title: Violent Carjacker Sentenced In Federal Court

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – An Andalusia, Alabama, man was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison for a brutal, violent carjacking, brandishing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kenneth Lamar Douglas, 49, was convicted of the federal crimes by a jury during April of 2024. Evidence produced at the trial showed that Douglas was staying at the victim’s residence in Andalusia overnight on March 7, 2022, and on March 8, he threatened her and physically struck her, knocking her to the floor in her kitchen. Douglas was trying to arrange with a supplier to get methamphetamine, as he had been a heavy user of methamphetamine for years. Finally, during the afternoon of March 8, Douglas agreed to leave the residence and he and the victim got into her car. Douglas had a bag containing his clothes and a shotgun when he got into the car. Douglas asked to go to a residence where a methamphetamine supplier lived, but when they arrived, Douglas asked to go to a different location. The victim, who was driving her own car, refused to take him to another location. Douglas struck the victim in the side of the neck and head with such force that she was knocked unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she was upside down in the passenger’s seat and covered in blood. She was bleeding from gashes in her head and mouth. Her face was covered in blood. Douglas was driving her to an abandoned house in the woods of Escambia County, where he told her he was going to kill her and bury her in the backyard where no one could find her. She pleaded with him not to kill her, and when they arrived at the abandoned house, Douglas took his clothes into the house and returned to the car. He asked the victim how much money she had, and she said she did not know but he could have it all and asked again that he not kill her. Douglas took the money and drove back toward the drug supplier’s house. Douglas stopped the car a short distance from the drug suppliers house, took shotgun, and walked away from the car. The victim got behind the wheel and drove to Andalusia, to a friend’s workplace near the hospital. The victim’s friend testified at the trial that she was horrified at the victim’s appearance and told her she would follow her to the emergency room. There, the victim was treated, and medical personnel at the hospital called the police to report the violent assault demonstrated by the victim’s injuries. Her eyes were almost swollen shut. She had cuts and bruises all over her face. Her face and head were literally covered in blood and the examination revealed a large gash on the top of her head. Her lips were swollen and cut on the inside of her mouth. She had a chipped tooth. Her nose was broken in three places and the breaks were displaced. The x-rays showed that she had blood in her sinuses from the force of the repeated blows to her head. She had a large bloody scrape on her leg. She also had a sprained left wrist from the initial attack on her in her kitchen at the house. A photograph from two weeks later still showed significant bruising and injuries to the victim’s face. The victim testified that she also had bruises on her upper chest and side. She explained that suffered serious and prolonged pain from these injuries. She stayed away from her house at a friend’s house for two weeks, until after Douglas was arrested, out of fear that Douglas would return and further harm her or kill her. The victim described to the jury that she had a large bruise on the side of her face and neck shaped like the butt stock of Douglas’ shotgun. Andalusia Police spoke to the victim at the hospital and began to search for Douglas. After dark, they surrounded the abandoned house in Escambia County, along with Escambia County sheriff’s deputies. The house had no electricity or plumbing but a generator was running a light inside. The deputies approached the house and saw Douglas standing beside the light in the house. Douglas pointed the shotgun at the deputy approaching the open front door and the deputies took cover. They attempted to talk Douglas out of the house, but he escaped under cover of darkness. The shotgun was recovered from the house along with paraphernalia used for intravenous methamphetamine abuse. DNA testing showed the victim’s blood in the grooves on the end of the butt stock. Douglas claimed during the trial that he did not use the shotgun to strike the victim and that he did not intend to carjack her vehicle due to his severe drug addiction. A psychologist from the Bureau of Prisons had examined Douglas prior to the trial to address his claims of legal incapacity based upon his mental condition and testified at the trial to contradict Douglas’ claims. The jury found Douglas guilty of all three counts charged in the indictment. United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose sentenced Douglas to a total of 32 years in prison, consisting of 10 years on the felon in possession charge, 25 years on the carjacking charge, to run concurrently with each other, and 7 years on brandishing a firearm in connection with a violent crime, to run consecutively to the sentences on the other two counts. When Douglas is released from prison, he will serve a five-year term of supervised release. Judge Dubose further ordered that Douglas undergo drug abuse counseling and treatment and mental health evaluation and treatment while he is in prison. The judge ordered that drug testing and treatment as well as mental health counseling will also be included as conditions of his supervised release. The judge ordered that the shotgun used in the commission of the crime is forfeited to the United States, and Douglas will also be required to pay $100 to the victim of the carjacking as restitution. No fine was imposed but the judge ordered that Douglas pay $300 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Andalusia Police Department and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Court Sentences Mobile Man to 10 Years Imprisonment for Methamphetamine Trafficking with a Firearm

body_text: MOBILE, AL – On August 23, 2024, United States District Court Judge, Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Tymel Rashad Franklin to 120 months imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking. Documents filed with the court established that on January 6, 2021, Mobile Police Department officers used a confidential informant to purchase approximately one ounce of methamphetamine from the defendant. When Franklin sold the methamphetamine to the informant, Franklin was armed with a Glock 32 handgun in his waistband. The defendant also had a digital scale with methamphetamine and marijuana residue on it in his pocket, and also had $2,649 in cash at the time. The defendant had been previously convicted of receiving stolen property and possession of marijuana first degree in 2015. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the City of Mobile Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.


title: Utah Resident Accused of Making Death Threats to Salt Lake County Sheriff and Other Government Offices

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a superseding indictment August 21, 2024, charging a Salt Lake County man with stalking. The man was arrested on April 4, 2024, via a federal complaint after he was accused of making repeated threatening phone calls to the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and other Salt Lake County government offices. According to court documents, Ryan Gregory Bracken, 44, of West Valley City, Utah, called the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office on April 1, 2024. In a voicemail, he accused the Salt Lake County Recorder and an employee of being guilty of treason. As alleged, Bracken made a point of stating that the penalty for treason is death. Prior to the voicemail, Bracken had also made repeated phone calls to the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office, which allegedly became increasingly verbally abusive and threatening. On April 2, 2024, Bracken called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office to speak with the elected Sheriff regarding a “fraudulent Sheriff’s sale on his property and called it a criminal act. Bracken threatened to “open fire” on the first person who shows up to his property to evict him. Bracken made specific reference to having a 7.62 millimeter firearm. In a separate call on the same day, Bracken made multiple threats that if the Sheriff’s sale of his property occurred, he would hold the Sheriff responsible for treasonous acts and she would swing from a rope. Information obtained from Information Technology specialists with Salt Lake County government revealed that Bracken called various Salt Lake County government offices, to include the Sheriff’s Office and the Assessor’s Office, 32 times in April 2024 alone. Bracken is charged with five counts of stalking, and one count of interstate communication of threats. His initial court appearance on the superseding indictment is scheduled for August 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Pittsburgh Felon Serving Life Sentence Found Guilty at Trial of Contempt of Court and Assault of Court-Appointed Attorney

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After the conclusion of a non-jury trial, a federal judge on August 22, 2024, found James Taric Byrd guilty of one count of contempt of court by misbehavior that obstructs the administration of justice and one count of assault for striking his court-appointed attorney in a courtroom at the Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Byrd, 47, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville in Pittsburgh. Byrd is currently serving a life sentence plus 20 years of incarceration on a 2022 conviction for violating federal narcotics and firearm laws. The evidence presented at trial established that, on July 18, 2022, while Byrd was in trial before another federal judge on unrelated charges, Byrd struck his attorney in the head. The defendant’s assaultive conduct disrupted and delayed the trial proceedings and obstructed the orderly administration of justice. The Court also heard evidence suggesting that the defendant’s motive in striking his attorney was to prompt a mistrial and delay the 2022 jury trial proceedings. Four months after his January 2023 sentencing of life imprisonment, Byrd was tried and found guilty by a federal jury of one count of possession of contraband in prison. He subsequently was sentenced to an additional eight months of incarceration on that May 2023 conviction. Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for Byrd’s contempt of court and assault conviction for December 18, 2024. Byrd will remain in custody pending sentencing. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, a fine, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys DeMarr W. Moulton and Soo C. Song prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Byrd.


title: Florida Telecommunications and Information Technology Worker Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Act as Agent of PRC Government

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General. According to the plea agreement and other court filings, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is in charge of civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS in a variety of ways, including by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’s mission. Li was a United States citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company. Li admitted that, from at least as early as 2012, he served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and reported that information to the MSS. Li also provided the MSS with information obtained from his employer. Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS. For example, in August 2012, an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a religious movement that originated in the PRC in the 1990s. Falun Gong is not one of the five religions formally recognized by the PRC government, and it has been banned since 1999. Its adherents both in China and abroad are of particular interest to the PRC government because of Falun Gong’s advocacy of ideas deemed subversive to the PRC government. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent the name and biographical information of an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida. In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that Li’s employer, a major U.S. telecommunications company, had opened in the PRC. Li responded with the requested information three weeks later. In March 2017, an MSS officer Li requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating that he had uploaded materials to an online account that he shared with the MSS officer and asked the MSS officer to delete the materials after reading them. In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting United States companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major United States company by the Chinese government. Within four days, Li responded with the requested information. In March 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning Li’s new employer, an international information technology company, as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. That same day, Li sent the requested information about his employer as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. In June 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning an individual who, according to the officer, had resided in the PRC but fled to the United States, and provided the name and suspected residential address in the United States of that individual. That same day, Li responded with information about the owners of that residential address. If convicted, Li faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Georgia Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Georgia man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 60 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for Receipt of Child Pornography. According to court documents, Jacob Adam Waldroup, 32, of LaGrange, Ga. had been communicating with a 14-year-old female using an online instant messaging program from on or about April 1, 2020 through about June 15, 2020. The chats were sexual in nature, with Waldroup repeatedly referencing sexually explicit acts he desired to perform with the child victim, sending sexually graphic photos of himself, and repeatedly asking the child victim for sexually explicit photos and videos of herself in return. In response, the child victim sent three videos to Waldroup that contained child pornography. Additionally, the child victim reminded Waldroup of her age, to which Waldroup advised her to not tell her mother and asked the child victim to mail items to his address in Georgia. Waldroup was arrested Oct. 14, 2020. He pleaded guilty May 11, 2022. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District for Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Del Rio Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex Beasley prosecuted the case with valuable assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Tonkin and Katy Garner. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Federal Jury Convicts Dunn Man on Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges

body_text: ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Harnett County man on drug trafficking and firearm charges after he led police on a high-speed chase and then abandoned his still running vehicle. Demarkee Rayheem Midgette, age 28, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Midgette faces up to life in prison when sentenced. “This armed drug trafficker fled from police in a high-speed chase at great risk to the public and his juvenile passenger,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Guns, drugs, and kids don’t mix. The potential sentence this drug trafficker faces is evidence of that.” “I want to commend the officers of the Fuquay-Varina Police Department for their vigilance and professionalism in handling this incident, demonstrating exceptional police work from start to finish. I also extend my gratitude to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Attorney's Office for their outstanding partnership in this case. Our successful collaboration sends a strong message that criminal activity will not be tolerated,” said Chief Tim Smith of the Fuquay-Varina Police Department. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, a Fuquay Varina Police officer noticed a car that appeared to be missing a headlight traveling on US-401. The officer followed the vehicle for a period of time and smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. At that time, the officer initiated his emergency lights and siren, however the vehicle failed to pull over. Instead, the vehicle continued to travel at high speeds, running a stop sign and leaving its lane multiple times. As the vehicle reached a subdivision, it slowed down and the driver and passenger fled the vehicle on foot while leaving the vehicle running. The driver was observed to be wearing a red jacket and black shorts and the officer continued his pursuit on foot and notified other responding officers of the driver’s location. The driver, later identified as Midgette, was arrested. Another juvenile male, identified as the passenger, approached officers, and volunteered that the vehicle belonged to his uncle. A search of the vehicle found marijuana, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, mushrooms, drug paraphernalia, and two guns, including a Taurus 1911 and a Glock Model 17, 9 mm pistol. The Glock was later determined to be stolen. Ammunition matching the Taurus 1911 was found in the passenger’s pocket. Midgette was found with cocaine and nearly $1,000 in cash in his jacket. Midgette has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon and drug possession. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the verdict. The Fuquay Varina Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Kimberly Dixon are prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-00079-BO-KS.


title: Columbus Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Stolen Pistol with Extended Magazine

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

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A Columbus resident with prior felony drug convictions who crashed his car into a fire station and was subsequently found to have a stolen pistol with a high-capacity magazine and illegal drugs entered a guilty plea in federal court. Joseph Harold Taylor, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime before U.S. District Judge Clay Land on Aug. 20. Taylor is facing a minimum of five years up to a maximum of life imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “It is fortunate that that no one was injured when the defendant crashed his car into a fire station, and that police were able to remove a stolen firearm with a high-capacity magazine from the streets of Columbus,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “We are committed to keeping our communities safe and upholding federal law, especially when it pertains to offenders caught with stolen assault weapons.” “Criminals must understand that there are serious repercussions for the illegal possession of firearms and that ATF and our law enforcement partners will contribute all necessary time and effort to ensure criminals are brought to justice,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. "Joseph Taylor's reckless actions put lives at risk. Possessing a stolen firearm with a high-capacity magazine while engaged in illegal drug activity is a serious threat to our community. The Columbus Police Department remains committed to removing illegal weapons from our streets and holding offenders accountable,” said Columbus Police Department Chief Stoney Mathis. According to court documents and statements referenced in court, shortly before 2 a.m. on March 15, 2023, Taylor crashed the car he was driving into Fire Station 11 on Warm Springs Road in Columbus. Columbus Police Department officers were called to the single-vehicle crash and found that Taylor—who was uninjured in the crash and was the sole occupant of the sedan—had left the roadway, crashed into the fire station and hit a truck belonging to an employee of the fire department. The officers observed what appeared to be a bullet hole in the vehicle and noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the car. Officers found a stolen 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended 21-round magazine attached on the front floorboard of the driver’s side. A satchel was found inside the car containing cocaine and suspected marijuana, as well as other commonly used drug distribution items. Taylor has two prior state felony drug convictions. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results. This case was investigated by ATF and the Columbus Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Kanawha County Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Benson Cline II, 49, of Cedar Grove and a convicted sex offender, was sentenced on August 22, 2024, to seven years and eight months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $8,800 in restitution for possession of prepubescent child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, between on or about July 24, 2023, to on or about November 6, 2023, Cline possessed 22 images and 134 videos of child sexual abuse material on his instant messaging app account that he accessed through his cell phone. The child pornography included digital files depicting infant, toddler and prepubescent males and females being sexually assaulted and also included instances of bestiality, sadomasochism and torture. Cline is a registered sex offender, as a result of his conviction for soliciting a minor via computer in Kanawha County Circuit Court on February 24, 2011. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-42. ###


title: Man Charged with Threats Against the President, the Vice President, and a Former President

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: MEMPHIS, TN - United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz today announced that a Memphis-area man has been charged with making threats against President Joseph R. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Barack Obama. On July 27, 2024, Kyl Alton Hall , 37 , made numerous posts on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Specifically, in the posts, he threatened to kill, assassinate, shoot, and crash the plane of President Biden; assassinate Vice President Harris; and assassinate former President Obama. A federal indictment returned on August 20, 2024, charged Hall with two counts of threats to a sitting President and Vice President in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 871(a), and one count of a threat to a former President under Section 879(a)(1). Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison. The United States Secret Service investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Will Crow of the National Security and Civil Rights Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: New Franklin Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A New Franklin, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to rob a local bank but being foiled when the front door was locked. Jacob Lowell Hessing, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr. on Thursday, Aug. 22, to one count of attempted bank robbery. Hessing has been detained in federal custody since his arrest. By pleading guilty, Hessing admitted that he attempted to rob Exchange Bank of Missouri in New Franklin on Sept. 9, 2023. According to today’s plea agreement, the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department received calls from concerned citizens about a masked man dressed in black walking in downtown New Franklin, which has a population of about 1,000 residents. The man, later identified as Hessing, was reportedly carrying an AR-style rifle and attempted to enter Exchange Bank of Missouri. On Saturdays, however, the bank’s lobby is open by appointment only, and the outer door is locked. Surveillance video showed Hessing walk to the bank and attempt to open the lobby door. He then got back into a red Chevy Equinox, which drove off at a high rate of speed. Investigators traced the vehicle to Hessing and executed a search warrant at his residence (about a block and a half from the bank) on Oct. 30, 2023. Federal agents found a Diamondback rifle, hidden in the basement, with a loaded magazine capable of holding more than 40 5.56mm cartridges, which was consistent with the weapon Hessing carried when he attempted to rob the bank. Ammunition also was found in the kitchen utensil drawer and several cartridges for the Diamondback rifle were found in the Equinox. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Hessing must forfeit the Diamondback rifle to the government. Under federal statutes, Hessing is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Howard County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods 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: York Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For His Role In Smuggling Kilos Of Cocaine From Puerto Rico

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kevin Marrero-Morales, from York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 20, 2024, to 10 years in prison by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for trafficking cocaine. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, a grand jury indicted Marrero-Morales and others for their role in conspiracy to smuggle kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico into York. Marrero-Morales pled guilty and admitted to his participation in the conspiracy, which included smuggling 30 kilograms of cocaine in one shipment. Marrero-Morales was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence of 10-years in prison. Also charged in the case are Juan Escalera-Carrasquillo, age 25, Daniel Velez-Olivero, age 37, Gerald J. Calcano, age 31, Takquasha C. Beatty, age 29, Reynaldo Vargas Seda, age 23, Kevin Marrero-Morales, age 29, and Jorge Angel Rivera-Ortiz, age 24. The indictment alleged as part of the conspiracy, drugs and weapons were stored at various locations in York. It was also alleged that Escalera-Carrasquillo, Beatty, and Seda possessed a Glock 9mm pistol, a Smith and Wesson 380 pistol, and Del-Ton AR15 rifle during and in relation to their drug trafficking activities. The case was investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the York County Drug Task Force, and the York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Rutland Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Distribution of Cocaine Base

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 20, 2024, Bradley Saldi, 44, of Rutland, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Saldi previously pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine base. According to court records, between May 15, 2023, and June 14, 2023, Saldi made four sales of controlled substances, cocaine base or fentanyl, to a confidential informant at the Highlander Motel in Rutland, Vermont, where Saldi was employed as a handyman. Prior to these controlled purchases from Saldi, court records indicate that Saldi was involved in the drug trafficking activities of Jose Maldonado and Edgar Correa, who were previously convicted and sentenced in the District of Vermont for their illegal activities. Saldi also participated with Maldonado and Correa in the assault of an individual related to a presumed drug debt. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Rutland City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Ophardt and Jason Turner. Saldi was represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq.


title: Fitchburg Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Fitchburg man was sentenced yesterday in Worcester federal court for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Satron Pridgen, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2024, Pridgen pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2023, Pridgen was outside of Mill City Pub in Fitchburg. An altercation ensued between two men. During the altercation, Pridgen approached a third man from behind, grabbed him and held him around the neck in a chokehold, then pulled out a loaded pistol which he used to beat the man in the head multiple times. When law enforcement intervened, Pridgen ran off and attempted to discard the firearm by a dumpster before being apprehended. Pridgen is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to numerous prior convictions out of Worcester Superior Court including: a November 1999 conviction of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon for which he was sentenced to 9-10 years in state prison; an October 2011 conviction of armed assault with intent to rob, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a career criminal for which he was sentenced to 10-12 years in state prison; and an October 2011 conviction of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 9-10 years in state prison. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Fitchburg Police Chief Ernest F. Martineau made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Justice Department Sues RealPage for Algorithmic Pricing Scheme that Harms Millions of American Renters

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department, together with the Attorneys General of North Carolina, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today against RealPage Inc. for its unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing and to monopolize the market for commercial revenue management software that landlords use to price apartments. RealPage’s alleged conduct deprives renters of the benefits of competition on apartment leasing terms and harms millions of Americans. The lawsuit was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina and alleges that RealPage violated Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. The complaint alleges that RealPage contracts with competing landlords who agree to share with RealPage nonpublic, competitively sensitive information about their apartment rental rates and other lease terms to train and run RealPage’s algorithmic pricing software. This software then generates recommendations, including on apartment rental pricing and other terms, for participating landlords based on their and their rivals’ competitively sensitive information. The complaint further alleges that in a free market, these landlords would otherwise be competing independently to attract renters based on pricing, discounts, concessions, lease terms, and other dimensions of apartment leasing. RealPage also uses this scheme and its substantial data trove to maintain a monopoly in the market for commercial revenue management software. The complaint seeks to end RealPage’s illegal conduct and restore competition for the benefit of renters in states across the country. “Americans should not have to pay more in rent because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that RealPage’s pricing algorithm enables landlords to share confidential, competitively sensitive information and align their rents. Using software as the sharing mechanism does not immunize this scheme from Sherman Act liability, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively enforce the antitrust laws and protect the American people from those who violate them.” “Today’s complaint against RealPage illustrates our corporate enforcement strategy in action. We identify the most serious wrongdoers, whether individuals or companies, and focus our full energy on holding them accountable,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “By feeding sensitive data into a sophisticated algorithm powered by artificial intelligence, RealPage has found a modern way to violate a century-old law through systematic coordination of rental housing prices — undermining competition and fairness for consumers in the process. Training a machine to break the law is still breaking the law. Today’s action makes clear that we will use all our legal tools to ensure accountability for technology-fueled anticompetitive conduct.” “RealPage’s egregious, anticompetitive conduct allows landlords to undermine fair pricing and limit housing options while stifling necessary competition,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “The Department remains committed to rooting out illegal schemes and practices aimed at empowering corporate interests at the expense of consumers.” “As Americans struggle to afford housing, RealPage is making it easier for landlords to coordinate to increase rents,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today, we filed an antitrust suit against RealPage to make housing more affordable for millions of people across the country. Competition – not RealPage – should determine what Americans pay to rent their homes.” The complaint cites internal documents and sworn testimony from RealPage and commercial landlords that make plain RealPage’s and landlords’ objective to maximize rental pricing and profitability at the expense of renters. For example: RealPage acknowledged that its software is aimed at maximizing prices for landlords, referring to its products as “driving every possible opportunity to increase price,” “avoid[ing] the race to the bottom in down markets,” and “a rising tide raises all ships.” A RealPage executive observed that its products help landlords avoid competing on the merits, noting that “there is greater good in everybody succeeding versus essentially trying to compete against one another in a way that actually keeps the entire industry down.” A RealPage executive explained to a landlord that using competitor data can help identify situations where the landlord “may have a $50 increase instead of a $10 increase for the day.” Another landlord commented about RealPage’s product, “I always liked this product because your algorithm uses proprietary data from other subscribers to suggest rents and term. That’s classic price fixing…” The complaint alleges that RealPage’s agreements and conduct harm the competitive process in local rental markets for multi-family dwellings across the United States. Armed with competing landlords’ data, RealPage also encourages loyalty to the algorithm’s recommendations through, among other measures, “auto accept” functionality and pricing advisors who monitor landlords’ compliance. As a result, RealPage’s software tends to maximize price increases, minimize price decreases, and maximize landlords’ pricing power. RealPage also trained landlords to limit concessions (e.g., free month(s) of rent) and other discounts to renters. The complaint also cites internal documents from RealPage and landlords touting the fact that landlords have responded by reducing renter concessions. The complaint separately alleges that RealPage has unlawfully maintained its monopoly over commercial revenue management software for multi-family dwellings in the United States, in which RealPage commands approximately 80% market share. Landlords agree to share their competitively sensitive data with RealPage in return for pricing recommendations and decisions that are the result of combining and analyzing competitors’ sensitive data. This creates a self-reinforcing feedback loop that strengthens RealPage’s grip on the market and makes it harder for honest businesses to compete on the merits. RealPage Inc., is a property management software company headquartered in Richardson, Texas.


title: Houston custom home builder admits to misusing construction funds

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Brett Michael Detamore, operating as a custom home builder under Detamore Development LLC, fraudulently obtained at least $1.5 million for his personal use by misusing funds intended for the construction of private residences. Detamore pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of wire fraud. Detamore submitted false and fraudulent invoices to banks holding construction loans for single-family residences he had been contracted to build. The false invoices caused the banks to send funds to bank accounts Detamore controlled. Detamore then used the funds for his personal benefit. As part of his plea agreement, Detamore agreed to forfeit at least $1.5 million he illegally obtained. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks will impose sentencing Nov. 5. At that time Detamore faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine as well as full restitution to the victim home owners. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the West University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Lansden and Suzanne Elmilady are prosecuting the case.


component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department, together with the Attorneys General of North Carolina, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today against RealPage Inc. for its unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing and to monopolize the market for commercial revenue management software that landlords use to price apartments. RealPage’s alleged conduct deprives renters of the benefits of competition on apartment leasing terms and harms millions of Americans. The lawsuit was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina and alleges that RealPage violated Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. The complaint alleges that RealPage contracts with competing landlords who agree to share with RealPage nonpublic, competitively sensitive information about their apartment rental rates and other lease terms to train and run RealPage’s algorithmic pricing software. This software then generates recommendations, including on apartment rental pricing and other terms, for participating landlords based on their and their rivals’ competitively sensitive information. The complaint further alleges that in a free market, these landlords would otherwise be competing independently to attract renters based on pricing, discounts, concessions, lease terms, and other dimensions of apartment leasing. RealPage also uses this scheme and its substantial data trove to maintain a monopoly in the market for commercial revenue management software. The complaint seeks to end RealPage’s illegal conduct and restore competition for the benefit of renters in states across the country. “Americans should not have to pay more in rent because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that RealPage’s pricing algorithm enables landlords to share confidential, competitively sensitive information and align their rents. Using software as the sharing mechanism does not immunize this scheme from Sherman Act liability, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively enforce the antitrust laws and protect the American people from those who violate them.” “Today’s complaint against RealPage illustrates our corporate enforcement strategy in action. We identify the most serious wrongdoers, whether individuals or companies, and focus our full energy on holding them accountable,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “By feeding sensitive data into a sophisticated algorithm powered by artificial intelligence, RealPage has found a modern way to violate a century-old law through systematic coordination of rental housing prices — undermining competition and fairness for consumers in the process. Training a machine to break the law is still breaking the law. Today’s action makes clear that we will use all our legal tools to ensure accountability for technology-fueled anticompetitive conduct.” “RealPage’s egregious, anticompetitive conduct allows landlords to undermine fair pricing and limit housing options while stifling necessary competition,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “The Department remains committed to rooting out illegal schemes and practices aimed at empowering corporate interests at the expense of consumers.” “As Americans struggle to afford housing, RealPage is making it easier for landlords to coordinate to increase rents,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today, we filed an antitrust suit against RealPage to make housing more affordable for millions of people across the country. Competition – not RealPage – should determine what Americans pay to rent their homes.” The complaint cites internal documents and sworn testimony from RealPage and commercial landlords that make plain RealPage’s and landlords’ objective to maximize rental pricing and profitability at the expense of renters. For example: RealPage acknowledged that its software is aimed at maximizing prices for landlords, referring to its products as “driving every possible opportunity to increase price,” “avoid[ing] the race to the bottom in down markets,” and “a rising tide raises all ships.” A RealPage executive observed that its products help landlords avoid competing on the merits, noting that “there is greater good in everybody succeeding versus essentially trying to compete against one another in a way that actually keeps the entire industry down.” A RealPage executive explained to a landlord that using competitor data can help identify situations where the landlord “may have a $50 increase instead of a $10 increase for the day.” Another landlord commented about RealPage’s product, “I always liked this product because your algorithm uses proprietary data from other subscribers to suggest rents and term. That’s classic price fixing…” The complaint alleges that RealPage’s agreements and conduct harm the competitive process in local rental markets for multi-family dwellings across the United States. Armed with competing landlords’ data, RealPage also encourages loyalty to the algorithm’s recommendations through, among other measures, “auto accept” functionality and pricing advisors who monitor landlords’ compliance. As a result, RealPage’s software tends to maximize price increases, minimize price decreases, and maximize landlords’ pricing power. RealPage also trained landlords to limit concessions (e.g., free month(s) of rent) and other discounts to renters. The complaint also cites internal documents from RealPage and landlords touting the fact that landlords have responded by reducing renter concessions. The complaint separately alleges that RealPage has unlawfully maintained its monopoly over commercial revenue management software for multi-family dwellings in the United States, in which RealPage commands approximately 80% market share. Landlords agree to share their competitively sensitive data with RealPage in return for pricing recommendations and decisions that are the result of combining and analyzing competitors’ sensitive data. This creates a self-reinforcing feedback loop that strengthens RealPage’s grip on the market and makes it harder for honest businesses to compete on the merits. RealPage Inc., is a property management software company headquartered in Richardson, Texas. ###


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Consent Decree With Legacy Builders For Violating Lead Paint Safety Regulations

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Lisa F. Garcia, the Regional Administrator for Region 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced today that the United States filed a civil lawsuit against LEGACY BUILDERS/DEVELOPERS CORP. (“LEGACY”) alleging violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”) and EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule (“RRP Rule”). The U.S. simultaneously entered into a Consent Decree resolving that lawsuit. The Consent Decree includes a $168,000 civil penalty and requires LEGACY to take steps to mitigate potential harms caused by its conduct. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Legacy Builders failed to follow lead-safe work regulations designed to protect building occupants—including children—and workers from toxic lead paint dust generated during apartment renovations. This lawsuit is another example of our commitment to ensure that renovation firms are held responsible for violating these important safety rules.” EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said: “Legacy Builders/Developers Corp. is being held accountable for not complying with rules that are designed to protect residents as well as workers and are a key part of protecting public health. The company’s activities put tenants, the public, and its employees at risk of exposure to lead dust hazards. Exposure to lead-based paint can have serious health impacts and remains a common source of lead poisoning in children. EPA will continue to be vigilant and ensure we reduce all risk of lead exposure.” TSCA and the RRP Rule impose safety requirements to minimize the risk that young children, tenants, and renovation workers are exposed to toxic lead paint dust during renovations of residential buildings. Exposure to lead dust is the most common cause of lead poisoning, which can lead to severe, irreversible health problems, particularly in children. Lead poisoning can affect children’s brains and developing nervous systems, causing reduced IQ, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. As alleged in the U.S. Complaint filed in the district court: LEGACY performed renovation work at hundreds of residential apartments across five building sites in Manhattan between 2016 and 2020. In September 2017, EPA inspected a LEGACY worksite and found that LEGACY had failed to contain lead dust. This was consistent with inspections in April and August 2017 of the same LEGACY worksite by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where inspectors observed dust and debris in hallways, common areas, and the vacant apartments being renovated, and collected dust wipe samples containing lead in excess of federal standards. Following further investigation, EPA determined that LEGACY lacked required RRP Rule certifications and, at multiple worksites, failed to train its workers on lead-safe work practices, failed to follow lead-safe work practices, failed to inform building owners and occupants of the risks of lead poisoning during that renovation, and failed to maintain records necessary to demonstrate compliance with lead-safe work practice rules. When LEGACY was informed of these issues, it provided the EPA with inaccurate information about its RRP Rule compliance. In the Consent Decree, LEGACY admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following conduct: Between 2016 and 2020, LEGACY performed renovation work at more than one hundred residential apartments at five different building sites in Manhattan. LEGACY failed to comply with requirements of the RRP Rule on numerous occasions at these renovation projects. Among other things: LEGACY failed to provide on-the-job lead safety training to workers, in violation of the RRP rule. LEGACY failed to adequately contain construction dust, including dust containing lead in excess of levels permitted under the RRP Rule, and failed to conduct the required post-renovation cleaning verification, in violation of the RRP rule. LEGACY failed to post signs clearly defining its work area and warning occupants and other persons not involved in renovation activities to remain outside of the work area, in violation of the RRP Rule. LEGACY failed to provide a lead-hazard information pamphlet to the owner or occupants of the building before commencing work, in violation of the RRP Rule. LEGACY failed to maintain documentation showing that it complied with lead-safe work practices, in violation of the RRP Rule. Additionally, between June 2016 and August 2017, LEGACY performed renovation work covered by the RRP Rule at two of these worksites without possessing the firm certification required by the RRP Rule for renovation firms performing such work and without assigning a certified renovator to oversee those projects. * * * Pursuant to the Consent Decree, LEGACY will pay a penalty of $168,000, an amount based on the company’s documented inability to pay the full civil penalty for which it otherwise would be liable. The Consent Decree requires LEGACY to comply with safe work practices and other RRP Rule requirements in the future. Additionally, to mitigate the effects of the violations, among other things, LEGACY will conduct education sessions for residents of the five buildings on the hazards of lead-based paint and methods of minimizing potential exposures, and LEGACY will offer to conduct training for maintenance staff at these buildings on lead-hazard reduction and common issues pertaining to the use of lead-safe work practices in day-to-day operations. Failure to comply with the Consent Decree will give rise to significant additional penalties. To provide public notice and afford members of the public the opportunity to comment on the Consent Decree, the Consent Decree will be lodged with the District Court for a period of at least 30 days before it is submitted for the Court’s approval. Mr. Williams thanked the attorneys and enforcement staff at EPA Region 2 for their critical work on this matter. This case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ilan Stein and Samuel Dolinger are in charge of the case.


title: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling Across State Lines for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – Soumya Rudra, 41, of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty to traveling across state lines to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and to possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography. According to court documents, Rudra met the 14-year victim on a dating game app called “Kiss Kiss.” He then messaged her via Snapchat text and video calls throughout several months. Rudra drove more than 400 miles from Pennsylvania to Ohio in November 2023 to meet the victim. He transported her to a hotel where he proceeded to engage in criminal sexual activities. Investigators also discovered CSAM involving other minors on his electronic devices which were recovered at the hotel room. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 11, 2024. Rudra faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Canton Field Office and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office . Assistant U.S. Attorney Toni Beth Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Previously Convicted Felon from Pittsburgh Indicted for Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Keith Harris, 25, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on June 11, 2024, Harris possessed a firearm and ammunition. Harris has a number of prior felony convictions, including a 2022 conviction as a felon in possession of firearm and/or ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Straw purchasing rifles sends McAllen man to prison

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 22-year-old man has been sentenced for illegally purchasing firearms on behalf of a Mexican national, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Juan Hector Resendez-Meza III pleaded guilty May 31. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Resendez-Meza to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the time of his plea, Resendez-Meza admitted a man residing in Reynosa, Mexico, approached and asked him to purchase firearms on his behalf. Resendez-Meza received $16,000 in cash to do so between May and August 2023. At the time of each purchase, Resendez-Meza lied on federal forms, claiming he was the true buyer. He also admitted to illegally procuring three rifles on behalf of the Mexican citizen including a .50 caliber rifle. In addition, Resendez-Meza had previously bought and sold two pistols to the man. Previously released on bond, Resendez was taken into custody following the sentencing where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan prosecuted the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ) Program, 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: Conspirators In Multi-Million Dollar International Money Laundering Conspiracy Sentenced To Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Jihad Williams Morales (23, Sanford), Michael Gabriel Robles Vazquez (24, Orlando), and Jorge Ivan Ortiz Bull (32, Orlando) to federal prison terms for conspiracy to commit money laundering and structuring. In total, these individuals and their conspirators, Cristian Rodriguez Labour and Aramys Gonzalez Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to 35 counts of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, money laundering, and structuring. An additional individual, Gabriel Aldemar Velez-Torres, was indicted on May 22, 2024, for his role in this conspiracy along with 14 additional counts of money laundering and structuring. He is currently scheduled for trial in October. Name Plea Date Count(s) Pleaded Guilty Sentencing Date Sentence Imposed Cristian Rodriguez Labour 2/21/24 1 (conspiracy) 6/21/24 7 years Jihad William Morales 5/2/24 1 (conspiracy) 2-8 (money laundering) 9-11 (structuring) 8/22/24 5 years,10 months Michael Gabriel Robles Vazquez 4/9/24 1 (conspiracy) 12-14 (money laundering) 8/22/24 2 years, 10 months Aramys Gonzalez Rodriguez 3/25/24 1 (conspiracy) 15-23 (money laundering) 24-29 (structuring) 9/18/24 Jorge Ivan Ortiz Buil 4/9/24 1 (conspiracy) 30-34 (money laundering) 35 (structuring) 8/22/24 5 years, 3 months According to court documents, Labour recruited Morales, Robles Vazquez, Gonzalez Rodriguez, and Ortiz Buil to incorporate fake businesses in Florida and open business bank accounts in Deltona and Orlando. In setting up the accounts, the recruited individuals lied to banks about the legitimacy of their businesses – pretending that they were operating legitimate businesses involved in wholesale kitchen appliances (Ortiz-Buil), electronics (Robles Vazquez), or industrial laundering machines (Morales). Unnamed conspirators hacking into the computer systems of small businesses throughout the country then directed wire transfers to the fake businesses in Florida and, when received, Labour, Morales, Robles Vazquez, Gonzalez Rodriguez, and Ortiz Buil immediately transferred the bulk of the funds to businesses in the Zhejiang, Weifang, Shouguang, Huzhou, and Hangzhou regions of China while withdrawing a portion as payment for their role in hiding these proceeds. The transfers were designed to conceal the source of the fraud proceeds and the conspirators further obscured their withdrawals by structuring them to avoid bank reporting requirements. During the course of two weeks in early March 2021, Labour and Morales laundered more than $560,000 and attempted to launder another $200,000 using a single account in Deltona – sending the fraud proceeds to accounts in Zhejiang and Weifang and taking $80,000 in structured withdrawals as payment. From June through November 2021, Labour and Robles Vazquez then used at least four different bank accounts in Orlando to launder or attempt to launder more than $280,000. From August through December 2021, Labour and Gonzalez-Rodriguez used at least three different bank accounts in Orlando to launder more than $1 million. Labour and Ortiz Buil attempted to launder $1 million in one bank account in December 2021 before successfully laundering around $250,000 at four different banks from December 2021 through February 2022, using other individuals that Ortiz-Buil had recruited into the scheme. Overall, members of the conspiracy successfully laundered $3,323,941 to offshore accounts in China and unsuccessfully attempted to launder another $5,057,777, all of which were the proceeds or attempted proceeds of computer fraud and cyber intrusions on small businesses throughout the United States. This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.


title: Mesa Business Owner Who Exploited the American Indian Health Plan Sentenced to Over 5 Years for AHCCCS Fraud

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. –Diana Marie Moore, 44, of Mesa, was sentenced this week by United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 66 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Moore was also ordered to pay restitution to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (“AHCCCS”) in the amount of $21,730,674.04. In addition, the Court ordered the forfeiture of four single-family homes owned by Moore as well as 117 other items, including seven luxury vehicles, designer apparel, luxury jewelry, and artwork. All the items were purchased by Moore using the proceeds of her fraud scheme. Moore pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud and Money Laundering on July 10, 2023. Moore admitted that she owned two behavioral health counseling services, Harmony Family Services (HFS) and Harmony Family Services II (HFS II) and that she had also submitted the application for a third behavioral health counseling service, Logan Family Health, LLC (“LFH”). All three then applied to be medical providers for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency- HFS applied in 2019, HFS II applied in 2020, and LFH applied in 2022. AHCCCS approved all three applications. At the time HFS and HFS II applied to AHCCCS, Moore failed to disclose her ownership interest in the other entity. Moore also failed to disclose her prior felony conviction, which was required to be disclosed on the AHCCCS application form. Moore further admitted that she engaged in a fraudulent billing practice targeting AHCCCS and exploiting a program that enables Native Americans to seek behavioral health treatment without first obtaining a pre-payment review. Specifically, starting in January 2020, Moore began obtaining AHCCCS identification numbers for AHCCCS enrollees by paying other providers to transport AHCCCS enrollees to the HFS or HFS II facility for a single day, and then obtaining enrollees’ identification numbers once they arrived. Nearly all of the AHCCCS enrollees billed for by Moore were members of the American Indian Health Plan. After these AHCCCS enrollees left the HFS or HFS II facility, Moore would submit bills to AHCCCS, which falsely claimed that HFS and HFS II continued providing services to those same enrollees for up to 90 days. Moore regularly claimed that HFS or HFS II provided counseling services to a given AHCCCS enrollee for eight or more hours each day, five days a week, for months in a row, even though Moore knew such services were not provided. In addition, Moore submitted claims to AHCCCS, which falsely claimed that HFS or HFS II provided services to certain AHCCCS Enrollees who were, in fact, deceased or imprisoned at the time Moore claimed to have provided services. At the sentencing hearing, the Court noted the particular harm done to the Native American populations in Arizona as a result of this type of fraud. “The American Indian Health Plan exists to help an underserved community surmount barriers to treatment,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Defendant misused this program, and the unique identification numbers generated by it, to benefit herself -- in some cases by billing for patients she never treated, and in other cases by falsely inflating the duration of treatment. Thanks to the Internal Revenue Service for its financial acumen in bringing defendant to justice, and to the AHCCCS Inspector General’s Office for its valuable assistance.” “The sentencing of Diana Moore should be a reminder there are serious consequences to this type of criminal behavior,” said Carissa Messick, IRS CI Special Agent in Charge, Phoenix Field Office. “IRS CI methodically works to bring fraudsters to justice and restore confidence in our public programs.” Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-0040-SMB RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-116_Moore # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Scottsville Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay $873,107 in Restitution for Defrauding Former Employer

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY –A Scottsville, Kentucky, woman was sentenced yesterday to two years in federal prison for engaging in a scheme to defraud her former employer. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. According to court records, Reda W. Tabor, 67, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for one count of wire fraud. The charges in this case stemmed from Tabor’s scheme in which, from 2014 to 2020, while employed as Vice President in Charge of Finance/Accounting and Human Resources at Beneke Wire Company in Louisville, Kentucky, Tabor used her position to access the company’s bank accounts and make unauthorized transfers of company funds to her personal bank account. Tabor was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $873,107 and a fine in the amount of $10,000. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory prosecuted the case. ###


title: Florida Telecommunications and Information Technology Worker Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Act as Agent of PRC Government

body_text: Tampa, FL - Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General. According to the plea agreement and other court filings, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is in charge of civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS in a variety of ways, including by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’s mission. Li was a United States citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company. Li admitted that, from at least as early as 2012, he served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and reported that information to the MSS. Li also provided the MSS with information obtained from his employer. Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS. For example, in August 2012, an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a religious movement that originated in the PRC in the 1990s. Falun Gong is not one of the five religions formally recognized by the PRC government, and it has been banned since 1999. Its adherents both in China and abroad are of particular interest to the PRC government because of Falun Gong’s advocacy of ideas deemed subversive to the PRC government. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent the name and biographical information of an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida. In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that Li’s employer, a major U.S. telecommunications company, had opened in the PRC. Li responded with the requested information three weeks later. In March 2017, an MSS officer Li requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating that he had uploaded materials to an online account that he shared with the MSS officer and asked the MSS officer to delete the materials after reading them. In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting United States companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major United States company by the Chinese government. Within four days, Li responded with the requested information. In March 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning Li’s new employer, an international information technology company, as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. That same day, Li sent the requested information about his employer as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. In June 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning an individual who, according to the officer, had resided in the PRC but fled to the United States, and provided the name and suspected residential address in the United States of that individual. That same day, Li responded with information about the owners of that residential address. If convicted, Li faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Convicted Child Abuser Sentenced To 20 Years In Federal Prison For Enticing Minors To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Steven Andrew Gunn (31, Winter Haven) to 20 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Gunn to serve a lifetime of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Gunn pled guilty on March 28, 2024. According to court documents, between September 2020 and October 2020, Gunn used his cell phone to engage in sexually explicit online conversations with an 11-year-old child. During these conversations, Gunn discussed his desire to engage in sexual activity with the child and sent videos of himself masturbating. Investigators obtained a federal search warrant for Gunn’s cell phone and discovered that he was also having sexually explicit online conversations with another 14-year-old child. During an interview with law enforcement, Gunn admitted that he had used Snapchat to solicit child sexual abuse material from multiple girls ranging between 8 and 13 years old. According to court records, Gunn had been previously convicted of child abuse in 2012 when he had sexually explicit conversations with another minor on the internet. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Orlando Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit and Ross Roberts. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Jacksonville Felon Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Offense

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that William Earl Union, Jr. (32, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing firearms as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on November 25, 2023, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) responded to a 911 call of shots fired at a residence located along Rugby Road in Jacksonville. Upon their arrival, JFRD and EMTs encountered Union, Jr., who had sustained what appeared to be penetration wounds near his chest and multiple injuries to his hands, including burns. EMTs transported Union, Jr. to the hospital for medical treatment. JSO officers observed blood drops on the front porch of the residence and a blood trail leading toward the center of the backyard. Officers entered the backyard to conduct a protective sweep of the area and followed the blood trail to what appeared to be a blast site near a stone fire pit. The JSO Hazardous Devices Unit (HDU) examined the blast site and observed a single drywall screw partially submerged in the dirt. Officers also found two live 12-gauge shotgun shells on the ground. JSO detectives secured a search warrant for the residence for explosives, firearms, and ammunition. Inside the residence, JSO found three firearms, including a Taurus International P22 (22 caliber pistol), a Smith and Wesson 642 Airweight (38 caliber revolver), and a Mossberg 500A 12-gauge shotgun. Prior to November 25, 2023, Union, Jr. had been convicted of several felony offenses, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, dealing in stolen property, burglary, grand theft auto, and possession of cocaine. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh. 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: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures 52-Month Sentence for Las Cruces Man Following 2023 Pipe Bomb Incident

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man was sentenced to 52 months in prison following his conviction for possessing a pipe bomb and ammunition near a church playground. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on May 31, 2023, Nathan Wallace , 41, was observed in the children’s playground of East Mesa Baptist Church. Wallace was arrested by the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Department after being found in possession of a destructive device and ammunition. Upon questioning, he admitted to possessing a metal pipe containing gunpowder, which was later confirmed to be an operational pipe bomb. The device was seized by law enforcement and analyzed by a bomb technician, who discovered a fuse inside. Additionally, a search of Wallace 's belongings revealed a 20-gauge Winchester AA High Strength shotgun shell, a motion sensor, two cell phones, and various modified batteries and wires, indicating potential explosive device components. Wallace is prohibited by federal law from handling or possessing firearms or ammunition due to his previous felony convictions, which include multiple counts of forgery and possession of explosive devices. In his plea agreement, Wallace admitted to knowingly possessing ammunition after being convicted of multiple felonies punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year. Upon his release from prison, Wallace will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Ry Ellison and Christopher McNair prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Clewiston Felon Sentenced To Federal Prison For Firearm And Drug Offenses

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Javier Velasquez, Jr. (38, Clewiston) to 8 years and 10 months in federal prison for distribution of cocaine, being a felon in possession of firearms, illegal possession of a machinegun, and carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Velasquez to forfeit the firearms used in committing the offenses. According to court documents, between July 13 and September 19, 2023, Velasquez sold an undercover federal agent cocaine, multiple firearms, and a Glock switch – a device used to convert a semiautomatic weapon into a machinegun. Velasquez, a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make out neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Colorado Dentist Charged Federally for Attempting to Solicit Minor Online and Transporting Child Pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Jason James Atha, 50, a dentist from Broomfield, Colo., was indicted yesterday in the Southern District of Florida for attempted enticement of a minor and transportation of child pornography. According to allegations in the court record, to include the indictment and previously filed criminal complaint, beginning on Oct. 3, 2023, Atha used a social networking application on his phone in Colorado to solicit sex with an 8-year-old child through conversations with the child’s mother in the Southern District of Florida. The child’s purported “mother” was in fact an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent. Atha’s communications detailed the sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the child. On Aug. 9, Atha flew to Palm Beach International Airport, in the Southern District of Florida, to consummate the sexual act and was arrested at the airport. A search of Atha’s devices revealed child pornography videos. Atha had his initial appearance in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Aug. 12. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26, at 10:00 a.m. before a U. S. Magistrate Judge in West Palm Beach. If convicted of the charged offenses, Atha faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison for attempted enticement of a minor and 20 years in prison for transportation of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of HSI Miami made the announcement. HSI West Palm Beach investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting it. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov or https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/project-safe-childhood . Anyone with information regarding child sexual exploitation and abuse is encouraged to call (877) 4-HSI-TIP [(877) 447-4847]. A criminal complaint and indictment contain mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-80102. ###


title: Port Richey Brothers Plead Guilty To Trafficking 100 Kilograms Of Fentanyl

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marcus Fowler (33) and Pierre Fowler (35), both of Port Richey, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, over 500 grams of methamphetamine, and cocaine. Marcus Fowler also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, beginning in 2006, Marcus and Pierre Fowler conspired with others to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in the Middle District of Florida. Co-conspirators reported receiving over 100 kilograms of fentanyl and 500 pounds of methamphetamine from the brothers between 2020 and 2022. In January 2023, agents seized more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine and 3 kilograms of fentanyl through postal intercepts that were bound for members of the conspiracy. On February 8, 2023, agents recovered more than a kilogram of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in addition to numerous firearms—including a machinegun—from the brothers’ stash house in Tarpon Springs. Marcus and Pierre Fowler used drug proceeds to purchase several properties in Pasco and Pinellas Counties. As part of their plea agreement, they have agreed to forfeit the following properties which are traceable to the offenses: 1. 7715 Topay Lane, Port Richey, Florida 34668 2. 4152 Memphis Avenue, New Port Richey, Florida 34652 3. 5606 Sunshine Park Drive, New Port Richey, Florida 34652 4. 4330 Kibler Lane, Holiday, Florida 34691 5. 2141 Speck Drive, Holiday, Florida 34691 6. 4240 Oakfield Avenue, Holiday, Florida 34691 7. 710 North Avenue, Tarpon Springs, Florida 34689 8. 122 East Lime Street, Tarpon Springs, Florida 34689 9. 1522 Elite Court, Holiday, Florida 34691, This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman, and the asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty To Illegally Reentering The United States

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daniel Hernandez-Casiano (44, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry by a deported alien. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 4, 2024. According to court records, Hernandez-Casiano was found in the United States on January 9, 2024, after being arrested and convicted on state charges for possession of fentanyl and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. Hernandez-Casiano was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on three separate occasions. This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.


title: Honduran National And Florida Sex Offender Found Illegally In The United States

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Teofilo Samuel Molina-Espinoza (39, Palm Coast) with illegal reentry by a deported alien and failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted on all counts, Molina-Espinoza faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. According to the indictment, in February 2012, Molina-Espinoza was convicted of lewd/lascivious battery on a child (12-16 years old). He was deported from the United States to Honduras on April 16, 2012, but was found to be back in the United States illegally on July 18, 2024. Additionally, after returning to the United States, Molina-Espinoza failed to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.jutice.gov/psc.


title: Oviedo Man Pleads Guilty To Receiving And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carl Vecchione, (62, Oviedo) has pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. Vecchione faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2024. According to the plea agreement, on June 9, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Vecchione’s residence after identifying the home’s Internet Protocol (IP) address as sharing child sexual abuse material online. HSI located more than 900 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on Vecchione’s laptop. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .