title: Seattle Barrel cleaning company and its owner sentenced for ten-year water pollution scheme

body_text: Seattle – A barrel cleaning and reconditioning operation, Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company, and its owner, Louie Sanft, 55, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy, making false statements, and 33 Clean Water Act violations, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sanft was sentenced to 18 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The company was sentenced to be on five years of probation. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones, who presided over the three-week trial, said, “These discharges were not done by accident or mistake… they were done with disregard for the consequences… An enormous amount of caustic waste – an estimated 26,000 gallons of caustic water -- into our system with no idea of what harm it could have done. You had no justifiable reason to engage in this deceitful and dangerous activity.” “These defendants sent dangerous caustic chemicals into our sewer system once a week for years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman. “This risked environmental harm to Elliott Bay and the Duwamish River, damaged critical sewer infrastructure, and could have seriously injured utility workers. At many points Mr. Sanft and his company could have reformed their ways – the refusal to do so results in these sentences today.” According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Seattle Barrel’s business involves collecting used industrial and commercial drums and reconditioning and reselling them. Part of the reconditioning process involved washing the barrels in a highly corrosive chemical solution. The caustic solution has a very high pH level. Since at least 2009, Seattle Barrel has operated under a discharge permit that prohibits it from discharging wastewater over a certain level of corrosivity (a pH exceeding 12) to the sewer system. Wastewater above pH 12 will corrode the sewer system and treatment plant, and potentially cause pass-through pollution to Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. In 2013, King County conducted covert monitoring of Seattle Barrel, and discovered the company was illegally dumping effluent with a pH above 12 in violation of its permit. King County fined the company, but the pollution did not stop. Beginning in 2016, Louie Sanft represented to King County in written monthly certifications that the company had become a “zero discharge” facility and was not discharging any industrial wastewater to the sewer. In fact, in 2018 and 2019, additional covert monitoring by the EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division revealed that Seattle Barrel was continuing to routinely dump wastewater with a pH above 12 into the sewer system despite telling local regulators that no industrial wastewater was being discharged. Agents then installed real-time monitoring equipment that allowed them to determine when the dumping was taking place. Early on the morning of March 8, 2019, the covert monitors indicated Seattle Barrel was dumping high-pH material into the sewer. Agents immediately executed a search warrant and entered the building. Inside, they discovered a portable pump on the floor near the tank of caustic solution. They then discovered that the pump was being used to pump solution to a nearby hidden drain that had never been disclosed to King County. The drain led directly to the sewer system. Seattle Public Utilities says the sewer lines downstream from Seattle Barrel are prematurely damaged and will need early repair. These discharges put utility workers at risk, as such caustic chemicals can cause blindness, skin necrosis, bone damage, and even death. Louie Sanft, the owner and operator of Seattle Barrel, was convicted after a three-week trial of conspiracy, 29 violations of the Clean Water Act for discharging pollutants to the sewer, four counts of submission of False Clean Water Act Certifications, and making a false statement to special agents of the EPA. Asking the court to impose a five-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson wrote, “Louis Sanft affirmatively chose to pollute and engaged in a campaign of deceit to cover it up, despite regulators efforts to help him comply… Louis Sanft simply stonewalled, or lied and continued his illegal practices… Sanft… lied to federal agents…tried to mislead the U.S. Attorney’s Office and EPA …and finally, Louis Sanft lied to the jury at trial.” As part of the sentence for the company, Judge Jones is requiring the company to certify every quarter that it has complied with all federal, state, and local requirements including compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. "For nearly a decade, the defendants dumped caustic industrial waste into the Seattle sewer system and then conspired to conceal their illegal activities by submitting false monthly reports and lying to investigators," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Carr of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division for Washington. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the seriousness of these crimes and sends a clear message that businesses will be held criminally responsible if they fail to manage industrial wastes in accordance with laws designed to protect the health of our communities, national infrastructure, and the environment.” According to Seattle Barrel, the company stopped using caustic solution after EPA executed the search warrant in 2019. This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the King County Industrial Waste Program and the Seattle Public Utilities, Drainage and Wastewater Source Control Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson and Thomas Woods, and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Karla Perrin and Gwendolyn Russell, Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel with the Environmental Protection Agency.


title: Justice Department Announces First Criminal Resolution Involving the Illicit Sale and Transport of Iranian Oil in Violation of U.S. Sanctions

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today the successful disruption of a multimillion-dollar shipment of crude oil by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for another country. This is the first-ever criminal resolution involving a company that violated sanctions by facilitating the illicit sale and transport of Iranian oil and comes in concert with a successful seizure of over 980,000 barrels of contraband crude oil. According to court documents, on April 19, 2023, Suez Rajan Limited pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). On that same date, the company was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols for the District of Columbia to three years of corporate probation and a fine of almost $2.5 million. In addition, pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) and a seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Empire Navigation, the operating company of the vessel carrying the contraband cargo, agreed to cooperate and transport the Iranian oil to the United States – an operation which has now concluded. Empire Navigation incurred the significant expenses associated with the vessel’s voyage to the United States. The contraband cargo is now the subject of a civil forfeiture action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The United States’ forfeiture complaint alleges that the oil aboard the vessel is subject to forfeiture based on U.S. terrorism and money laundering statutes. The complaint alleges a scheme involving multiple entities affiliated with Iran’s IRGC and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to covertly sell and transport Iranian oil to a customer abroad. Participants in the scheme attempted to disguise the origin of the oil using ship-to-ship transfers, false automatic identification system reporting, falsified documents, and other means. The complaint further alleges that the charterer of the vessel used the U.S. financial system to facilitate the transportation of Iranian oil. The complaint further alleges that the oil constitutes the property of, or provided a “source of influence” over, the IRGC and the IRGC-QF, both of which have been designated by the United States as foreign terrorist organizations, and that the oil facilitated money laundering. The documents allege that profits from oil sales support the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and both domestic and international human rights abuses. Funds successfully forfeited with a connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may in whole or in part be directed to the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund . HSI Washington D.C. and FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office are investigating the cases. Assistant U.S Attorneys Stuart D. Allen and Rajbir S. Datta for the District of Columbia prosecuted the criminal case and they, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak, are litigating the civil forfeiture case. On both actions, they received assistance from Paralegal Specialists Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady participated in prior phases of the investigation. The Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division is also prosecuting and litigating these matters. The Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Criminal Division provided significant assistance in this matter. The Department thanks United Against Nuclear Iran for its valuable assistance. A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.


title: Two District Men Charged for September 6, 2023, Murder in Southwest Apartment Building

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Keshawn Lavender, 22, and Deandre Sams, 27, both of Washington, D.C., were presented in Superior Court yesterday on first degree felony murder while armed charges stemming from the homicide of 32-year-old Matthew Miller on September 6, 2023, in the Wharf neighborhood, in Southwest, Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. Lavender and Sams were arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe on the charges in Courtroom C-10, D.C. Superior Court, where both entered pleas of not guilty. The court heard arguments and found probable cause to believe that the defendants committed first degree felony murder while armed. The court held the defendants without bond pending a preliminary hearing to be held on September 27, 2023, before Judge Anthony Epstein. An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


title: District Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms Offense

body_text: WASHINGTON – John Maurice West, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to serve 57 months in prison on a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm on June 27, 2022, aboard a Metrorail train and in the 1700 block of 8th Street NW. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). West pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. He was sentenced by the Honorable Jia M. Cobb. Following his prison term, West will be placed on three years of supervised release. According to court papers, on June 27, 2022, West threatened another man with a gun while aboard a Metrorail train at the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metro Station. The victim disembarked at the next station and reported the offense. Surveillance footage revealed that West exited the Metro at the Shaw–Howard University station and ran into the 1700 block of 8th Street NW, in the District’s Shaw neighborhood. Surveillance footage also depicted West in and around the entryway of an apartment building in that block moments before his arrest. Police canvassed the area and found a loaded, semi-automatic handgun concealed in a drainage pipe. Subsequent DNA testing and analysis linked both the handgun and its magazine to West. Federal law prohibits West from possessing a firearm because, in 2014, he was convicted in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of possession with intent to distribute cocaine while armed with a firearm. West was arrested on June 27, 2022, and has remained in custody ever since. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves, Chief Anzallo, and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metro Transit and Metropolitan Police Departments. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Thomas G. Strong, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Third Defendant Charged in September 6th Murder in Southwest Apartment Building

body_text: WASHINGTON – Raymond Mathis, 36, of Washington, D.C., was presented in Superior Court today on charges of first degree felony murder while armed stemming from the homicide of 32-year-old Matthew Miller, on September 6, 2023, in the city's Wharf neighborhood, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced. Mathis is the third defendant charged in the case. He was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Judith Pipe and entered a plea of not guilty. The court found probable cause to believe that the defendant committed first degree felony murder while armed. Mathis is being held without bond pending a September 27 preliminary hearing before Judge Anthony Epstein. An arrest on a complaint is merely a formally charged allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. In announcing the charge, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


title: Jamaican National Charged with Debt Relief Scam

component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: Defendant Extradited from Jamaica to Answer Eight-Count Indictment WASHINGTON – Sereika Savariau, also known as Sereika Savariau-Goodison, 36, of Jamaica, appeared in U.S. federal court today and was arraigned on an eight-count indictment charging her with creating a series of fraudulent debt relief companies that tricked U.S. victims into paying fees and disclosing personal identifying information, sensitive information, and identity documents to obtain debt relief, which did not actually exist. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Sally Luttrell Assistant Inspector General for Investigations U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General On December 2, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count sealed indictment charging Savariau with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, four counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. The indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2018, Savariau conspired with others to profit from fees paid by victims of fraudulent debt relief companies. The indictment alleges that conspirators created and operated fraudulent businesses and websites that marketed and sold fraudulent debt relief services to members of the public. Conspirators fraudulently misrepresented that members of the public could apply for and obtains thousands of dollars’ worth of debt relief on their outstanding, unpaid bills in the form of grants, all in exchange for payment of a service processing fee. Conspirators also claimed that the purported debt relief was funded and administered by the U.S. government. Through their false representations, Savariau and her co-conspirators are alleged to have induced or attempted to induce victims throughout the United States to pay over a million dollars’ worth of service processing fees to Savariau and her co-conspirators via Western Union, Money Gram, PayPal, and other payment mechanisms. Savariau arrived in the D.C. metropolitan area on Thursday after being extradited from Jamaica. At today’s initial appearance, the Honorable Zia M. Faruqui ordered that she be held without bond pending her next hearing, which is scheduled for September 20, 2023. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Savariau. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Louisa Becker and Ashley Pungello, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman.


title: North Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to Fatally Stabbing a Man During a Visit to Washington DC

body_text: Incident Occurred in January 2023 WASHINGTON – Cynthia Battle, 54, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to stabbing a man to death on January 16, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Battle pleaded in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to a charge of voluntary manslaughter. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for November 17, 2023. According to the government’s evidence, on January 15, 2023, Cynthia Battle and two friends drove from their homes in North Carolina to visit a friend in Washington DC. The following day, the decedent, Raymond Johnson, joined them all at the friend’s house. At approximately 11:45 pm on January 16, 2023, Battle, Johnson, and a witness walked together down Minnesota Ave. Southeast, to purchase crack cocaine. While outside on the street, and in the midst of this drug transaction, Battle was captured on surveillance camera lunging towards Johnson. Battle, Johnson, and the witness then quickly separated, walking in opposite directions. Minutes later, a 911 caller found Johnson further down the street. Johnson was laying face down and unconscious, bleeding from a single stab wound to his chest. The sole eyewitness to the stabbing immediately drove back to North Carolina, leaving Battle behind. Battle caught her own ride back to North Carolina the next day, after which she absconded. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) worked with members of the Halifax County Sherriff’s Office to locate and interview the witness within days of the stabbing. The witness initially claimed not to have seen anything, but later admitted to seeing a flash of silver in Battle’s hand as Battle struck Johnson in the chest. Law enforcement from these two jurisdictions also worked together to search Battle’s home, where they found the clothing she wore on the night of the murder. Battle was arrested in March 2023, and has been in custody ever since. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the cooperation from the Halifax County Sherriff’s Office, and acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams and Paralegal Specialist Lauren Douglas. Finally, they expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Defendant in Cold Case Arrested on Charges of Sexual Assault

body_text: WASHINGTON – Baltazar Gutierrez Carrillo, 50, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, was arrested Wednesday on charges stemming from a 2017 sexual assault of a stranger, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to court documents, in 2017, the 30-year old victim was visiting D.C. and socializing with friends. At some point, the victim parted ways with his friends and began walking to where he was staying. The defendant, Gutierrez Carrillo, who was a stranger to the victim, encountered him and sexually assaulted him in an alley. When the victim was able to get away, he reported immediately and obtained a sexual assault examination including a rape kit. The rape kit was tested and a foreign male profile was entered in CODIS with no results. In 2023, MPD received notice of a DNA hit in a database linking defendant Gutierrez Carrillo to the 2017 rape kit. On July 12, 2023, the grand jury returned an indictment charging the defendant with one count of First Degree Sexual Abuse and one count of Second Degree Sexual Abuse. The defendant was brought to D.C. by the U.S. Marshals Service and, on September 6, 2023, was booked by MPD on the charges. On September 7, 2023, Gutierrez Carrillo was arraigned before the Honorable Anthony C. Epstein. A detention hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2023. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky.


title: Former Administrative Manager for Covington Public Works Department Sentenced  for Federal Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – The former administrative manager for the City of Covington Public Works Department, Allison Donaldson, 50, was sentenced Friday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 42 months in prison, following her convictions for federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to her plea agreement, Donaldson was employed as an administrative manager for the Public Works Department, from 2005 until 2022, and had access to credit card information for the department. Her plea agreement established that, between February 2020 and continuing until February 2022, Donaldson knowingly defrauded the City of Covington, by using employee credit cards and making over $100,000 in purchases for herself and her home. Some of the purchases listed in the plea agreement include repairs for a Mercedes Benz, a Louis Vuitton agenda, a Chanel tote, Crate & Barrel furniture, and a remodel to her master bedroom and garage. Under federal law, Donaldson must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Following her release from prison, she will then be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Brian Jones, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Attorney General; and Spike Jones, Chief of the Kenton County Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigation, and the Kenton County Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow. – END –


title: Former Cherokee Charter Academy schoolteacher and her husband sentenced for child pornography offenses

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ROME, Ga. – A Calhoun man who distributed images of child sex abuse and his wife, a former middle school special education teacher who received those images and deleted text messages to conceal his crimes, have been sentenced to federal prison. “By sharing images depicting the sexual violation of minors, the defendants re-victimized children whose lives have been forever altered by this abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The conduct in this case is especially egregious given that one of the defendants, a schoolteacher, occupied a position of trust in the community. The Department of Justice is committed to helping to ensure the safety and well-being of children, so we especially place a high priority on protecting and combating sexual exploitation of minors. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect children from sexual predators and pedophiles.” “Finding and arresting predators, like these, who distribute images of children being abused is one of our most important missions and we take it seriously, said HSI Atlanta acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “HSI, along with our dedicated law enforcement partners, remains committed to identifying individuals who prey on our most vulnerable population — especially those who hold positions of public trust.” “The possession and distribution of child pornography poses a great threat to our communities. The GBI is devoted to protecting minors in our state and will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure we hold those accountable who sexually exploit children,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation. According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Beginning no later than in December 2017, William Sandridge began to send his wife, Allyn Sandridge, text messages detailing his sexual fantasies involving prepubescent children. Some of the messages contained images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. At that time, Allyn Sandridge was employed as a special education teacher at a charter school in Canton, Georgia. At William Sandridge’s direction, Allyn Sandridge periodically deleted her husband’s text messages and used an encrypted messaging application. These steps were intended to avoid detection of and conceal William Sandridge’s crimes. On December 29, 2022, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Sandridges’ home acting on a tip received by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. During the search, investigators discovered multiple cell phones and a desktop computer loaded with graphic images of child sex abuse. Allyn Sandridge cooperated with the investigation immediately and disclosed to the officers the material William Sandridge had sent to her phone. On September 6, 2023, U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II sentenced the defendants as follows: William Sandridge, 42, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to distribution of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct on June 6, 2023. Allyn Michelle Sandridge, 42, of Calhoun, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. She pleaded guilty to possession of a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and misprision of a felony on May 25, 2023. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Calhoun Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg prosecuted the case. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Columbia County man sentenced to federal prison for production of child pornography

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: A Columbia County man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for creating sexually explicit images of children. Edmund Brown , 36, of Martinez, Ga., was sentenced to 360 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to two counts of Production of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Brown to pay $113,460.25 in restitution, serve 20 years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “By creating sexually explicit images of minors, Edmund Brown has sentenced these victims to a lifetime of trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Although this prosecution will not erase that trauma, it will hold him accountable for his predatory behavior.” As described in court documents and testimony, agents from Homeland Security Investigations reviewed images found on multiple electronic devices seized from Brown in May 2022 and discovered Brown had used his cell phone and a hidden camera to capture sexually explicit images of two children during a more than two-year period. Brown later was charged via information and pled guilty in U.S. District Court in March 2023. “Every time one of these disturbing images is shared or viewed it revictimizes a helpless child and prevents them from healing,” said HSI Atlanta acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting our vulnerable population from exploitation.” Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/ . The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons.


title: Dauphin County Man Sentenced To Probation For Submitting Over $14,000 In False U.S. Department Of Veteran’s Affairs Claims

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeffrey Oakley, age 40, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to two years of probation for submitting a fraudulent claim for U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) benefits on behalf of his wife. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Oakley submitted a disability claim to the VA on behalf of his wife. When that claim was denied, he forged his wife’s DD214, and submitted the fraudulent document along with a new claim. As a result of his actions, his wife received $14,127.02 in VA disability benefits to which she was not entitled. Oakley previously admitted to submitting the claim and fraudulent DD 214. In addition to the sentence of probation, Oakley was also ordered to pay $14,127.02 in restitution, representing the total amount of funds he received through fraudulent reimbursement requests. At sentencing, Oakley presented a check for his restitution payments. The case was investigated by the Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Monroe County Man Sentenced To 63 Months’ Imprisonment For Bank Robbery

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Terrance Tyson, age 45, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 6, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 63 months’ imprisonment on the charge of bank robbery. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Tyson previously entered a guilty plea and admitted to committing a robbery of the NBT Bank in East Stroudsburg, on September 24, 2019. Tyson stole approximately $5,226 in the robbery and was apprehended by investigators the following day. The case was investigated by the Stroud Area Regional Police Department and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Lehigh Acres Armed Career Criminal Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison For Firearm And Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Louis Michael Pasquazzi (53, Lehigh Acres) to 18 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. The court also ordered Pasquazzi to forfeit the firearms and ammunition he illegally possessed. Pasquazzi had previously pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023. According to court documents, on July 12, 2022, Lee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives were conducting surveillance on a residence in Lehigh Acres when they observed Pasquazzi enter the driver’s seat of a black Cadillac Escalade that was backed into the driveway. Detectives then observed the Escalade rapidly exit the driveway, travel eastbound, and fail to stop at a stop sign. Detectives initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle and made contact with Pasquazzi at the driver’s side window. While speaking with Pasquazzi, detectives could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle. An LCSO canine unit was deployed and conducted a free air sniff of the Escalade and alerted to the presence of narcotics inside. LCSO detectives searched the Escalade and located a black SCCY 9mm firearm under the driver’s seat and a Ruger .40 caliber S&W firearm in the glovebox. Detectives also found a bulky plastic bag containing 62.01 grams of cocaine on Pasquazzi’s person. LCSO detectives then obtained a search warrant for the residence from which Pasquazzi had been observed leaving. Inside Pasquazzi’s bedroom, LCSO detectives located a Marlin Arms .22 rifle, a Masterpiece Arms 9mm sub-machine gun, a Taurus G3 9mm firearm, a Ruger AR-556 rifle, and more than 500 rounds of assorted ammunition. The safe in Pasquazzi’s bedroom closet was also accessed and searched by detectives. Inside of the safe, detectives located approximately 353 grams of cocaine. Also, inside Pasquazzi’s bedroom, detectives found articles of drug paraphernalia used to distribute and manufacture controlled substances, including measuring cups, packaging material, and cutting agents. This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling. 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: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jerome Miller, Jr. (39, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as an Armed Career Criminal. The court also ordered Miller to forfeit the ammunition and a firearm. Miller had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2023. Miller qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his extensive prior criminal history which included three prior delivery of cocaine convictions in Tampa. According to court documents, on February 6, 2022, Miller went to the victim’s residence in Tampa, threatened the victim with a firearm, and demanded his vehicle. The victim was forced to sign over his vehicle to Miller. Miller then took the vehicle registration and car keys and left the residence. Law enforcement officers were called to the residence to complete a report of the robbery and interview the victim. The victim’s vehicle was reported stolen and entered into law enforcement databases. Two days later, Miller was located while driving the victim’s vehicle and was arrested and searched. A loaded magazine and narcotics were found in Miller’s coat pocket during the search. The magazine contained six rounds of Aguila .380 caliber ammunition. The officers also located a semi-automatic firearm in the vehicle’s center console. That firearm was loaded with eight rounds of Aguila .380 ammunition. The firearm was impounded and sent for further forensic DNA testing. The testing concluded that Miller’s DNA was on the firearm. This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman. 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: Fort Myers Felon Headed Back To Prison For Unlawfully Possessing Loaded Rifle

body_text: Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Javonte Keyon Whitfield (25, Fort Myers) to four years and nine months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Whitfield to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Whitfield had been found guilty by a federal jury on May 11, 2023. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, shortly before 1:30 a.m. on May 14, 2021, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) were alerted to multiple gunshots near the intersection of Linhart Avenue and Evans Avenue in Fort Myers. While investigating the origin of the gunfire, FMPD officers spoke with an occupant of a duplex on Evans Avenue, who denied hearing any gunshots and claimed that he was alone in the residence with his three young children. Shortly thereafter, in direct contradiction to what he had just told the officers, six adult males—including Whitfield—and three young children exited the residence. Officers observed that one of the men who exited the residence was suffering from a gunshot wound, and EMS was summoned. During a later search of the residence, FMPD personnel found seven unsecured firearms, multiple high-capacity magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and cocaine. FMPD recovered a loaded NORINCO SKS rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine from under the bed in one of the two bedrooms of the home. Subsequent forensic analysis of that firearm determined that a latent fingerprint lifted from the metallic bayonet of the rifle belonged to Whitfield, a previously convicted felon who had been released from prison approximately five months earlier. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth and Patrick L. Darcey.


title: Justice Department Finds State of New Jersey Violated U.S. Constitution with Deficient Care at Two State Run Veterans’ Homes

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has concluded an investigation into whether New Jersey subjected residents of two veterans’ homes to conditions that violate the 14 th Amendment of the United States Constitution. The department found reasonable cause to believe the residents of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus face unreasonable harm and risk due to inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs operates the homes, which provide long-term nursing care to veterans and their families. “We owe the veterans who served our nation our deepest thanks, and those veterans and their family members who live in these facilities have the right to appropriate care,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Based on our investigation, we have found that these facilities have provided inadequate protection from infections and deficient medical care, which have caused these veterans and their families great harm. We look forward to working with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to improve the conditions in these homes they operate and ensure these veterans and their families receive the care they need and deserve.” “Those who served to protect this nation and their families are entitled to appropriate care when they reside at a veterans’ home,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The Paramus and Menlo Park veterans’ homes fail to provide the care required by the U.S. Constitution and subject their residents to unacceptable conditions, including inadequate infection control and deficient medical care. These conditions must swiftly be addressed to ensure that our veterans and their families at these facilities receive the care they so richly deserve. We will not stop working until they do.” The inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care at the homes are compounded by a lack of effective management and oversight. Such deficiencies expose residents to uncontrolled, serious and deadly infections and have resulted in the veterans’ homes suffering among the highest number of resident deaths of all similarly sized facilities in the region. The investigation was conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), which authorizes the Justice Department to act to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run residential institutions. As required by CRIPA, the department provided the state with written notice setting out the department’s conclusions and the supporting facts. The department also notified the state of the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the alleged violations. The Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey conducted the investigation. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt . Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available on its website at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement .


title: Manchester Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing, Manufacturing, and Selling Firearms

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANDREW FRANCOEUR, 36, of Manchester, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for offenses related to his illegal possession, manufacture, and sale of firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, as part of an ongoing investigation into the proliferation of privately made firearms (“PMFs” or “ghost guns”) in Connecticut, ATF investigators determined that Francoeur was buying firearm parts from a Missouri company, having the parts shipped to him, and manufacturing guns inside a shipping container on a property in Suffield. Francoeur sold some of the firearms he manufactured. In September 2022, while Francoeur was incarcerated in state custody for drug and firearm offenses, investigators searched the shipping container and found tools for manufacturing firearms, gun parts, ammunition, and other firearms-related items. In November 2022, investigators retrieved two storage bins used by Francoeur that contained firearm parts, a .22 caliber rifle, more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition, 25 high-capacity magazines, M-80 explosives, firearm gear, and other items. Francoeur’s criminal history includes felony convictions for firearm, drug, burglary, and failure to appear offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. On April 27, 2023, Francoeur pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and one count of manufacturing and dealing in firearms without a license. Judge Bryant ordered that the 33-month federal sentence run consecutively to the state sentence that Francoeur is currently serving. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: 21 Charged in Federal Indictment Following Takedown of Armed International Drug Trafficking and Dog Fighting Rings in Central Indiana

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Twenty-one individuals were charged in a federal indictment alleging trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine; money laundering; illegally possessing firearms; and dog fighting. The charges follow an extensive law enforcement operation in which 18 of the 21 individuals were arrested and federal agents seized over 40 firearms; quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine; over $55,000 in cash; and approximately 90 dogs. The following lists the individuals indicted and the charges they face: Defendant Charge(s) TYRONE BELL, 52 Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon DAVID BENNETT, 40 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine EDWARD BRONAUGH, 57 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture JAMES CROONS, 34 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture RAMIRO RICO DE LEON, 31, Mexico Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering ERICK FOSTER, 33 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine GREGORY EASTER, 35 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine LAUREN EGGERT, 32 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine MAURICE ERVIN, 44 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture DONTORIA GILBERT, 36 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine GREGORY HENDERSON, JR., 43 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering; and Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture MARVIN JOHNSON, JR., 46 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture LANDON JONES, 39 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture CHRISTOPHER NORFOLK, 48 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture CHARLES RICHARDSON, III, 43 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon MICHAEL SANDERS, 45 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture. J.C. SMITH, 38 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine QUOSHAWN STEWART, 34 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine GEORGE TAYLOR, 44 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine DONOVAN TIPLER, 30 Conspiracy to Engage in an Animal Fighting Venture OCTAVIO VICENCIO, 32 Conspiracy to Traffic Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Cocaine This was a multiagency operation, involving over 300 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, who executed arrest and search warrants at 25 locations in Central Indiana on the morning of August 31, 2023. Eighteen individuals were arrested and are in federal custody. Two remain fugitives: Gregory Henderson, and Jr. Maurice Ervin In particular, law enforcement has asked the public for assistance in locating fugitive Gregory Henderson Jr. The FBI is providing a $5,000 reward for information leading to Henderson’s arrest. Those with information are asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or they can submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov . According to court documents, Gregory Henderson Jr. and Ramiro Rico De Leon worked together to smuggle fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States from Mexico. Henderson served as the main source of supply to lower-level dealers, Vicencio, Foster, Taylor, Smith, Gilbert, Bennet, Easter, Eggert, and Stewart, who dealt the drugs to buyers in Indianapolis and surrounding communities. Vicencio and Taylor were responsible for driving controlled substances from Kentucky to Indiana. Henderson and De Leon used wire transfers to pay for the costs of drug distribution and Henderson paid his dealers using CashApp. During the course of this investigation, law enforcement agents uncovered a significant dog fighting and illegal gambling ring based in Indianapolis. Gregory Henderson Jr., Christopher Norfolk, Maurice Ervin, Michael Sanders, James Croons, Charles Richardson III, Landon Jones, Edward Bronaugh, Donovan Tipler, and Marvin Johnson Jr. were identified as dog owners who maintained dogs for the purpose of fighting. Maurice Ervin also participated as a referee, weighing the dogs and holding the money until fights were complete. Ervin, Tipler, and Croons served as handlers, responsible for motivating the dogs to fight. Jones and Norfolk served as sponsors, providing a space for the fights to be held. Members of this group have a long history of dog fighting. In 2001, IMPD officers found seven pit bulls in need of medical attention due to lack of food and water and fresh wounds consistent with dog fighting located at Michael Sanders’ Indianapolis home. In 2005, Christopher Norfolk was convicted for torturing an animal after officers seized four dogs from his home. On more than four occasions, officers found Richardson III and Ervin engaging in dog fighting activities. Both Richardson III and Ervin have sustained multiple convictions for animal torture and promoting dog fighting. This investigation began in 2022, and in 2023 multiple search warrants were executed and the following evidence was seized: 537 grams of methamphetamine 459 grams of heroin 667.3 grams of cocaine 532.8 grams of fentanyl Over 230 grams of marijuana 16 scales 43 firearms Over $55,650.00 in cash Approximately 90 dogs (including puppies) Dog fighting training paraphernalia including treadmills, bite sticks and weights. If convicted, each defendant charged with conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture faces up to 5 years in federal prison. Each defendant charged with conspiracy to traffic controlled substances faces up to life. The following investigative agencies collaborated to make this investigation and the recent warrant execution possible: Federal Bureau of Investigation- Indianapolis Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General Drug Enforcement Administration Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation Indiana Gaming Commission Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle P. Brady and Adam J. Eakman, who are prosecuting this case. An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Russian Businessman Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison in $93 Million Hack-to-Trade Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Russian businessman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in an elaborate hack-to-trade scheme that netted approximately $93 million through securities trades based on confidential corporate information stolen from U.S. computer networks. Vladislav Klyushin, a/k/a “Vladislav Kliushin,” 42, of Moscow, Russia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to nine years in prison. Klyushin was also ordered to forfeit $34,065,419 and pay restitution in an amount that will be determined at a later date. In February 2023, Klyushin was convicted by a federal jury of securities fraud, wire fraud, gaining unauthorized access to computers, and conspiracy to commit those crimes. Klyushin was arrested in Sion, Switzerland in March 2021 and extradited to the United States in December 2021. Klyushin was charged along with two Russian co-conspirators: Ivan Ermakov and Nikolai Rumiantcev. Two others, Mikhail Vladimirovich Irzak and Igor Sergeevich Sladkov, were charged in a separate indictment. All four co-conspirators remain at large. In July 2018, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. indicted Ermakov in connection with his alleged role in a scheme to interfere with the 2016 United States elections by way of computer hacking. In October 2018, Ermakov was also charged by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh in connection with his alleged role in hacking and related disinformation operations targeting international anti-doping agencies, sporting federations and anti-doping officials. “Mr. Klyushin hacked into American computer networks to obtain confidential corporate information that he used to make money illegally in the American stock market,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “He thought he could get away with his crimes by perpetrating them from a foreign base, hidden behind layers of fake domain names, virtual private networks, and computer servers rented under pseudonyms and paid for with cryptocurrency. He found out otherwise, and will now spend nearly a decade of his life in a U.S. prison. This case should send a message to criminals around the world that their location does not provide anonymity and the reach of American law enforcement is long. Anyone who defrauds American companies, markets or investors, will be found and prosecuted, regardless of where they hide, or how long it takes.”. “Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin is a sophisticated hacker who engineered a global get-rich-quick scheme that defrauded unsuspecting American businesses of approximately $93 million. He hacked into U.S. computer networks, stole non-public information, and illegally traded on it,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “This case demonstrates how cybercrime knows no boundaries and justice will not stop at international borders. The FBI will not stand idly by and allow criminals like him to launch intrusive cyber-attacks to meddle in our financial markets. We are committed to working with our public and private sector partners to stop computer intrusions and prevent further harm.” Klyushin, Ermakov and Rumiantcev worked at M-13, a Moscow-based information technology company that Klyushin owned. M-13 offered penetration testing and “Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) emulation,” – both services that seek exploitable vulnerabilities in a computer system via hacking techniques, purportedly for defensive purposes. M-13’s website indicated that the company’s “IT solutions” were used by “the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, federal ministries and departments, regional state executive bodies, commercial companies and public organizations.” In addition to these services, Klyushin invested the money of several investors in his hack-to-trade scheme, and took a cut of up to 60 percent of their profits. Trial evidence showed that, between at least in or about January 2018 and September 2020, Klyushin, and allegedly Ermakov, Irzak, Sladkov and Rumiantcev, conspired to use stolen earnings information to trade in the securities of companies that are publicly traded on U.S. national securities exchanges, including the NASDAQ and the NYSE, in advance of public earnings announcements. Using the same malicious hacking techniques M-13 advertised to customers, Klyushin and, allegedly his co-conspirators, obtained inside information by hacking into the computer networks of two U.S.-based filing agents that publicly-traded companies used to make quarterly and annual filings through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Specifically, Klyushin, and allegedly his co-conspirators, deployed malicious infrastructure capable of harvesting and stealing employees’ login information and used proxy (or intermediary) computer networks outside of Russia to conceal the origins of their activities. With this access, Klyushin, and allegedly his co-conspirators, viewed and downloaded material non-public information, such as quarterly and annual earnings reports that had not yet been filed with the SEC or disclosed to the general public, for hundreds of companies – including Capstead Mortgage Corp., Tesla, Inc., SS&C Technologies, Roku and Snap, Inc. Many of the illegally obtained earnings reports were downloaded through a computer server located in downtown Boston. Armed with this information before it was disclosed to the public, Klyushin, and allegedly his co-conspirators, knew ahead of time, among other things, whether a company’s financial performance would meet, exceed or fall short of market expectations – and thus whether its share price would likely rise or fall following the public earnings announcement. Klyushin then traded based on that stolen information in brokerage accounts held in his own name and in the names of others. Klyushin, and allegedly his co-conspirators, also distributed their trading across accounts they opened at banks and brokerages in several countries, including Cyprus, Denmark, Portugal, Russia and the United States, and misled brokerage firms about the nature of their trading activities. Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that the times in which the filing agents were hacked corresponded with the times in which Klyushin, and allegedly his co-conspirators, made profitable trades. Additionally, of the more than 2,000 earnings events around which Klyushin and allegedly his co-conspirators traded between January 2018 and September 2020, more than 97 percent were filed with the SEC by the victim filing agents. Testimony at trial indicated that the odds of this trading pattern occurring in the absence of a relationship between the trading and the identity of the filing agent was less than one in a trillion. In total, Klyushin and allegedly his co-conspirators earned close to $100 million in earnings trading from roughly $9 million in investments using inside information, even as they lost close to $10 million in non-earnings trading – representing a return of more than 900 percent during a period in which the broader stock market returned just over 25 percent. Of that amount, Klyushin individually netted more than $34 million, including nearly $22.5 million on his personal trading and trading for his company, in addition to more than $11.5 million on the money he invested for others. Further, Klyushin’s sophisticated cyber attack cost its two victims more than $8 million dollars. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The SEC, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice, the Valais and Zurich Cantonal Police authorities and the victim filing agents provided valuable assistance to the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Klyushin’s arrest and extradition from Switzerland. Stephen E. Frank and Seth B. Kosto, Chief and Deputy Chief, respectively, of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Social Media Influencer Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for $1.5 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Miami woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining over $1 million in pandemic-related loans using the stolen identities of more than 10 individuals and then using those funds for personal expenses, including chartering a private jet and renting a luxury apartment. Danielle Miller, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Miller was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount that will be determined at a later date. In March 2023, Miller pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. “Ms. Miller isn’t an influencer, she is a convicted felon. She stole the identities of innocent people to steal over $1.2 million in pandemic-relief loans that should have gone to people in need. In a quest for fleeting social media stardom, Ms. Miller relied on fraud to fund a lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury apartments and other accoutrements of wealth. Today's sentencing should make it crystal clear that curating a high-society social media presence on the backs of hardworking taxpayers is a path to prison, not fleeting fame,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Danielle Miller stole critical financial support from the hands of people who needed it during one of the most turbulent economic periods in recent history. While other Americans worried about how to keep food on the table, Miller spent her ill-gotten gains on hotels and luxury goods, heartlessly flaunting this fraudulent lifestyle on social media. Today’s sentence is the result of a collaborative team of investigators committed to uncovering fraud and ensuring taxpayer dollars are going where they should and not into the hands of scammers like Miller,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Danielle Miller engaged in a scheme targeted at the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, as well as five other state workforce agencies, to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related unemployment benefits in the names of identity theft victims. Miller also utilized stolen identities to fraudulently apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Miller’s schemes sought to secure more than $1 million in stolen benefits set aside by the federal government to assist Americans struggling with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to safeguard these critical benefit programs for those who need it,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. From in or around July 2020 through May 2021, Miller devised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government – including Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as well as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and related unemployment benefits. To execute the scheme, Miller used the personal identifying information of more than 10 individuals and used fake business names to apply for and receive more than $1 million in government benefits. Additionally, Miller possessed counterfeit driver’s licenses in the victims’ names but bearing Miller’s photograph. In August 2020, Miller used a counterfeit driver’s license in the name of a Massachusetts victim to arrange a Gulfstream private jet charter flight from Florida to California, where she stayed at a luxury hotel under the same victim’s name. In a separate instance, Miller used the identity of another victim to rent a luxury apartment in Florida. Miller maintained an active social media presence via her Instagram account, which had more than 34,000 followers. There, Miller posted her extravagant use of the fraud proceeds and stolen identities, publicizing her purchasing of luxury goods and renting of luxury accommodations. Posts to this account included a post showing Miller at luxury hotels in California where transactions were made using the bank account in one of the victim’s names. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI SAC Krol; DOL-OIG SAC Mellone; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region; and Abington (Mass.) Police Chief David DelPapa made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Miami and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division and Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Mexican National Charged With Human Smuggling and Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A previously removed Mexican national has been charged in connection with a human smuggling incident along the New Hampshire-Canada border, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Reynaldo Velasco-Velasco, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326 and unlawful transportation of certain aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324. Velasco-Velasco made an initial appearance in federal court in Concord on September 5, 2023. According to the charging documents, on the evening of September 2, 2023, a group of individuals wearing backpacks were observed crossing the international border from Canada near Canaan, Vermont. At approximately 5:30 a.m. the next morning, a U.S. Border Patrol agent observed two vehicles traveling away from the same area. The agent stopped the lead vehicle and determined that all five of its occupants were citizens of Mexico with no lawful authority to be present in the United States. All four passengers had backpacks with them, and their pants appeared wet and dirty from their shins down. The driver was subsequently identified via biometric databases as Velasco-Velasco, a Mexican citizen who was previously removed from the United States in 2011. The illegal reentry charge provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The alien smuggling charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison per count, up to three years of supervised release per count, and a fine of up to $250,000 per count. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Border Patrol led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad Hodes is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: New York Woman Arrested for Trafficking Methamphetamine, Heroin, and "Tranq"

body_text: CONCORD – A Bronx, New York, woman has been charged in connection with trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl combined with xylazine from New York to New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Katherine Sanchez Lugo, 33, was arrested today in Nashua on a criminal complaint of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing controlled substances. Sanchez Lugo will make an initial appearance in federal court in Concord on September 7, 2023. According to the charging documents, Sanchez Lugo trafficked controlled substances on three occasions from New York to New Hampshire. Sanchez Lugo distributed a 200-gram mixture of fentanyl, heroin and xylazine, and 55-grams of methamphetamine on June 14, 2023. The defendant also trafficked more than half of a kilogram of substances allegedly containing fentanyl on July 12th, 2023 and August 10th, 2023. Xylazine, also known as “Tranq,” is a powerful non-opiate sedative that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for veterinary use only. Because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse its effects. Xylazine and fentanyl drug mixtures place users at a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug poisoning. People who inject drug mixtures containing xylazine also can develop severe wounds, including necrosis—the rotting of human tissue—that may lead to amputation. The combination is referred to on the street as the “zombie drug.” The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently issued a public safety alert warning the American public of a sharp increase in the trafficking of fentanyl mixed with xylazine and the drug’s deadly effects. The FDA also published an alert to health care providers about the risks to patients exposed to xylazine in illicit drugs. The charge of possessing with intent to distribute and distributing controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. DEA led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Dozens arrested as part of Houston Violent Crime Initiative

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The charges against 39 individuals are the newest brought in the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and local, state and federal law enforcement. The arrests were made after a federal grand jury returned seven separate indictments, with additional arrests made under four court-issued complaints. The defendants are each alleged to be part of larger organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking or violent robberies. Many of the charged crimes involved the illegal possession or use of firearms. The joint effort, first announced a year ago in September 2022, addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in the southwest and southeast areas of Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime. Among the charges are possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, meth and other drugs; possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; felon in possession of a firearm and carjacking. During the investigations and arrests, law enforcement seized 79 firearms, including three machineguns made by attaching a machine conversion device (MCD) to a semi-automatic firearm and three stand-alone machinegun conversion devices not attached to firearms. Also seized were a silencer, three ghost guns, an inert hand grenade, and body armor. Drugs and related items seized included approximately 248 kilograms of meth, including meth pills some of which laced with fentanyl; over 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and PCP, as well as four pill presses and over $110,000 in cash. The FBI, Houston Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigations with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Harris County Constable’s Office (Precincts 3, 4, and 5), Montgomery County Constable’s Office (Precinct 4), U.S. Marshals Service, Waller County Sheriff’s Office, Cy-Fair Independent School District Police Department and the Texas Anti-Gang Center . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenon, John Ganz and Carrie Wirsing are prosecuting the cases along with Trial Attorneys Sheila Lafferty, Ralph Paradiso, Anthony Kaplan and Jennifer Weinhold of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Charges in indictments and complaints are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey Find State of New Jersey Provides Constitutionally Deficient Care at Two State Run Veterans’ Homes

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today that they have concluded an investigation into whether New Jersey subjected residents of two veterans’ homes to conditions that violate the 14 th Amendment of the United States Constitution. The department found reasonable cause to believe the residents of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Homes at Menlo Park and Paramus face unreasonable harm and risk due to inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs operates the homes, which provide long-term nursing care to veterans and their families. “Those who served to protect this nation and their families are entitled to appropriate care when they reside at a veterans’ home,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey said. “The Paramus and Menlo Park veterans’ homes fail to provide the care required by the U.S. Constitution and subject their residents to unacceptable conditions, including inadequate infection control and deficient medical care. These conditions must swiftly be addressed to ensure that our veterans and their families at these facilities receive the care they so richly deserve. We will not stop working until they do.” “We owe the veterans who served our nation our deepest thanks, and those veterans and their family members who live in these facilities have the right to appropriate care,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Based on our investigation, we have found that these facilities have provided inadequate protection from infections and deficient medical care, which have caused these veterans and their families great harm. We look forward to working with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to improve the conditions in these homes they operate and ensure these veterans and their families receive the care they need and deserve.” The inadequate infection control practices and inadequate medical care at the homes are compounded by a lack of effective management and oversight. Such deficiencies expose residents to uncontrolled, serious and deadly infections and have resulted in the veterans’ homes suffering among the highest number of resident deaths of all similarly sized facilities in the region. The investigation was conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), which authorizes the Justice Department to act to address a pattern or practice of deprivation of constitutional rights of individuals confined to state or local government-run residential institutions. As required by CRIPA, the department provided the state with written notice setting out the department’s conclusions and the supporting facts. The department also notified the state of the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the alleged violations. The United States is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Susan Millenky and Thandiwe Boylan of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Division; Michael Campion, Chief of the Civil Rights Division; Caroline Sadlowski, Counsel to the U.S. Attorney; and attorneys from the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt . Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available on its website at www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement . njveteranshomesfindings.report.pdf


title: Dale County Woman Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced the sentencing of 64-year-old Cheryl Lynn Pytleski, a resident of Chancellor, Alabama, to 12 months in prison for violating the civil rights of her neighbors. According to her plea agreement and other court records, on October 18, 2019, Pytleski hung racially offensive homemade dolls on the fence of her next-door neighbors, an African American family, in an attempt make the family move away. Pytleski pleaded guilty to a criminal violation of the Fair Housing Act in March of this year. In her plea agreement, Pytleski specifically admitted to using the threat of force to intimidate her neighbors because of their race and because they were occupying a dwelling next to her. A person violates the Fair Housing Act if he or she uses force, or threatens the use of force, to willfully injure, intimidate, or interfere with, any person because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, who is or has been engaged in the selling, purchasing, renting, financing, occupying, or contracting or negotiating for the sale, purchase, rental, financing, or occupation of any dwelling. The 12-month sentence, ordered on September 6, 2023, is the maximum allowed under the federal statute. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI and the Ozark Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Brett J. Talley prosecuted the case.


title: Peoria, Illinois, Felon Sentenced to 65 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois, man, Dazmine M. Erving, 32, was sentenced on September 6, 2023, to a total of 65 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. In a prior written filing, the government stated that on September 14, 2022, a Peoria Police officer approached an SUV that was backed into a parking spot at River Front Park after the park had closed. The officer discovered Erving in the backseat of the vehicle with a juvenile female later determined to have an outstanding warrant for her arrest. The officer also smelled the odor of burnt cannabis coming from the SUV during the encounter. During a records check, the officer learned that Erving was on federal supervised release following a conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. After Erving and the female exited the SUV, the officer located a firearm on the floorboard where Erving had been seated. The gun, a semiautomatic pistol, was loaded with a round of ammunition in the chamber and eight rounds in the magazine. The firearm had previously been reported stolen. Erving was indicted in September 2022 and entered a guilty plea in May of 2023. Erving also pleaded guilty to a petition to revoke supervised release in his prior case alleging that possession of the pistol was a violation of the terms of his supervised release. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid imposed a term of 41 months’ imprisonment for Erving’s new gun case, to run consecutively to a term of 24 months’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release. The new sentence and supervised release sentence in combination require Erving to serve 65 months’ imprisonment. Erving’s term of imprisonment on the new case will be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest. The statutory penalties for possessing a firearm as a felon are up to 15 years; imprisonment, a possible $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The U.S. Department of Justice; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Peoria Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Erving 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: Quincy Man Arrested for $1 Million Counterfeit Check Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Quincy man was arrested and charged today in connection with a bank fraud scheme involving approximately 114 counterfeit checks – totaling more than $1 million. Hui Zhang, 41, was charged with one count of bank fraud. Zhang was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Worcester at 3 p.m. today. From in or around June 2020 through at least May 2022, Zhang allegedly opened fraudulent bank accounts under false identities, deposited over $1 million worth of approximately 114 counterfeit checks and then subsequently withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from these accounts via ATMs. Zhang was allegedly identified in part by a tattoo on his left hand that was visible in surveillance footage of the ATM withdrawals. Zhang allegedly used the same IP address that was used to open one of the fraudulent bank accounts and to deposit counterfeit checks. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million, or twice the gross proceeds. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Role in Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy Targeting New Jersey Health Benefits Programs

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for his role in defrauding New Jersey state health benefits programs and other insurers out of $2.69 million by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Robert Bessey, 49, of Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Kugler imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From January 2015 through April 2016, Bessey, a recruiter in the conspiracy, and others persuaded individuals in New Jersey to obtain very expensive and medically unnecessary compounded medications from an out-of-state pharmacy. The conspirators learned that a pharmacy benefits administrator would reimburse pharmacies thousands of dollars for a one-month supply of certain prescription compounded medications, including pain, scar, antifungal, and libido creams, as well as over $10,000 per month for certain vitamin combinations. The pharmacy benefits administrator managed the prescription drug benefit plan for some New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers, and state troopers. The conspirators recruited public employees and other individuals covered by the pharmacy benefits administrator to fraudulently obtain compounded medications from the compounding pharmacy without any evaluation by a medical professional that they were medically necessary. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Bessey to two years of supervised release. Bessey was ordered to forfeit $485,540 and pay restitution of $2.69 million. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Friedman of the Criminal Division in Camden.


title: Former Louisiana Correctional Officer Charged with Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction Offenses Involving Excessive Force Incident

body_text: A federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, returned a three-count indictment today charging former DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO) Correctional Officer Javarrea Pouncy with federal civil rights violations for willfully using unreasonable force against a detainee, failing to obtain medical care for the detainee and obstructing justice. According to the indictment, on Sept. 27, 2019, Pouncy, acting in his official capacity as a DPSO correctional officer, used unreasonable force against a detainee by repeatedly striking him in the head and body without legal justification while the detainee was being booked into the DeSoto Parish jail. The indictment further alleges that the assault caused bodily injury to the detainee. In addition, the indictment alleges that Pouncy knew that the detainee had serious medical needs and willfully failed to obtain necessary medical care for him. The indictment also charges Pouncy with obstruction of justice for knowingly falsifying and making a false entry in a DPSO report with the intent to impede, obstruct and influence an investigation into the assault. Count one of the indictment charges Pouncy for his unreasonable use of force; count two charges Pouncy for his failure to obtain medical care; and count three charges him with filing the false report. If convicted, Pouncy faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison each for counts one and two, and 20 years in prison for count three. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office made the announcement. The FBI New Orleans Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Reeg for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.