah was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering. Agarwal was convicted of five counts of mail fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, and two counts of bank fraud. Purdy was convicted on five counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, and one count of false statements to a financial institution. The defendants face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud and 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud and mail fraud. Purdy faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for the count of false statements to a financial institution. Shah faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a date to be determined. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Shimon Richmond of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. Assistant Chiefs William E. Johnston and Kyle C. Hankey of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew F. Madden and Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Court Shuts Down Detroit-Area Father-and-Son Tax Return Preparers Until Further Notice

component: Tax Division

body_text: On April 10, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan entered a preliminary injunction against Detroit-area tax return preparers Herman “Eddie” Simmons, Richmond Simmons, and the business Profile Income Tax Co., doing business as Simmons Income Tax Company, enjoining Defendants from preparing federal income tax returns for others through the resolution of their case on the merits. In issuing the preliminary injunction after holding a hearing and taking evidence, the Court noted that the government supported its motion with twelve sworn declarations in which Defendants’ customers disavowed various aspects of the returns that Defendants prepared for them, in particular, false and inflated deductions for charitable contributions. Defendants’ customers’ declarations repeatedly stated that they had never discussed the deductions at issue with Defendants, and that they had no idea why their returns contained the reported figures. Based on that customer testimony, and the similarities across all the fraudulent returns, the Court found that “filing tax returns with falsified deductions plainly qualifies as acting in willful or reckless disregard of the tax code,” and “that Defendants engaged in a pattern of willfully claiming false or inflated deductions to understate their clients’ liabilities.” The Court also rejected Defendants’ contention that they had made “honest mistakes” in the returns they prepared, finding that their claim that they simply reported whatever their customers told them was not credible. According to the Court, “no reasonable tax preparer would proceed in such a grossly uninformed and willfully ignorant manner.” Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Shady tax return preparers remain a concern of the IRS, which recently warned taxpayers about unscrupulous tax return preparers as part of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen series . As the 2023 tax season continues, taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS offers tips on how to accurately file returns and how to choose a tax return preparer , as well as steps taxpayers can take to get a jumpstart on filing . The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information. In the past decade, the Department of Justice Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.


title: Return Preparer and Former Owner of National Tax Preparation Franchise Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: A Georgia man pleaded guilty today to evading the proper assessment of his personal federal income taxes. According to court documents, from 1999 to 2021, Samir Patel of Statesboro, Georgia, was a tax return preparer at a national return preparation business. In 2015, Patel purchased a franchise of the business in Claxton, Georgia. As the owner, he hired, trained and supervised tax preparers, and continued to prepare returns for customers. Patel, however, willfully filed false income tax returns that underreported his income and evaded proper assessment of his personal taxes for years 2015, 2016, and 2017. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall for the Southern District of Georgia will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Matthew C. Hicks and Richard J. Hagerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Harper III of the Southern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.


title: Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud in Federal Court

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Jesse Morgan Hinson, 36, formerly of Troy, Alabama, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. The Alabama Securities Commission provided valuable assistance in the investigation and prosecution of the case. According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2022, Hinson engaged in schemes to defraud multiple victims by falsely representing himself to be a man of great wealth with the ability to conduct profitable real estate transactions. He convinced victims to give him money based on promises of future financial benefits. However, Hinson had no significant assets and intended to take his victims’ money for his own use. Hinson also failed to let his victims know that he had prior convictions for securities fraud, including convictions on Alabama securities fraud charges as recently as March and April of 2022. Hinson was in custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections as of April 30, 2022. In his plea agreement, Hinson specifically admitted that, in March of 2022, he defrauded an individual in Butler County by claiming that Hinson could finance real estate purchases for a 10 percent down payment. This was not true. Hinson obtained approximately $66,500.00 from the Butler County victim despite Hinson having no ability to finance real estate purchases, and none of the proceeds were used for the victim’s benefit. Instead, Hinson used much of these funds to pay personal expenses and to pay the debts of a woman with whom he had a romantic relationship. After the Butler County victim began demanding his money back, to discourage him from speaking with law enforcement, Hinson, posing as a New York attorney, telephoned the victim, falsely stated that Hinson would be receiving the proceeds of an $11 million loan, and then threatened to bankrupt the victim by opening competing businesses. Additionally, in April of 2022 and continuing after his incarceration on April 30 of that year, Hinson, as he admitted during his plea hearing, defrauded two other individuals from Tuscaloosa. Hinson told the victims that he would provide them with the profits from the sale of land that Hinson claimed to own to Auburn University if the victims would provide money upfront for taxes. During the course of discussions with the Tuscaloosa victims, Hinson had someone make false misrepresentations to the victims claiming that Hinson controlled assets in the range of $2 to $3 billion. This claim was also untrue. The Tuscaloosa victims provided multiple payments to Hinson’s attorney and to Hinson’s girlfriend totaling $124,028.80. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. At that hearing, Hinson will face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, along with substantial fines and restitution. “Mr. Hinson has a checkered history of engaging in securities fraud schemes,” said United States Attorney Stewart. “I commend the work of the investigators and prosecutors who unraveled the brazen schemes at issue in this case, thus protecting the public from falling victim to Hinson’s lies.” “Jesse Morgan Hinson has worked hard to build a horrible reputation of deceiving folks,” said Alabama Securities Commission Chief Deputy Director Amanda Senn. “We encourage everyone to research who you invest your hard-earned money with to avoid career criminals like Hinson, who has left a path of financial devastation and destruction in his wake.” The United States Secret Service and the Alabama Securities Commission investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen K. Moulton and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew O. Schiff and Amanda Senn of the Alabama Securities Commission are prosecuting the case.


title: Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A felon who possessed a firearm pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Jamie Swanson, age 32, of Colona, Illinois, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Swanson admitted that, in March 2022, he possessed a pistol after having been convicted of a felony. Sentencing before Chief United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Swanson remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Swanson faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Anamosa Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 22-100. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Dubuque Man Responsible for Over a Pound of Ice Methamphetamine Sentenced to 95 Months in Federal Prison

body_text: A man who possessed or distributed over a pound of ice methamphetamine and was found with more than $45,000 of drug proceeds was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison. Matthew Daniel Birch, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 6, 2022 guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Information disclosed at the sentencing hearing demonstrated that between 2019 and 2021, Birch sold approximately 194 grams of ice methamphetamine in Dubuque. Law enforcement officers seized another 315 grams of ice methamphetamine before Birch had the opportunity to sell it. One on occasion, officers found Birch with over $6,000 of drug proceeds. Later, after Birch attempted to flee from a traffic stop, officers found over $39,000 of drug proceeds. Birch has a history of fleeing from the police. Birch’s criminal history includes several violent convictions, including going armed with intent, false imprisonment in which he hit someone in the face and nose several times, assault with injury, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, and harassment in the first degree. Birch was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Birch was sentenced to 95 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Birch is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dubuque Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-1002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Manchester Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

body_text: A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to almost five years in federal prison. Timothy Tirrell Brown, age 34, from Manchester, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 14, 2022, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. At the guilty plea, Brown admitted that, on July 24, 2021, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a Smith & Wesson M&P-15, 5.56 NATO AR pistol with an attached 30-round magazine, as a prohibited person. A Hardin County deputy sheriff found the loaded firearm behind the front passenger seat of the car Brown was driving following a traffic stop. Brown was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted in Jackson County, Mississippi, of one count of Felony Sale or Transfer of Cocaine and two counts of Felony Possession of Cocaine in July 2007, and one count of Felony Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree in May 2014. Brown was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Brown was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Brown is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and was investigated by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Department of Public Safety. 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. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-40. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pittsburgh Man Gets 12-Year Prison Sentence for Drug Distribution and Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years of imprisonment on his convictions Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin and Crack Cocaine, Possession of Firearms and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Contraband in Prison, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Kris Johnson, age 32, of the City’s Knoxville neighborhood. According to information presented to the court, Johnson used the third-floor bedroom of a relative’s house located on Antrim Street, which is in the Northside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, as a place to store his controlled substances and firearms. On Nov. 9, 2017, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office executed a Family Division arrest warrant at that home unrelated to Johnson. During the protective sweep of the residence and a later search warrant, officers from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office found, in a third-floor bedroom used by Johnson, distribution quantities of heroin and crack cocaine, two guns, numerous boxes of ammunition, two digital scales, rubber bands consistent with the packaging of drugs, two cellular telephones and evidence linking the defendant to the bedroom. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office recovered Johnson’s fingerprints from a digital scale and a box of ammunition found in the bedroom. Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law because of he has prior felony convictions, which include prior drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession charges. While awaiting trial for those offenses, Johnson was incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail. Officials from the Allegheny County Jail received some information that Johnson’s cell contained drugs, and they conducted a search of the cell on Aug. 12, 2018. During the search, Johnson was found in possession of a ripped off glove finger that contained more than 150 small pieces of paper consistent with a “hit” of K-2. Subsequent laboratory analysis by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the substance was 5-F ADB, which is a synthetic cannabinoid and a Schedule I controlled substance. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Sherriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.


title: Pittsburgh-Area Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Selling Stolen Health and Beauty Products

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, currently a resident of Parkland, Florida, has been sentenced in connection with his plea of guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. According to the information presented to the Court, Thach Duc Le, had pled guilty in November of 2022 to counts of wire fraud and money laundering for his role in selling stolen goods, mostly health and beauty aids and over the counter medications, through his Bellevue business, called Last Call Entertainment, which was supposedly in the business of selling used electronics. Chief Judge Mark Hornak imposed a sentence of 19 months in federal prison, a fine of $8000 and three years of supervised release in addition to a $200 special assessment. In imposing sentence Judge Hornak noted the seriousness of the offense, what he characterized as a “consequential crime,” a long term fencing operation for goods stolen from local merchants in the Bellevue area. Judge Hornak noted that Le was aware that the persons who brought the goods into his store to sell to him were known to him to be drug addicts and that his activity was instrumental in perpetuating a cycle of criminal activity that damaged the community and made Le a “mountain of money.” The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment and the guilty plea in this case. Police departments from the City of Pittsburgh, Ross Township and Shaler Township also assisted in the overall investigation.


title: Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to more than 5 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun Law Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh was sentenced to 67 months and a term of three years of supervised release by United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Nora Barry Fischer, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Prior to imposing this sentence, Stephen Morgan, age 28, pleaded guilty to a two-count Information related to trafficking narcotics and felony possession of a firearm in December 2022. Morgan’s conviction and sentence stemmed from an incident on or about Jan. 12, 2019, where Morgan possessed with intent to distribute heroin and acetyl fentanyl, Schedule I controlled substances, and cocaine base and fentanyl, Schedule II controlled substances. When imposing this sentence, Judge Fischer expressed her concern regarding the seriousness of trafficking offenses and the fatalities that controlled substances, including fentanyl, cause in this district. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: BVI MAN SENTENCED TO 70 MONTHS INCARCERATION ON COCAINE SMUGGLING CONVICTION

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Sean John, 35 of Tortola, BVI, was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment by District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis on his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Judge Lewis also sentenced John to two years of supervised release and a special assessment of $100.00. According to court documents, on January 9, 2022, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine agents detected a vessel with bales of suspected cocaine in plain view on the deck of the vessel. The vessel was traveling on the northeast side of St. Croix heading north towards the British Virgin Islands. Upon further investigation, agents encountered a 32-foot Manta low-profile vessel with twin 300 HP outboard engines located at approximately 19 nautical miles northeast of St. Croix in international waters in an area known by law enforcement for drug trafficking. The vessel was dead in the water and displayed no indicia of nationality, flag nor registration, and was determined to be a vessel without nationality, thus subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Onboard the vessel, agents discovered 21 bales wrapped in plastic and encased in rope four. Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory analysis later confirmed that the 21 bales recovered from the vessel contained approximately 567 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. Also onboard the vessel were defendants Shannon John, Sean John, Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron and Augusto Rodriguez-Molina, all of whom pleaded guilty to the cocaine conspiracy charge. This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigation, Customs and Border Protection and Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Belmont County sex offender sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing, receiving child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A 42-year-old convicted sex offender from Flushing, Ohio, was sentenced in federal court today to 180 months in prison for distributing and receiving child pornography. Joshua E. Green was also sentenced to serve his time in a prison facility that provides sexual offender treatment and serve 20 years under court supervision after completing his prison sentence. “Repeat offenders who have shown that they remain a threat to the children around them must be kept away from society for a significant period of time,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. According to court documents, the investigation into Green began when he distributed images of himself to an undercover FBI agent posing as a 12-year-old female. Green admitted that in September 2021, he engaged in conversations through an online messenger app with the purported 12-year-old female and distributed sexually explicit images of himself along with pictures of his face. These images ultimately led to the identification of Green as a registered sex offender. Further investigation revealed that Green had also distributed child sexual abuse material in January 2022 and February 2022 via the mobile application Kik. A search warrant was executed at Green’s residence and numerous digital media devices were seized which contained additional evidence of his child exploitation activities. Green pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2022, to distributing and receiving child pornography after being convicted of an offense relating to the sexual abuse of a minor. His prior conviction stemmed from a 2014 case in Belmont County Common Pleas Court in which he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and pandering obscenity involving a minor. Court documents also say that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received tips from Kik messenger regarding Green’s online child exploitation activities. Parker was joined by J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Angie Salazar, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office; and Belmont County Sheriff David M. Lucas in announcing the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Distribution of Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Massey Allen, 42, of Omaha and South Sioux City, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Allen to 87 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release. On June 21, 2022, Allen sold methamphetamine to a cooperating witness working with law enforcement. Forensic testing by a crime laboratory confirmed 139 grams of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Omaha Police Department, and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Theft of Firearms

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

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Terry Barfield, 19, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for stealing firearms from a federally licensed dealer. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Barfield to imprisonment for 36 months to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. On August 8, 2022, forty-four (44) firearms were stolen during a break-in of the store front of Frontier Justice, a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), in Omaha. Investigators determined that three suspects broke exterior windows of the store and entered wearing face coverings and gloves. They were observed to be driving a white sedan. On August 19, 2022, Omaha Police Department (OPD) detectives observed a car matching the description of the sedan used during the break-in of Frontier Justice. OPD officers stopped the car at North 35th and Jaynes Streets and the four occupants fled on foot. A detective observed Barfield in possession of a black handgun which he (Barfield) placed in his waistband while he was fleeing. Three suspects were arrested including Barfield, and Barfield’s cell phone was seized. Detectives searched the area and recovered a Glock 34 9mm handgun. The Glock was later confirmed to have been stolen from Frontier Justice during the August 8, 2022, break-in. Another firearm was found near the car. OPD later obtained a warrant to search Barfield’s cell phone which yielded additional evidence of his involvement in the break-in. On August 30, 2022, OPD officers executed a warrant to search Barfield’s residence. Investigators recovered another firearm during the search (a CZ P-10c 9mm handgun) which was also confirmed to have been stolen from Frontier Justice. Barfield was arrested and interviewed and admitted the CZ P-10c firearm found at his residence was his, though he falsely claimed he found it at a party. He denied knowing about the break-in at Frontier Justice. This case was 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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as 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. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Mail Theft

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the Jorge Felix Morejon, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for theft of mail. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Morejon to five months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Morejon will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Morejon to pay restitution in the amount of $25. In July 2022, United States Postal Inspectors found duct tape rings inside the snorkel of a mail collection box located in Omaha. Postal Inspectors determined that the tape rings were used to collect mail without knowledge of the mailer. The mail could then be manually retrieved from the tape within the mail collection box. Found on the tape were eight fingerprints that were identified as the prints of Morejon. As part of their investigation, Postal Inspectors placed a test mailing containing two gift cards on the tape found in the mail collection box. Surveillance showed Morejon using the gift cards at various locations in Omaha. Morejon was convicted in 2017 in Miami, Florida, of mail theft using a similar means. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.


title: Eagan Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Eagan man has been sentenced to 90 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to his guilty plea, Tyler Michael Sauve, 29, admitted to possessing thousands of images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Sauve pleaded guilty on December 15, 2022, to one count of receipt of child pornography. Sauve was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud. This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the Eagan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich prosecuted the case.


title: San Antonio Man Sentenced for Assault on National Park Service Ranger

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today to three months in prison and one year of supervised release for assault on a federal officer. According to court documents, Daniel Ignacio Lizcano, 26, resisted arrest during an encounter with a National Park Service Ranger at the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. Lizcano had been reported along with a female for suspicious activity at the San Jose Visitor Center bathroom within the park and was located with a vape tool and glass pipe. During an initial interview at the scene, Lizcano began to reach into his pocket, where a personal stun gun was later located. Lizcano refused to follow the park ranger’s instructions to drop what was in his hands, the park ranger attempted to place him under arrest and a struggle ensued. The park ranger called for support from additional officers and received assistance from a civilian passerby to gain control of Lizcano. Lizcano pleaded guilty March 28 to one count of assault on a federal officer. “Our national parks are protected land where everyone should be able to enjoy the beauty of America and the unique heritage of the region,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “I appreciate the efforts our law enforcement partners at the National Park Service make to keep our parks safe, accessible and welcoming to all.” "National Park Service law enforcement rangers serve a critical visitor and resource protection role, and as Superintendent of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, I am committed to ensuring the safety of our employees and visitors,” said Christine Jacobs, Superintendent of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. “The National Park Service appreciates the support from the United States Attorney's Office through prosecution of this individual who assaulted a federal officer and for the court holding him accountable.” The National Park Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fidel Esparza III prosecuted the case. ###


title: Romanian National Indicted For Stealing Donation Checks From Numerous Florida Churches

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Ionut Vaduva (34, Orlando) with 11 counts of bank fraud and 2 counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Vaduva faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each bank fraud count, a consecutive minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. According to the indictment, Vaduva obtained donation checks made payable to various religious institutions by stealing them from mail receptacles at churches located throughout the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere. Vaduva then deposited the stolen checks, using ATM machines, into various bank accounts that he controlled. In total, Vaduva deposited more than $150,000 in stolen donation checks into his accounts. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, with the assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie. Download Indictment


title: Five men indicted on federal charges for illegal firearms possession

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Five defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns. “Individuals who are convicted of felonies are prohibited from possessing guns,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect the safety of our communities by identifying and removing these repeat offenders.” In the past four years, more than 820 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system. Defendants named in federal indictments from the April 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include: Wesley Rosenberg , 24, of Ludowici, Ga., charged with Engaging in the Firearms Business Without a License, and two counts of Transfer of a Firearm in Violation of the National Firearms Act. The indictments allege Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers. Tyrell Smith , 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Herman Lamont Dessasure , 30, of Statesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Dustin Shane Webster , 30, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and, Joquan K. Clark , 25, of Waynesboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession: Maurice Brown, 21, of Savannah, was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In July 2022, Brown sped away from an attempted traffic stop in Savannah by a Georgia State Patrol trooper and later ran from the vehicle. Savannah Police officers found him hiding in a nearby home, and found a pistol under the driver’s seat of the vehicle Brown was driving. Brown was on probation for state charges at the time of his arrest. Jeffrey J. Haynes, 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Haynes during a June 2021 traffic stop after finding a pistol in his waistband. Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol. The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473


title: Ten-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced To More Than Eight Years In Federal Prison For Possessing Ammunition

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Jesus Rivas (29, Tampa) to eight years and four months in federal prison for unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Rivas had pleaded guilty on November 4, 2022. According to court documents, On November 22, 2021, just after midnight, Tampa Police Department (TPD) officers observed a silver Infiniti use the shoulder of the road to illegally pass another car. The officers activated their police emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop and Infiniti pulled over to the side of the road. As officers approached the car on foot, the Infiniti fled from the scene and the officers radioed out a description of the car and the events that had just occurred. Another TPD officer was in the area, heard the radio call, and observed two men walking away from a silver Infiniti that was had just been parked. The officer looked inside the silver Infiniti and saw a firearm poking out from under the driver’s seat and radioed his findings. The officers from the earlier traffic stop responded to the scene and saw the two men walking, approached them. Rivas was one of the two men. During an interview with the officers, Rivas admitted that he had been driving the silver Infiniti and that he had fled from the scene. During a search of the silver vehicle, officers located a ghost gun—a firearm that is assembled from different parts of firearms—loaded with 22 rounds of Blazer ammunition under the driver’s seat. After collecting a DNA sample from Rivas and the swabbing the found gun for a comparable, forensic testing determined that the samples matched. As a previously convicted felon, Rivas is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Michigan City Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Earl Rauschenberg, 46 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr. after pleading guilty to transportation of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Rauschenberg was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 7 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in July 2020, Rauschenberg uploaded to the internet a video depicting child pornography. A year earlier, July 2019, Rauschenberg had been released from prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Indiana State Police and the Michigan City Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John M. Maciejczyk. ###


title: Green Cove Springs Man Sentenced To More Than Six Years For Distributing Child Sex Abuse Material

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ethan Rabin Coleman (33, Green Cove Springs) to six years and eight months in federal prison for distributing videos of children being sexually abused. The court also ordered Coleman serve a five-year term of supervised release and pay $31,000 to victims of his offenses. Coleman entered a guilty plea October 20, 2022. According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Jacksonville received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that four files depicting child sexual abuse had been uploaded over the internet on January 6, 2021. The report indicated that the upload of the files came from an account with the username of “bige1131990,” an associated email address, and an IP (Internet Protocol) address that traced back to an address in Green Cove Springs. After reviewing the files and upon further investigation, HSI agents and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at the residence on November 9, 2021. During the execution of the search warrant, agents encountered Coleman, who exited the residence holding a phone in his hand. An onsite preview of the phone yielded numerous files depicting the sexual abuse of children, including one of the files identified in the reported uploads. During an interview with law enforcement, Coleman admitted that the associated email address belonged to him and acknowledged that he “got banned for some reason” from a social media account reported by NCMEC. At first, Coleman denied sending any child sexual abuse files over the social media application. When asked again, he acknowledged such files were shared in a group to which he belonged. Further, Coleman admitted to viewing the files on multiple occasions, downloading files showing children being sexually abused from a file-sharing application onto his phone, sharing images with others, and acknowledged knowing the individuals depicted being sexually abused were young, including a file depicting the sexual assault of a toddler. When asked why he thought it was wrong, Coleman stated, “Because they’re little kids.” “This predator, knowing it was images of children being sexually abused, decided to feed his perversion by collecting, viewing, and sharing the digital files many times over with others on the internet,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to our partnership with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the efforts of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, we have pulled another predator offline and stopped him from his continued victimization of children.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Vernon Man Charged with Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Glen Buehler, 67, of Vernon, Vermont, is scheduled to appear this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle after his arrest for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). According to court records, on February 2, 2023, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Detective was conducting an online investigation of the BitTorrent network, looking for individuals sharing CSAM. A BitTorrent user was identified as sharing likely CSAM files, and a download of some of those files occurred the evening of February 2, 2023. After the source of the files was determined to likely be in Vermont, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force coordinated with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Derby, Vermont. HSI’s investigation revealed the source of the files downloaded from BitTorrent to likely be Buehler’s residence in Vernon, Vermont. A federal search warrant was executed on April 3, 2023, resulting in the seizure of a number of electronic devices. A preliminary forensic examination by HSI revealed that a Motorola cellphone contained multiple files of suspected CSAM. On April 7, 2023, Buehler was charged by criminal complaint. Buehler self-surrendered to law enforcement this morning. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Buehler remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Buehler faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to the United States Sentencing Guidelines. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of agents of Homeland Security Investigations, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Police Department, the New Hampshire ICAC, the Vermont ICAC, and the detectives of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Criminal Division. He also thanked the Vermont State Police and Brattleboro Police Department for their assistance. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Buehler is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. 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 Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (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: Airline Passenger Charged After Flight Diverted into KCI Airport

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A passenger aboard an Alaska Airlines flight has been charged in a federal criminal complaint after the flight was diverted from its course and landed at Kansas City International Airport. Chloe M. Dasilva, 32, was charged with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, April 7. Dasilva, who remains in federal custody, will have her initial court appearance today. An affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint alleges that Dasilva interfered with the duties of flight attendants while she was a passenger aboard Alaska Airlines flight 456. The flight was scheduled for nonstop service from San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Ill. However, the flight was diverted into Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Mo., at approximately 4:20 a.m. Friday, April 7. According to the affidavit, Dasilva, who had been disruptive during the flight, was involved in a confrontation with a male flight attendant, cussing and yelling and threatening to kill him. A flight attendant, with the assistance of two passengers, used zip ties to restrain her. One of the passengers switched seats with a mother and her infant who was seated directly in front of Dasilva for their safety. The pilot decided to divert to Kansas City instead of going to Chicago because he was concerned for the safety of the passengers. The charge contained in this complaint 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 Matthew Blackwood. It was investigated by the FBI.


title: Atlanta Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl from McKeesport Residence

body_text: PITTSBURGH – A Georgia resident has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months of imprisonment on his conviction of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone imposed the sentence on Christopher Jordan, age 42, of Atlanta, Georgia. According to information presented to the court, an investigation by the Allegheny County Police revealed that Jordan was selling fentanyl from an address on Soles Street in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Allegheny County Police detectives executed a search warrant at that residence on March 11, 2021, and the detectives found distribution quantities of fentanyl attributable to Jordan, along with other evidence of drug trafficking. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Jordan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Larsen & Toubro Technology Services Pays $9,928,000 To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — L&T Technology Services, LTD (“LTTS”), a company based in India, with U.S. offices in Edison New Jersey, has agreed to pay $9,928,000 to resolve allegations that between 2014 and 2019, LTTS underpaid visa fees owed to the United States by acquiring inexpensive B-1 visas, rather than more expensive H-1B visas, in alleged violation of the False Claims Act. LTTS provides services and personnel to companies in the United States. Most of the personnel are foreign nationals, who are required to have visas in order to lawfully enter or remain in the United States. B-1 visas generally do not permit visa holders to perform paid labor while in the United States. During the time period in question, fees for B-1 visas were between approximately $200 to $300, and there was no limit on the number of B-1 visas that could be issued. Although H-1B visas permit foreign nationals to perform paid labor while in this country, the visa fees for such work visas were between approximately $4,000 to $6,000. Additionally, such visas are more difficult to obtain, because they are limited by an annual cap of 65,000, to foreign nationals with the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in an occupation requiring highly specialized knowledge; plus an additional 20,000 H-1B visas annually to those in such occupations with a master’s degree or its equivalent. The investigation leading to this settlement was initiated through the filing of a whistleblower (qui tam) complaint in the United States District Court in Charleston, South Carolina, captioned United States ex rel. Michael Harmon v. L&T Technology Services, et. al. , Civ. No. 2:16-cv-01114-BHH (D.S.C.). By law, Mr. Harmon will receive a percentage of the recovery. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold accountable those who skirt this country’s visa requirements,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair F. Boroughs. “Our immigration laws are intended to protect American jobs for American workers, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure companies securing work visas for foreign nationals strictly comply with those laws.” “This settlement sends a clear message to those who seek to defraud the U.S. government and exploit our nation’s laws, that you will be found and held accountable,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent In Charge of HSI Charlotte, covering North and South Carolina. “Protecting the integrity of the nation’s immigration and labor laws from those looking to exploit them is of vital importance and HSI prioritizes this mission.” “This settlement is a success in deterring companies in seeking to evade and violate the laws and regulations governing the non-immigrant visa programs managed by the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security,” said Chris Hileman, Special Agent in Charge, Department of State, Office of Inspector General. “It has been and always will be our pleasure to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to protect our immigration laws, the U.S. workers and our economy and hold those accountable who exploit them.” “When companies apply for work visas, they must follow the rules and pay appropriate fees, just like workers. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who circumvent worker visa programs,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.” “We are pleased at the outcome of this case,” said Karen L. Brown Cleveland, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). “The Diplomatic Security Service values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and jointly combat U.S. passport and visa fraud. Deterring, detecting, and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud is essential to safeguarding our national security.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the USCIS Nebraska Service Center Fraud Detection Unit, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Stan Ragsdale, Beth Warren, and Brook Andrews of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. LTTS has denied liability, is cooperating with the United States in this matter, and has taken significant steps to ensure compliance with U.S. visa laws. ###


title: Beaver County Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Selling Drugs that Led to an Overdose Death

body_text: PITTSBURGH - A Beaver County resident has been sentenced in federal court to 96 months of imprisonment on his conviction of Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of a Substance Containing Detectable Amounts of Heroin, Acetyl Fentanyl, and Fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman imposed the sentence on Zachary Martin Cymbalak, age 36, of Freedom, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement officer found a deceased individual under circumstances suggesting that the death was caused by an overdose, which was later confirmed by the Beaver County Coroner’s Office. At the location of the death, law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia and distinctive empty stamp bags. Based on telephone records and other investigative techniques, law enforcement identified Cymbalak as the likely source of supply of the drugs that caused the death. Later on Jan. 6, 2019, law enforcement arranged for a confidential informant to purchase controlled substances from the defendant. The stamp bags were the same distinctive stamp bags found at the scene of the death. After the purchase, law enforcement stopped the vehicle in which Cymbalak was a passenger and recovered more of the distinctive stamps bags and the money used in the purchase. Laboratory tests confirmed that the stamp bags purchased from Cymbalak and recovered from Cymbalak’s person contained a combination of heroin, fentanyl, and acetyl fentanyl. As part of the plea agreement Cymbalak took responsibility for causing the death of the decedent. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, along with the Baden and Harmony Township police departments, the Beaver County Coroner’s Office, and the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office Anti-Drug Task Force, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cymbalak.


title: Illegal alien sentenced to life in prison for murdering whistleblower in labor conspiracy

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: BRUNSWICK, GA .: An illegal alien who participated a multi-million-dollar scheme to fraudulently employ undocumented workers, then murdered a whistleblower who attempted to expose the scheme, has been sentenced to life in prison. Juan Rangel-Rubio , 46, of Rincon, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2017 execution-style murder of Eliud Montoya, a United States citizen who reported Rangel-Rubio’s illegal activities to the federal government, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Rangel-Rubio to pay $1,351,217.05 in restitution. “Eliud Montoya was murdered for doing the right thing and revealing Juan Rangel-Rubio’s scheme to profit off his use of undocumented workers,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “As a result of the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, Juan Rangel-Rubio will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.” In October 2022, Rangel-Rubio was found guilty after a five-day trial in U.S. District Court of Conspiracy to Retaliate Against a Witness; Conspiracy to Kill a Witness; Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; and Money Laundering Conspiracy. Two co-defendants are serving prison terms for their roles in the conspiracy. Rangel-Rubio’s brother, Pablo Rangel-Rubio , 53, of Rincon, was sentenced to 584 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Conceal, Harbor and Shield Illegal Aliens; Money Laundering Conspiracy; three counts of Money Laundering Transactions Over $10,000; and Aiding and Abetting Retaliation Against a Witness. Higinio Perez-Bravo , 52, of Savannah, was sentenced to 240 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Murder for Hire. Both men are citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States and will be subject to deportation after completing their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system. Four other defendants were sentenced to prison terms of up to 24 months for charges related to the investigation, including conspiracy and illegal firearms possession. As reflected in court records and evidence presented at trial, Pablo Rangel-Rubio worked as a supervisor at Wolf Tree, a contract company that performed tree-cutting services on utility rights-of-way. He and his brother hired illegal aliens to work for the company, then routed the workers paychecks to their own bank accounts where they skimmed a portion of the pay for themselves. They also created fake employee accounts and directed that pay to themselves. As a result of this scheme, the conspirators netted more than $3.5 million. Montoya saw his colleagues being mistreated and complained to the company and to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After Montoya blew the whistle on the scheme, Pablo Rangel-Rubio arranged for Montoya’s murder by paying Perez-Bravo for the use of his vehicles and to act as the getaway driver when Juan Rangel-Rubio shot Montoya to death outside Montoya’s home. “This sentence means that the consequences of Rangel-Rubio’s actions have caught up with him and he will no longer be able to hurt anyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “I am proud of the work that our great law enforcement partners did to successfully close this case and the great work that they do to protect our communities.” The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), the Garden City Police Department, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Tania D. Groover.


title: Heroin Dealer Who Absconded Prior to Sentencing in 2018 and Was Recently Found in Jamaica Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former chef who pleaded guilty in 2018 to a heroin trafficking offense – and was a fugitive for more than four years before being arrested in Jamaica earlier this year – was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison. Devon Bennett, 54, who resided in Hawthorne when he absconded prior to a sentencing hearing in September 2018, was sentenced this morning by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. After his release from prison, Bennett will be subject to a five-year period of supervised release. Following Bennett’s flight from justice, Judge Fischer imposed a sentence that was 51 months longer than the 70 months prosecutors had initially recommended in 2018. Bennett pleaded guilty in May 2018 to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, admitting that he and others used his apartment to package and ship heroin and other drugs through the U.S. Mail. While free on a $50,000 bond and shortly before his original sentencing hearing in September 2018, Bennett fled. Judge Fischer issued an arrest warrant and, soon after, an order forfeiting his bond. Bennett’s third-party surety has since paid the United States more than $40,000 as a result of Bennett’s decision to flee from justice. In early February, law enforcement authorities in Jamaica located and arrested Bennett at the request of the United States. Bennett consented to extradition and was subsequently surrendered to the United States on March 8. The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles Police Department. The United States Marshals Service, the Jamaica Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Jamaica Constabulary Force – Counterterrorism and Organized Crime Branch, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing Bennett’s arrest and return to Los Angeles. Assistant United States Attorney Benedetto L. Balding of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert I. Lester of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section handled the bond forfeiture.


title: Prison escapee sentenced to 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge resulting from shooting of Farmington Police Officer

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced today that Elias Buck was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. Buck, 24, of Aztec, New Mexico, pleaded guilty on Dec. 8, 2022, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Jan. 7, 2022, police officers in Farmington responded to a report that the male driver of a black Cadillac was possibly driving under the influence. An officer located the vehicle in the drive-thru line of a Starbucks and waited for it to exit. Once it did, the officer initiated their lights and sirens and attempted to stop the Cadillac, but the driver fled at a high rate of speed. Another officer located the Cadillac a short time later in the Carl’s Junior parking lot and learned from witnesses that two individuals fled from the vehicle on foot. A third officer who was nearby decided to check a large dirt lot in the area the witness had indicated that individuals fled. He parked his vehicle and walked towards an opening in the corner of the lot, where he observed two individuals walking towards him. The officer contacted the individuals and recognized Buck from the escape flyer circulated after Buck escaped from a Durango jail the week prior despite his attempt to disguise himself by wearing a wig. The officer asked Buck and the other individual to sit down, at which time Buck pulled a pistol from his pocket, pointed it towards the officer’s face, and pulled the trigger. The firearm’s muzzle was approximately one foot from the officer’s face when Buck pulled the trigger. The officer raised his arm to shield his face and the bullet passed through his arm. Buck shot him a second time in the elbow. The officer retreated to put some space between him and Buck and heard Buck fire two more rounds at him before fleeing. Since the shooting, the officer has returned work, however he has not regained full range of motion in his arm. Buck was arrested on Jan. 14, 2022, in Phoenix, Arizona after he was recognized by a security guard at a local convenience store. During sentencing proceedings, Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe addressed the Court, saying “…the long-term impact of this event was significant, and not just [to the] Farmington PD, but to the City of Farmington and to the entire San Juan County. It's a remote county, pretty close-knit. We had not had an officer shot in the line of duty in over 30 years, and that means every officer on my agency had never lived through an officer-involved shooting, had never experienced it. It was -- It was a shocking event for our agency.” Chief Hebbe continued by addressing Judge Kea W. Riggs directly, saying “. . . today is singular for you in that you have a chance to say, as a federal judge, the pinnacle of the criminal justice system, to say in no uncertain terms that assaults on our criminal justice system, assaults on our police officers is absolutely not tolerable; that whatever the vitriol, whatever the second-guessing, whatever the climate has been over the last few years, that does not excuse, it does not belittle, it does not minimize the impact of a crime like this.” At the time of sentencing, United States District Court Judge Kea W. Riggs addressed Buck, saying “You do not have the right to change anyone else's life or alter -- you altered this man's life for the rest of his life. You altered his family's life. It is a ripple effect. It's a ripple effect through his family, on the Department, and through that community . . . I'm thankful that our officer is alive and able to continue to work, but you're lucky that you're alive and here, and you need to think about that.” “We owe a special debt of gratitude to those who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “Just as federal, state, and local law enforcement officers walk our streets daily to protect us from harm, we will relentlessly seek justice when harm comes to them.” “There is no place in our society for those who use firearms for violent, criminal purposes,” said Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Phoenix Field Division. “ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels to bring those individuals to justice.” At the time of the offense, Buck had a prior conviction for attempted possession of dangerous drugs for sale. As a convicted felon, Buck could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition. Upon his release from prison, Buck will be subject to three years of supervised release. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Farmington Police Department and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Letitia Carroll Simms is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-72


title: Texas Man Sentenced to over 11 years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Texas man was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Miguel Mendoza, 33, of Elgin, Texas, was sentenced on April 6, 2023, in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, on Monday, October 17, 2022, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 10 East in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Mendoza was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. An extensive search of the vehicle revealed a pressure activated access panel for two improvised compartments on each side of the vehicle’s drive shaft. The driver side compartment contained (2) cellophane wrapped packages containing 2.5 kilograms of cocaine. The passenger side compartment contained (2) plastic and aluminum foil wrapped packages containing 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. Tools were located inside the vehicle that were readily available to raise the vehicle and gain access to the compartment. Mendoza was indicted by a federal grand jury and he pled guilty on January 17, 2023 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.


title: Durham Crips Gang Member Sentenced for Fifth Robbery Conviction

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – A North Carolina man was sentenced today to 19 years in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm by an armed career criminal, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). DEVONTE DAQUAN COZART, age 28, of Durham, North Carolina, was sentenced to a 228-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. He pleaded guilty on December 8, 2022, to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1951(a), and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm by an armed career criminal, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1) and 924(e). COZART also agreed to forfeit two handguns. A codefendant, Tori Demarco Bumpers, pleaded guilty on September 8, 2022, to the same statutory violations. Bumpers’ sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2023, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. According to court records, COZART, a member of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips street gang, and Bumpers left the area of Glenbrook Drive on March 14, 2022, just before dark in COZART’s gray Honda Accord. At approximately 9:30 p.m. that night, Bumpers robbed a vape shop located at West Club Boulevard in Durham at gunpoint, taking cash, cigarettes, a “Cookies” brand backpack, and other items. Bumpers left the store and fled on foot with a second man. At approximately 9:50 p.m., two men wearing dark clothing and masks robbed an individual waiting for a ride to work (Victim-1). After one of the men, whose height and hair was consistent with COZART’s, got in Victim-1’s face and pointed a gun at him, the assailants took cash, electronics, and an Oakley backpack from Victim-1. At approximately 10:10 p.m., Bumpers aimed a gun at the clerk of a convenience store on Fayetteville Road in Durham and demanded cash and cigarettes. After taking the items, he left the store and ran across the parking lot to a waiting car. Around 10:30 p.m. Durham Police Department officers stopped COZART’s gray Honda Accord on East Club Boulevard. COZART was driving, and Bumpers was in the front passenger seat. A black mask was resting between COZART’s right leg and the center console. Officers removed the men from the car and placed them in handcuffs. Upon searching the vehicle, officers recovered items from each of the above-described robberies and a loaded .45 handgun. On May 12, 2022, investigators executing a warrant to arrest COZART on federal charges stemming from the March 14, 2022, robberies searched the Durham residence where he was located and found a 9mm handgun. Subsequent investigation identified a fingerprint on the gun’s magazine as having been made by COZART’s right thumb. The previous year, on April 8, 2022, investigators encountered COZART in a Durham apartment near a .357 magnum revolver. COZART admitted that the gun belonged to him. At the time of these offenses, COZART had been previously convicted of Common Law Robbery and Breaking and Entering (offense date May 7, 2014); Common Law Robbery and Conspiracy to Commit Common Law Robbery (offense date March 24, 2015); Common Law Robbery (offense date February 5, 2015); Common Law Robbery and Conspiracy to Commit Common Law Robbery (offense date May 1, 2018); and Attempted Common Law Robbery (offense date April 28, 2018). In connection with these offenses COZART was sentenced to multiple terms of imprisonment exceeding one year. Thus, at the time of the offenses, COZART was legally barred from possessing a firearm due to his status as a felon. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF), the Durham Police Department, and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. The lead investigator was an FBI Task Force Officer from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Iverson. Since 1992, the FBI's Safe Streets Violent Crime Initiative has successfully aligned FBI Agents, state and local law enforcement investigators, and federal and state prosecutors onto SSTFs to reduce violent crime. This nationwide initiative brings resources together in a "force multiplier concept" and utilizes the expertise of each agency. SSTFs focus primarily upon street gang and drug-related violence through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations to obtain prosecutions on violations such as racketeering, drug conspiracy, and firearms violations. ###


title: O.C. Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Social Worker to Perpetrate Fraud Schemes that Caused $3.8 Million in Losses

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County tax preparer pleaded guilty today to a federal criminal charge for participating in schemes that caused nearly $3.8 million in losses to the United States government, including one orchestrated by a corrupt social worker who stole his clients’ identities to fraudulently obtain tax refunds, welfare benefits and credit cards. Anton Nguyen, 54, of Fountain Valley, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. According to his plea agreement, Nguyen operated a Westminster-based tax preparation company called Century Tax & Travel. From 2012 to June 2019, Nguyen and his co-conspirators filed hundreds of tax returns using personal identifying information (PII) belonging to other individuals without their permission to generate fraudulent tax refund payments from the United States. One of Nguyen’s co-conspirators was John Tran, who is believed to be either 57 or 61 years old, of Fountain Valley, an Orange County Social Services Agency case worker from July 1994 to October 2018, who stole the Social Security numbers and other personal identifying information (PII) from his clients – many of them recent immigrants. Tran and his co-conspirators used this stolen information to fraudulently obtain money from the federal government, the State of California, the County of Orange, and financial institutions. Nguyen used the stolen identities that Tran provided to create fraudulent Forms 1099-MISC that falsely showed payments made to the identity theft victims by companies, including those controlled by Tran and other accomplices. Nguyen prepared and filed federal income tax returns using the Tran-provided stolen identities. Nguyen then used the purported payments on the fraudulent Forms 1099 as income to the identify theft victims, making them appear to qualify for tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. In turn, the reported payments to the identity theft victims were used by Nguyen’s clients to offset business revenues and reduce the taxes they owed by making it appear that the identity theft victims worked for them. In exchange for the fabrication of the Forms 1099, Nguyen’s clients paid him a fee. In total, Nguyen and his co-conspirators defrauded the United States out of at least $3,773,282. United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled a July 24 sentencing hearing, at which time Nguyen will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors have secured a total of seven guilty pleas to criminal charges connected to this scheme. Tran pleaded guilty in November 2019 to conspiracy to defraud the United States, mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Tran is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 72 years in federal prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison. Chau Nguyen, 69, of Garden Grove; Sophie Thuy Nguyen, 48, of Westminster; Kevin Le, 57, of Anaheim Hills; Van Quach, 43, of Monterey Park; and Peter Duc Nguyen, 63, of Garden Grove, each have pleaded guilty to evasion of assessment of taxes and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year, at which time they will each face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Thomas Nguyen, 62, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty in June 2021 to one count of tax evasion. He was fined $30,000 and ordered to pay $133,796 in restitution. Rosemary Pham, 65, of Midway City, the owner and operator of Victory Tax Service in Westminster, has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and 10 counts of aiding and advising the filing of false tax returns. Her trial date is scheduled for August 15. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley E. Marrett of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.