title: New Orleans Man Sentenced  to Probation  for Conspiracy to Commit Wire  Fraud and Money Laundering

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – LANCE M. VALLO , age 38 and a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo to 36 months of probation with one year of home confinement after VALLO pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana. As according to court documents, VALLO conspired with RYAN MULLEN , DUANE DUFRENE , DILLON ARCENEAUX , GRANT MENARD , and ZEB SARTIN to use a number of shell Louisiana companies with no assets to defraud a merchant cash company based in Georgia. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX , VALLO , MENARD , and SARTIN as the owners of existing corporations, MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN , with the aid of another person, created falsified bank records for the companies. VALLO then used an alias to hold himself out to be a broker for the companies he helped create. Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and began to electronically wire ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , a nd SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN laundered a portion of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE percentages of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN then closed their non-existent businesses before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses of approximately $6.4 million. VALLO was responsible for approximately $876,000 in losses to the victim. In addition to the sentence, VALLO was sentenced to restitution in the amount of $876,035.05 and a mandatory special assessment fee of $200. U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit and Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.


title: Man Involved in Wake Inn Shooting Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Federal Prison

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

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Amos Clayborne, age 36, of Lexington, Kentucky was sentenced today to 115 months in prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon after he fired into a crowd of people at the Wake Inn in 2021, striking three individuals and paralyzing one. According to court records and evidence presented in court, Clayborne and his girlfriend visited the Wake Inn on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh on March 27, 2021. Surveillance footage from the inn shows that when they arrived, they were approached by four men and an argument ensued. Shortly after, Clayborne could be seen pulling a firearm from the waistband of his pants. He then proceeded to fire the weapon indiscriminately into a crowd of people on the outside stairwell of the inn. Three people were hit, and one victim sustained a gunshot wound that paralyzed her from the chest down. Clayborne has two previous felony convictions in Florida including assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill (2008), and robbery without a dangerous weapon (2009). The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted 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. 5:22-CR-00209-BO.


title: Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Using a Social Security Number Belonging to Another Individual

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOSE CASTRON MURCIA , age 22, a citizen of Honduras, pled guilty on October 31, 2023 to illegally using a social security number belonging to another individual, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). According to documents filed in federal court, the defendant unlawfully used a social security account number belonging to another individual to complete documents necessary to maintaining employment with a local business. The defendant pled guilty before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry and sentencing is set for February 6, 2024. The maximum penalty for the offense is five years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Brooklyn Resident and Two Russian Nationals Charged with Exporting Dual-Use Electronics Used in Russian Military's Drones

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A four-count indictment was unsealed yesterday in Brooklyn charging Nikita Arkhipov, Nikolay Grigorev and Artem Oloviannikov with conspiracy and other charges related to an export control scheme to benefit companies affiliated with the Russian military. Grigorev, a Brooklyn resident, was arrested on November 1, 2023. Arkhipov and Oloviannikov remain at large. As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, the defendants utilized a Brooklyn-based corporate entity, Quality Life Cue LLC (QLC), to facilitate the export control scheme. QLC was registered and controlled by Grigorev and Oloviannikov, with Arkhipov utilizing a QLC email account from Russia. Through QLC, the defendants procured dual-use electronic components for entities in Russia involved in the development and manufacture of drones for the Russian war effort in Ukraine. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce announced the charges. “As alleged, these defendants conducted a sophisticated scheme, violating American sanctions in order to fuel Russia’s war effort,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “In Brooklyn and around the world, our Office will not rest in making sure that military technologies do not fall into the wrong hands.” “In the past two days alone, the Justice Department and its law enforcement partners have arrested and charged multiple individuals accused of perpetrating sophisticated schemes to unlawfully acquire, conceal, and ship U.S. electronic components on behalf of the Russian defense industry,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals who would defy U.S. law in support of Russian aggression in Ukraine.” “Sanctioned dual-use electronic components intended for the Russian military were allegedly obtained and exported by the defendants. Export control laws are put in place to defend our national security and any violation of these laws is extremely serious. FBI New York will ensure that anyone responsible for evading these laws is punished in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The Office of Export Enforcement is focused on rooting out the illicit procurement networks that supply Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and leverage our unique authorities to prosecute these violators responsible, as alleged in the indictment, for undermining the extensive sanctions put in place to stem the flow of war materials to Russia’s military,” stated Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office, Bureau of Industry and Security, US Department of Commerce. SMT-iLogic The most notable of these entities is SMT-iLogic, a Russia-based technology company. SMT-iLogic is associated with an entity known as the Special Technology Centre (STC). STC is a Russia-based entity that was added to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Person List (SDN List) on or about December 29, 2016, for assisting the foreign military intelligence agency of Russia’s armed forces, commonly known by the acronym “GRU,” in conducting signals intelligence operations. According to public reporting, SMT-iLogic shares an address with STC in St. Petersburg, Russia, was founded by a top Russian scientist and major shareholder of STC, and has imported millions of dollars’ worth of electronics into Russia. On or about May 19, 2023, SMT-iLogic was also added to the SDN List. Per OFAC, SMT-iLogic “is known to be involved in the supply chain for producing Russian military UAVs used in Russia’s war against Ukraine.” On or about January 4, 2017, STC was added by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to the Entity List for supporting the GRU. STC was involved in the production of the “Sea Eagle Orlan 10 UAV,” a drone vehicle that has been involved in Russian military operations in Ukraine. STC’s biggest customer, according to the same reporting, is Russia’s Ministry of Defense, which paid STC the equivalent of nearly $99 million between February and August of 2022. Export Control Scheme As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, between October 22, 2021 and February 22, 2022, QLC accounts controlled by Grigorev received wire transactions from iLogic totaling approximately $272,830.40. These funds were used almost entirely to make payments to a Brooklyn-based electronics distributor (the “Brooklyn Company”) or pay Grigorev’s credit cards, which he used to buy goods from the Brooklyn Company. Email and chat communications among the defendants explicitly reference efforts to circumvent U.S. sanctions, use “test” or “fictitious” orders to test new supply lines to Russia, and discuss front companies in third countries. In June 2023, a court-authorized search warrant of Grigorev’s residence in Brooklyn successfully interdicted over 11,500 electronic components purchased from the Brooklyn Company that were awaiting unlawful export to Russia. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell, Rebecca Schuman and Kate Mathews are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Natalya Savransky of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Mary Clare McMahon. Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Defendants : NIKITA ARKHIPOV AGE: 39 SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA NIKOLAY GRIGOREV AGE: 36 BROOKLYN, NY ARTEM OLOVIANNIKOV AGE: 37 SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-M-429


title: Four Arrested and Multiple Russian Nationals Charged in Connection with Two Schemes to Evade Sanctions and Send U.S. Technology Used in Weapons Systems to Russia

body_text: Four individuals were arrested, and an indictment and criminal complaint were unsealed this week in the Eastern District of New York regarding two separate conspiracies to unlawfully export controlled, dual-use technologies to Russia following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Yesterday, a criminal complaint was unsealed, and a Brooklyn, New York, resident and two Canadian nationals were arrested in connection with a sophisticated global procurement scheme in which the defendants used two corporate entities registered in Brooklyn to unlawfully source and purchase millions of dollars’ worth of dual-use electronics on behalf of end-users in Russia, including companies affiliated with the Russian military. Some of the electronic components and integrated circuits shipped by the defendants are the same make, model, and part number that have been found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine. Separately, earlier today, a Brooklyn resident was arrested, and a four-count indictment was unsealed alleging an illegal exports scheme to procure dual-use electronic components for entities in Russia involved in the development and manufacture of drones for the Russian war effort in Ukraine. “Russia relies on critical technologies to wage its unlawful war in Ukraine, and the Justice Department will use all of our legal tools and authorities to deny them those technologies,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s actions underscore the Department’s determination to hold accountable those who flout our laws by trying to evade sanctions and export controls to aid the Russian war machine. The defendants arrested over the last two days will now face justice for allegedly using false names and front companies to funnel sensitive electronics to Russia.” “Protecting American technologies and securing innovation from foreign adversaries is of the utmost importance to U.S. national security,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “The conduct alleged in the charging documents represent a complete disregard for our nation’s security and our laws. The FBI and our partners remain committed to protecting American-made military and dual-use technologies by using every tool at our disposal. These law enforcement actions send a strong message that the FBI will never rest in our pursuit of those who intend to harm the United States and our allies.” “In the past two days alone, the Justice Department and its law enforcement partners have arrested and charged multiple individuals accused of perpetrating sophisticated schemes to unlawfully acquire, conceal, and ship U.S. electronic components on behalf of the Russian defense industry,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals who would defy U.S. law in support of Russian aggression in Ukraine.” “We will continue to do everything in our power to take down Russian military procurement schemes like those alleged in these cases,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “When we identify U.S. components inside the types of Russian weapons being used to wreak destruction and death in Ukraine, we take action.” “As both of these important cases demonstrate, in Brooklyn and around the world, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York will not rest in making sure that military technologies do not fall into the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, we have now stopped these six defendants from conducting sophisticated schemes to evade American sanctions and ship dual use electronics to fuel Russia’s war effort on the battlefield against Ukraine.” United States v. Goltsev et al. According to court documents, Nikolay Goltsev, 37, of Montreal, Canada; Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 52, of Brooklyn; and Kristina Puzyreva, 32, of Montreal, Canada are charged in a sanctions evasion and export control scheme, in which millions of dollars’ worth of semiconductors, integrated circuits and other dual-use electronic components were unlawfully exported to Russia through two Brooklyn front companies. Nasriddinov, a Brooklyn resident and dual citizen of Russia and Tajikistan, was arrested on Oct. 31 in Brooklyn. Goltsev and Puzyreva were arrested at a hotel in Manhattan on Oct. 31 during a trip to New York to visit Nasriddinov. As alleged, the defendants used two corporate entities registered in Brooklyn – SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics Inc. – to facilitate the scheme and unlawfully source, purchase, and ship millions of dollars’ worth of dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers to sanctioned end-users in Russia. Many of the electronic components and integrated circuits shipped by the defendants through SH Brothers were, according to the Department of Commerce “of the highest concern due to their critical role in the production of advanced Russian precision-guided weapons systems, Russia’s lack of domestic production, and limited global manufacturers.” According to the complaint, some of the electronic components and integrated circuits shipped by the defendants through SH Brothers are the same make, model, and part number that have been found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine, including the Torn-MDM radio reconnaissance complex, the RB-301B “Borisoglebsk-2” electronic warfare complex, the Izdeliye 305E light multi-purpose guided missile, the Vitebsk L370 airborne counter missile system, Ka-52 helicopters, Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and T-72B3 battle tanks. During the period charged in the complaint, SH Brothers made hundreds of shipments valued at over $7 million to Russia. As alleged, Goltsev received orders from Russian end-users in the defense and technology sectors who sought to acquire a particular item or part from the United States. Goltsev then communicated directly with U.S. manufacturers and distributors, typically using aliases such as “Nick Stevens” or “Gio Ross.” Nasriddinov and Goltsev purchased electronic components from U.S. manufacturers and distributors under the auspices of SH Brothers and SN Electronics and arranged for the items to be sent to various locations in Brooklyn. Nasriddinov and Goltsev then unlawfully shipped the items to a variety of intermediary corporations located in other countries, including Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates, where they were rerouted to Russia. Puzyreva operated numerous bank accounts and conducted financial transactions in furtherance of the scheme. As described in the complaint, the defendants were aware that the electronics being exported had potential military applications. For example, in a November 2022 message exchange between Nasriddinov and Goltsev, Goltsev commented how shipping to Russia had become “dangerous” and discussed a shipment of electronic components that had been detained by U.S. officials at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Nassridinov responded that “Ukrainians alleged that they’re being bombed from parts from there [the U.S. manufacturer], maybe that’s why they started investigating everything?” Goltsev responded that, “we need to figure out why they keep holding the package ... I don’t really understand how they figured [it] out.” In a subsequent message, Goltsev commented that, “in the future we will need to load from several companies, not to attract attention ... for now large packages will be dangerous until we understand what they figured out ... we will need to think of diversifying the load ... so that not everything is not moving from the same deck.” Additionally, in a February 2023 message, Nasriddinov wrote to Goltsev, “Happy Defender of the Fatherland,” referring the holiday in Russia and parts of the former Soviet Union celebrating those who served in the armed forces. Goltsev responded, “happy holiday to you too my friend, we are defending it in the way that we can [smile emoji].” The FBI, Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell and Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Mary Clare McMahon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York is handling forfeiture matters. United States v. Grigorev et al. In a four-count indictment unsealed today in the Eastern District of New York, Nikita Arkhipov, 39, and Artem Oloviannikov, 37, both of St. Petersburg, Russia; and Nikolay Grigorev, 36, of Brooklyn; are charged with conspiracy and other offenses related to an export control scheme to benefit companies affiliated with the Russian military, including SMT-iLogic, a sanctioned Russian entity that has been identified as part of the supply chain for producing Russian military drones used in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Grigorev was arrested today. Arkhipov and Oloviannikov remain at large. As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, the defendants used a corporate entity, Quality Life Cue LLC (QLC), to facilitate their illegal export control scheme. QLC was registered in Brooklyn and controlled by Grigorev and Oloviannikov, with Arkhipov utilizing a QLC email account from Russia. Through QLC, the defendants procured dual-use electronic components, including semiconductors, for entities in Russia involved in the Russian war effort in Ukraine. According to court documents, between Oct. 22, 2021, and Feb. 22, 2022, QLC accounts controlled by Grigorev received wire transactions from iLogic totaling approximately $273,000. These funds were used almost entirely to make payments to a Brooklyn-based electronics distributor or to pay Grigorev’s credit cards, which he used to buy goods from the Brooklyn-based company. Email and chat communications amongst the defendants explicitly reference efforts to circumvent U.S. sanctions; use “test” or “fictitious” orders to test new supply lines to Russia; and to discuss front companies in third countries, including Kazakhstan. In June 2023, a court-authorized search warrant of Grigorev’s residence in Brooklyn successfully interdicted over 11,500 electronic components purchased from the Brooklyn-based company that were awaiting unlawful export to Russia. The FBI and Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Rebecca Schuman, and Kate Mathews for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Natalya Savransky of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Mary Clare McMahon. Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Grigorev et al. Indictment Goltsev et al. complaint


title: Man Who Opened Fire On ATF Agents And Lakeland Police Officers After Highspeed Chase On I-4 Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Francisco Cabrera (28, Dover) today pleaded guilty to three counts of armed robbery, use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, armed carjacking, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Cabrera faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 28 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, between January 13 and 17, 2022, Cabrera engaged in a crime spree during which he robbed two stores and a gas station in Plant City and Brandon. During these robberies, Cabrera held victims at gunpoint. At times, Cabrera removed the magazine from his pistol and showed bullets to the victims and stated, “this is for real” or “give me the money or I will shoot you.” On January 19, 2022, Cabrera returned to the gas station he had robbed, approached an individual sitting inside a truck and carjacked him at gunpoint. As Cabrera was escaping in the truck, he brandished his firearm to other individuals who attempted to stop him and help the victim. Hours later, detectives from the Lakeland Police Department and ATF special agents, working together, located Cabrera in Plant City. Law enforcement activated their lights and sirens and began pursuit. Cabrera fled through Plant City, eventually entering the eastbound on-ramp of Interstate-4 heading towards Lakeland. As Cabrera entered the on-ramp, he stuck his hand out the driver’s side window holding a firearm. He pointed the firearm at law enforcement and fired multiple shots. Once on Interstate-4, Cabrera traveled at speeds of over 100 miles per hour, weaving in and out of busy midday traffic. At one point, Cabrera lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a concrete median, nearly causing a collision with oncoming traffic. As he continued to flee, Cabrera fired multiple shots at law enforcement officers, striking their vehicles. Fearing that Cabrera was going to kill someone, and after determining that no other law enforcement officers or civilians would be in danger, an ATF special agent fired at Cabrera striking him twice in his lower back. Officers from the Lakeland Police Department and ATF agents then surrounded Cabrera. The officers provided Cabrera with first aid medical assistance before taking him to the hospital. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes. 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: Visiting Brazilian Attorney Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – A Brazilian national, previously working in the U.S. as a visiting international attorney, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to a charge of insider trading charges for trading based on material, nonpublic information, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto (Costa), 33, of Rio de Janeiro, had been residing and working as a visiting attorney in Washington D.C., on a one-year J-1 Visa, at a global U.S. law firm (the Law Firm). Costa was arrested on Aug. 22, 2023, by agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “This attorney stole material non-public information, betrayed his law firm, victimized its client companies, and monetized those insider secrets to gain an illegal advantage on other investors,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The FBI and the Department of Justice will move quickly to arrest and prosecute those who game the system to enrich themselves while, in the process, undermining the investing public’s confidence in the securities markets.” Costa pleaded before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 20, 2023 According to court documents, Costa began working in the U.S. for the Law Firm in September 2022. Until the FBI arrested him in August, Costa executed multiple stock trades in companies represented by the Law Firm. As confirmed by the Law Firm records, Costa accessed internal Law Firm files in advance of public market-moving announcement. According to the plea agreement, one of these trades involved Company B, a Seattle-based biotech company represented by the Law Firm. In or around April of 2023, Company C, a Swedish international biopharmaceutical company, began negotiations to acquire Company B. Both Company B and C were public companies. Company B’s Board of Directors held several meetings throughout April and into early May discussing transaction prices and terms of the sale. Representatives of the Law Firm attended these meetings and prepared documents relating to these meetings. In early May 2023, Company B, whose stock was trading at around $4.80, informed Company C that they would sell to Company C for a price above $9.00 per share. On May 9, 2023, Company C relayed an offer to buy all outstanding common stock in Company B for $9.10 per share. The stock was trading at $4.82 on May 9, 2023. The Board of Directors approved the sale at $9.10 and both Company B and C announced the $1.7 billion transaction in the early morning hours of May 10, 2023. Trading in Company B opened at $8.91 per share on May 10, 2023. According to public documents, Costa used two online trading firms to purchase 10,400 shares in Company B on May 9, 2023, for $49,976. Costa then sold his holdings in Company B on May 10, 2023, for $92,635.24, resulting in a one-day investment profit of $42,649.13. According to the complaint, Costa improperly accessed Law Firm files related to Company B in the lead up to this merger. Costa was not assigned to this transaction and had no legitimate reason to access and view these files related to this matter. Costa accessed files over 100 times in advance of the sale. The complaint further alleged that on June 2, 2023, Costa purchased stock in Company E – another company that was represented by the Law Firm – one day before Company E went public with information about drug treatment for patients with a specific cancer. The stock rose following the announcement. Costa sold his position on June 5, 2023. On June 6, 2023, the Law Firm issued an opinion related to a secondary stock offering on behalf of Company E. The opinion had the effect of driving down the value of the stock. Costa was able to purchase shares of Company E immediately before a positive market event and then quickly sell before the subsequent negative market event, profiting by approximately $1,000 from these transactions. According to the complaint, Costa improperly accessed Law Firm files related to this matter in the lead up to the announcements. Costa was not assigned to this matter and had no legitimate reason for accessing these files. In another instance, Costa allegedly improperly accessed Law Firm documents and files related to Company F, another firm client. On June 15, 2023, Company F and Company G announced a merger in an all-stock deal to create a $5.4 billion oilfield services firm. Between June 8, 2023, and June 12, 2023, Costa purchased approximately 7,000 shares of Company G in advance of this merger announcement. He subsequently sold the shares and profited approximately $8,500 from the transactions. Costa was not assigned to this matter and had no legitimate reason to access these files. Insider trading carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge also carries potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Costa also faces additional charges of securities violations in a parallel civil complaint filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office. The SEC's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charges Costa with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. The SEC case originated from the SEC's Market Abuse Unit's Analysis and Detection Center, which uses data analysis tools to detect suspicious trading patterns. The SEC referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Three Central Georgians Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms

body_text: MACON, Ga. – Three Central Georgia residents with lengthy criminal histories were sentenced this week to federal crimes in three separate Project Safe Neighborhoods cases targeting convicted felons with guns. Raikwon Christian, 27, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Oct. 31; Trayon Brown, 35, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 71 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Oct. 31; and Gabriel Brown, 43, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Oct. 30 by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. The defendants each previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The defendants are not eligible for parole. “Convicted felons caught with firearms—especially assault weapons and large capacity magazines—pose a danger in our communities and will face federal prosecution for illegally possessing them,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “These Project Safe Neighborhoods cases are all the result of strong collaboration between many local, state and federal law enforcement partners working to reduce gun violence and make our communities safer.” “ATF’s mission is to deny criminals access to firearms and protect the rights of law-abiding citizens. When offenders illegally possess firearms that can be used against our citizens, our children and our community, ATF takes this very seriously,” said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. According to court documents in the Christian case, Christian reported to the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) Office in Macon on Dec. 13, 2021, and was arrested on an active probation warrant. Before entering the building, Christian placed a bag behind a trashcan outside the building. The bag held a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, along with a cell phone and Christian’s identification. Agents also found recent posts of Christian on Facebook holding AR-15 and AK-47 style rifles with extended magazines. A search warrant was executed at 1367 Sanford Avenue in Macon on Dec. 14, where the photos were taken. Five firearms were located inside the residence, including a revolver with an obliterated serial number, a stolen and loaded semi-automatic pistol and a semi-automatic pistol equipped with a large capacity magazine. In addition, agents found illegal drugs—most already packaged for distribution—plus digital scales, cells phones and plastic baggies. A review of the property’s own security footage showed numerous suspected drug transactions. Agents later found the AK-47 rifle Christian held in social media posts hidden in a vent. The firearm was loaded and equipped with a magazine containing 27 rounds of ammunition. According to court documents in the Trayon Brown case, a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop a vehicle on Napier Avenue in Macon for a traffic violation on June 8, 2022. Brown was driving; instead of pulling over, Brown turned onto a side street and jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving and it collided with a sign. Brown ran away with the deputy in pursuit; the officer was injured jumping a chain-linked fence chasing after the defendant. The deputy found Brown hiding in some bushes near a private residence with a semi-automatic pistol next to him. Brown’s car contained methamphetamine, marijuana, digital scales, several additional small bags and a bag of ammunition. Brown has two prior robbery by force convictions in Bibb County, Georgia, Superior Court. According to court documents in the Gabriel Brown case, Brown and three people were inside his home on Beech Drive in Oglethorpe, Georgia, when several gunshots were fired into the home and one person was struck with shotgun pellets. Brown, who has three prior felonies, grabbed his Taurus handgun and fired four to five shots at a vehicle speeding away. Brown then went to grab another pistol. Emergency responders recognized Brown as a felon. Brown turned over three firearms inside his home: a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine; a fully loaded and chambered 5.56 caliber semi-automatic pistol fitted with a laser; and one fully loaded and chambered .45 ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol. Agents with GBI’s Southwest Regional Drug Enforcement Office executed a search warrant and found a 9x19 caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. These cases are 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. The Raikwon Christian and the Trayon Brown cases were both investigated by ATF and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). The Gabriel Brown case was investigated by ATF, the GBI Region 3 Field Office, the GBI’s Southwest Regional Drug Enforcement Office, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office and the Montezuma Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Deitrick prosecuted the cases for the government.


title: Clarksville Home Business Owner Sent to Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: NASHVILLE – David Haley, 65, of Clarksville, Tennessee was sentenced yesterday to two years in federal prison for filing false tax returns that omitted income he earned from his business, announced U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. Haley was also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000 and restitution in the amount of $186,290. Upon release from prison, he will be subject to one year of supervised release. In November 2022, Haley was convicted of three counts of filing false tax returns for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017. The jury acquitted Haley of one count of filing a false tax return relating to his 2014 tax filing. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Haley owned Haley & Associates Mechanical Contractors, a heating and plumbing business. From 2014 through 2017, Haley & Associates was hired as the subcontractor on commercial projects in middle Tennessee and was paid more than $1,000,000 for each year. Generally, the contractors that hired Haley & Associates paid via check and reported the payments to the IRS via Forms 1099-MISC as non-employee compensation. Even though Haley personally received a portion of the company’s earnings as business income and nonemployee compensation, Haley reported earning no income on his 2014-2017 tax returns. Haley’s failure to report that income on his tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2017 caused the IRS a loss of approximately $186,290. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn W. Booth and Mitchell T. Galloway are prosecuting the case. # # # # #


title: Man Admits Setting Fire at Ex-Girlfriend’s St. Louis County Home

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man on Wednesday admitted setting a fire in his ex-girlfriend’s St. Louis County home while she, her daughter and her aunt all slept. Christopher Willis, 39, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of maliciously damaging or destroying by means of fire in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. Willis admitted entering his ex-girlfriend’s home on Nero Drive in unincorporated St. Louis County early on the morning of April 29, 2023. He also admitted in his guilty plea that he set fire to some of her clothing in the basement of the home. Willis’ ex-girlfriend awoke to the sound of a fire alarm and was able to safely escape with her child and her aunt, according to court documents. As part of the plea agreement, both prosecutors and Willis’ lawyer have agreed to recommend a five-year prison sentence. Willis is scheduled to be sentenced January 30. The case was investigated by the St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Emergency responders from the Black Jack Fire Protection District, the Spanish Lake Fire Protection District, the Florissant Fire Protection District, the Metro-North Fire Protection District and the Ferguson Fire Department all responded to the scene. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.


title: Yorktown Man Charged With Receipt, Distribution, And Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today the arrest of GIUSEPPI MICCIARI. MICCIARI is charged with distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. MICCIARI was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Giuseppi Micciari’s alleged conduct is vile and disturbing, especially given that, as a teacher, Micciari was entrusted with the care of children. Investigating and prosecuting those who sexually exploit children remains of paramount importance to this Office, and we will do everything in our power to protect the children of our community.” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “Giuseppi Micciari was entrusted with our most vulnerable segment of society – our children. His alleged depraved acts betrayed that trust. Not only is Micciari accused of collecting and sharing of these heinous acts, but also attempting to hack into a student’s social media. HSI New York and our law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to ensure predators seeking to exploit children face just consequences for their actions.” According to the allegations in the Complaint filed on October 31, 2023, in White Plains federal court and unsealed today: [1] A review of MICCIARI’s phone revealed the existence of numerous videos and images containing child sexual abuse material. MICCIARI’s phone revealed the use of Telegram, an internet and cloud-based instant messaging service that permits its users to exchange messages, share media and files, and hold private and group voice or video calls. Among the communications contained in the Telegram app were communications revealing a request by MICCIARI’s phone for an “account hack” of an individual’s Snapchat account, as well as communications in which another individual asked, “what age teen content you have,” and MICCIARI’s phone replied, “there one big Mega 10-17.” A U.S. passport application submitted in connection with the issuance of a U.S. passport for GIUSEPPI MICCIARI identified MICCIARI’s occupation as “teacher.” * * * MICCIARI, 27, of Yorktown, New York, is charged with one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Both counts carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the efforts of HSI, the U.S. Secret Service, the New York State Police, the New York City Police Department, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, and the Yorktown Police Department. He added that the investigation is ongoing. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Sarasota Man Charged With Threatening Jewish Organization In New York

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Deep Alpesh Kumar Patel (21, Sarasota) with transmitting an interstate threat to injure. If convicted, Patel faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. According to the complaint affidavit, on October 21, 2023, Patel left a threatening voicemail at the World Jewish Congress in New York City identifying himself by name and screaming, among other expletives, “If I had a chance, I would kill every single one of you Israelis. Every single one of you! Cause mass genocide of every single Israeli.” A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, with valuable assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan. Download Criminal Comlpaint


title: Former State Trooper Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – FREDDIE WAYNE HUFF, II was sentenced yesterday to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). HUFF was indicted in September 2022 on one count of conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride, one count of distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. HUFF pled guilty to the conspiracy charge on February 9, 2023. HUFF was sentenced to a 252-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC. In addition to prison time, HUFF was ordered to forfeit $500,000 in a money judgment. This case arises from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Forsyth County Drug Task Force, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston-Salem Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division and was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Randall Galyon. ###


title: Large-Scale Cocaine Supplier Sentenced to Over Nine Years in Prison for His Role in Wide-Ranging Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Fitchburg man has been sentenced in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Pedro Villot-Santiago, 33, was sentenced on Oct. 30, 2023 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 112 months in prison and four years of supervised release. In March 2023, Villot-Santiago pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in the Fitchburg area. Beginning in July 2019, court authorized interceptions of wire and electronic communications between members of the DTO and its suppliers revealed Villot-Santiago as a large-scale cocaine supplier. Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture and over 50 grams of crack cocaine were seized, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000. Villot-Santiago was responsible for over 10 kilograms of cocaine. On the day of his arrest in July 2023, Villot-Santiago was found in possession of a stolen, loaded handgun, as well as over $252,000 in cash. Villot-Santiago is the 15th defendant to be sentenced in this case. All 18 defendants have been convicted – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial. The remaining convicted defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in November 2023. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments and U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Grand jury indicts Cincinnati man with fentanyl crime, money laundering

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury indicted a Cincinnati man today on charges related to trafficking fentanyl and laundering the proceeds. Nathaniel Williams, 44, is charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and money laundering. According to the indictment, on Oct. 18, Williams possessed bulk amounts of fentanyl. In August 2023, Williams allegedly provided cash from his narcotics sales to an individual who then wired $15,120 of the funds into Williams’s bank account via a wire transfer. Williams withdrew $10,000 of the funds in cash a few days later. Agents discovered more than $44,000 in cash at Williams’s residence while executing a search warrant. Possessing with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Money laundering carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; and Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Two Men Sentenced to Multiple Years in Federal Prison for Tampering with Witnesses

body_text: Two Tulsa men were sentenced to federal prison last week for tampering with witnesses who were slated to testify in federal court proceedings, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. On October 25, 2023, U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Derius Donovan Ledet , 33, to 84 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Arias-Marxuach also sentenced Ledet’s co-defendant, Ulysses Semion Washington , 35, to 108 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release on October 26, 2023. “The integrity of our justice system is of the utmost importance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate any act that seeks to obstruct the federal court process,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. According to court documents, on March 23, 2022, Ledet, who was being held on federal charges, called Washington several times. Ledet instructed Washington to, “put in some footwork” to prevent two witnesses from communicating with law enforcement about the case and to prevent their testimony in court proceedings. Ledet further told Washington to pay off the witnesses with money obtained from selling one of Ledet’s cars. Washington offered the witnesses money to write affidavits that they would not cooperate in Ledet’s pending case. Both witnesses were subpoenaed to make appearances in federal proceedings, but neither showed. Ledet pled guilty for his role in the witness tampering in July of 2022 and Washington elected to proceed to trial. Prior to trial, Washington continued his attempts to contact one of the witnesses involved in attempt to persuade them to not show. Washington entered a plea to witness tampering on the first day of trial. Ledet and Washington will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Bish prosecuted the case.


title: Lowell Woman Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Use Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Purchase Vehicles

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell woman pleaded guilty today to her role in a scheme to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles. Arialka Moya, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and false representation of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Feb. 7, 2024. The defendant and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020 . According to charging documents, in January 2019, Moya visited a Massachusetts car dealership and applied for a loan to purchase a vehicle worth over $60,000. In support of the car loan application, Moya provided stolen biographical information of a real United States citizen, including a fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s license and a Social Security card, as proof of identification. The charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Farmington Man Charged with First Degree Murder, Assault and Federal Firearms Offenses to Remain in Jail Pending Trial

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Hanson Tsosie appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with one count of first degree murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Tsosie, 33, of Farmington, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to the indictment, on September 5, 2021, Tsosie allegedly killed Jane Doe 1 by shooting her and assaulted John Doe and Jane Doe 2 with a firearm. The alleged assault on Jane Doe 2 resulted in serious bodily injury. Tsosie was previously convicted of battery against a household member. As a previously convicted domestic violence misdemeanant, Tsosie cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the most serious allegation, Tsosie faces life in prison. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-255


title: Chelsea Woman Sentenced for False Claims and Stealing Benefits from Three Minor Children

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Chelsea woman was sentenced today to 6 months in prison for one count of conversion of benefits by representative payee and one count of making a false statement, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Arvella Evyon Downing, 55, to 6 months followed by 3 years of supervised release. Judge Heil further ordered Downing to pay $28,368 in restitution. “Downing not only abused her position as a guardian, but she also stole thousands of dollars in social security benefits from children,” said U.S. Attorney Clint J. Johnson. According to court documents, Downing pled guilty on Mar. 3, 2023. She admitted from on or about Oct. 1, 2019, through on or about Sept. 30, 2020, that she made application to receive social security benefits on behalf of 3 minor children. She received approximately $28,368 and claimed that she spent it on housing, clothing, education, medical and dental expenses, recreation, or personal items. In a related indictment, Downing’s boyfriend, Keith Alan Schulze pled guilty on Mar. 3, 2023, to child neglect in Indian Country and will be sentenced at a later date. Arvella Evyon Downing was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI and the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron M. Jolly and Steven Briden prosecuted the case.


title: Four Toledo Area Individuals Sentenced for Healthcare Fraud Scheme

body_text: TOLEDO –Kevin A. Clay, age 40, formerly of Perrysburg, Ohio was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary to 51 months’ imprisonment after being convicted during a trial of conspiracy, healthcare fraud, and making a false statement on an application for charitable tax-exempt status with the IRS. Judge Zouhary also ordered two years of supervised release, a $300 special assessment, and forfeiture of property related to the offenses. Restitution will be determined at a later date. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kevin A. Clay was the co-owner of Theramedical, LLC, a pharmaceutical marketing company specializing in compounded pain and scar cream. The evidence showed that Clay and Theramedical recruited and paid individuals to obtain prescriptions for pain and scar cream, some of which cost as much as $14,000 for a single prescription. The prescriptions were submitted to a Cleveland-area pharmacy, which filled the prescription and billed insurance companies. Members of the scheme concealed the fact that patients were paid to get the prescriptions, and that the prescriptions were often medically unnecessary. In less than two years, Theramedical generated insurance billings of approximately $17 million from the fraudulent scheme. Clay was also convicted of making a false application for tax-exempt status for the Clay Foundation. In his application to the IRS, Clay claimed the foundation was a public charity, however, it was almost entirely funded by fraud proceeds from Theramedical, not the public. Clay conducted little or no fundraising, awarded virtually no scholarships, and purchased gold and silver in his own name with foundation funds. Three others were also sentenced by Judge Zouhary as part of the scheme. Matthew Maluchnik, a co-founder of Theramedical, LLC, was sentenced to 25 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to healthcare fraud and making false statements on tax returns. Loni Peace, a relative of Maluchnik, was sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading guilty to health care fraud. Peace recruited co-workers to obtain prescriptions and received a portion of the proceeds for every patient she recruited. Suzette Lynn Huenefeld, a medical doctor that operated in Perrysburg, Ohio, was sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading guilty to healthcare fraud. Huenefeld wrote prescriptions for pain and scar cream for patients referred to her by Theramedical. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Toledo, Ohio, and the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigations in Cleveland, Ohio, the Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Ohio State Medical Board. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Gene Crawford.


title: Syracuse Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Possessing and Intending to Distribute Fentanyl and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jose Cintron, age 26, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 151 months (over 12 years) in federal prison for his convictions for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division. As part of his previous guilty plea, Cintron admitted that on July 5, 2022, he possessed over 1,700 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, inside a relative’s apartment and his vehicle, both of which were in Syracuse, New York. Cintron intended to distribute the fentanyl to others. Cintron also admitted that on that same date he knowingly possessed in his apartment a loaded 9 mm handgun and 4 rounds of 9 mm caliber ammunition. A prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a controlled substance prevented Cintron from legally possessing a firearm in New York. United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also sentenced Cintron to serve a 5-year term of post-release supervision and ordered him to pay a $200 special assessment. This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, the Syracuse Police Department, and the Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown.


title: Justice Department Hosts Forum to Highlight Efforts to Unite Communities and Strengthen Partnerships with Law Enforcement to Combat Hate

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division hosted a virtual forum to highlight the successful launch of the United Against Hate (UAH) initiative in all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) and discuss efforts to combat unlawful acts of hate. Today’s event coincides with the 25th anniversary of the tragic murders of James Byrd Jr. and Matthew Shepard and commemorates the 14th anniversary of the Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act. In September 2022, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced that every USAO within the next year would convene local forums that connect community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to build trust and increase the reporting of hate crimes. The USAOs have met that commitment by hosting more than 200 UAH programs for thousands of participants nationwide over this past year. “As I see in my daily threat briefings, there has been a significant increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across our country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “I recognize the fear, frustration, and isolation that many of you have felt over the past few weeks, and that you continue to feel as you join us here today. I want to reiterate a core principle of this Justice Department: no person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. You are not alone. And the Justice Department is committed to building on our partnerships with all of you to combat illegal acts of hate.” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke moderated a fireside chat with Houston Police Department Officer Jamie Byrd-Grant, who is the daughter of James Byrd Jr. During the conversation, Byrd-Grant discussed her decision to become a police officer after her father’s brutal murder, when she was just 16, as well as her current role in administering a Shepard-Byrd grant in Houston. Dennis and Judy Shepard, the parents of Matthew Shepard, provided recorded remarks about their foundation’s efforts to amplify Matthew’s story to inspire individuals, organizations, and families to embrace the dignity and equality of all people, and the importance of community members connecting with law enforcement to build relationships before a hate crime occurs. “Make no mistake, hate-fueled violence is a stain on our nation’s history and has no place in our society today,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “Through United Against Hate, we are building community resilience, strengthening relationships between community and law enforcement, and empowering communities with the tools necessary to eliminate hate root and branch. This moment demands vigilance and use of every tool at our disposal, including the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, to ensure that our communities, schools, workplaces, houses of worship, stores, and streets are safe spaces, free from threats and bias-driven violence.” The forum also included a panel discussion featuring U.S. Attorneys Dena King for the Western District of North Carolina; Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; Josh Hurwit for the District of Idaho; and Philip Sellinger for the District of New Jersey, who all highlighted their successful UAH programs that have strengthened connections between their communities and law enforcement. Deputy Associate Attorney General Saeed Mody, who is the Department’s hate crime coordinator, gave remarks on the Department’s efforts to address the rise in hate, including awarding over $38 million to support the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, increase hate crimes reporting, expand victim services, and improve community awareness. Multiple advocates and survivors of hate crimes joined the forum to discuss the value of centering survivor stories in sparking dialogue and building relationships. This panel included U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania; Rabbi Hazzan Jeffery Myers of the Tree of Life Congregation; Co-Director Pardeep Kaleka of Not In Our Town; Executive Director Anisha Singh of the Sikh Coalition; and Senior Program Director Nadia Aziz of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The forum concluded with reflections from civil rights organizations, including Maya Berry of the Arab American Institute; Damon Hewitt of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; and Sheila Katz of the National Council of Jewish Women. During this conversation, these civil rights leaders discussed the impact of recent increases in hate crimes and hate incidents on their community stakeholders, the response of their organizations, often working together, and how to improve partnerships and address the needs of survivors and their communities. In conjunction with today’s event, the Civil Rights Division released a document highlighting the reach of the UAH program in its first year and examples of the impact the program has already had in several districts throughout the country. These include participants’s reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents to USAOs; coordination on responding to threats to religious institutions; and sparking the creation of new community initiatives at local colleges. Learn more about the Department’s work on hate crimes here .


title: Bucks County Man Pleads Guilty to “Ponzi” Schemes, Money Laundering, and Stealing Over $6 Million in Federal Pandemic Relief

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Stanislav Bril, 40, a/k/a “Stan Bril,” a/k/a “Slava Bril,” a resident of Jamison, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to three counts of mail fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud, and five counts of money laundering, all arising from Bril’s operation of two different Ponzi schemes, his false applications for bank loans, his defrauding of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, and related conduct. From October 2011 to August 2014, Bril operated a “Ponzi” scheme through his company, Mortgage Consultant Group (“MCG”), obtaining over $1 million from investors and using much of these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril approached investors and persuaded them to make capital loan investments in MCG. In his marketing materials and his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that these investments would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. Bril falsely promised that investors would obtain regular returns, or “interest,” on their capital loan investments in MCG. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the vast majority of the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including his gambling losses at casinos – and to perpetuate his scheme by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors. From October 2018 to June 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained a $750,000 line of credit from a bank headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania for another company he created, The Bril Group, Inc. (“TBG”). In order to secure the line of credit, Bril made false statements about TBG’s business, the number of TBG employees he was hiring, and the intended use of the line of credit. Once he obtained the line of credit, Bril caused those funds to be spent on unauthorized purchases and laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts. From April 2020 to March 2021, Bril fraudulently obtained over $6.7 million from the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) and Paycheck Protection Programs (“PPP”) by making false statements about the number of employees of, the wages and payroll taxes paid by, and the intended use of the loan proceeds by several companies that Bril created. Bril falsely claimed that these companies – TBG, MCG LOAN, and SAB Services LLC (“SAB”) – had several hundred employees when in fact none of these companies had more than one employee. In his PPP and EIDL applications, Bril submitted allegedly historical tax forms with inflated payroll information for nonexistent employees that had never actually been filed. In addition, Bril falsely denied that there were criminal charges pending against him at the time of his applications. In fact, federal charges were already pending against Bril for his perpetration of the Ponzi scheme detailed above. Once he fraudulently obtained these funds, Bril wired them to other individuals, cryptocurrency platforms, and a title company towards a purchase of a Los Angeles condominium. Bril also laundered a significant portion of those funds through various bank accounts and transactions. From July 2019 to at least August 2021, Bril revived MCG and used it to perpetrate yet another “Ponzi” scheme, obtaining millions of dollars in loans from several investors and using these funds for his own benefit and to perpetuate the scheme. Bril initially took short-term loans from investors and repaid investors with high interest rates to lull them into a false sense of security and to obtain larger loans from them. In his sales pitches to investors, Bril falsely claimed that their loans would enable MCG to make loans on real estate and construction projects and/or enable MCG to make short-term, high interest loans. However, Bril provided investors with few details of these purported projects and declined to identify his purported borrowers. Bril often encouraged investors to “rollover” their loans into new deals rather than take their payouts per their agreements with Bril. When investors asked Bril whether he had any claims, lawsuits, or legal proceedings filed against him, Bril falsely answered in the negative despite his knowledge that federal charges were already pending against him for his perpetration of the earlier Ponzi scheme. When Bril began missing the agreed repayments to investors, Bril provided bogus explanations for his theft of their loans, including that he was waiting for a wire to clear, that he waiting for a check to be mailed from his bank, that he was looking for a new bank, that his new bank was giving him a “hard time,” and that he was suffering from a variety of health emergencies and personal tragedies that were somehow preventing him from making timely paying to the investors. Rather than use investors’ funds as promised, Bril used the funds to pay himself, his family, and his personal expenses – including trading in digital currencies – and to perpetuate his schemes by occasionally making “interest” payments to some investors. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vineet Gauri and Matthew T. Newcomer.


title: Four Defendants Extradited from Guatemala Sentenced for Roles in Deadly International Human Smuggling Conspiracy

body_text: The Justice Department, along with the Department of Homeland Security and its partners, today announced significant sentences obtained through Joint Task Force Alpha’s (JTFA) prosecution of leaders, organizers, and members of a prolific human smuggling scheme that resulted in the death of a Guatemalan migrant in 2021. Four defendants were sentenced today in the Western District of Texas for their roles in the human smuggling scheme. Lopez Mateo Mateo, aka Bud Light, 43, was sentenced to 30 years in prison; Felipe Diego Alonzo, aka Siete, 40, was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison; and Nesly Norberto Martinez Gomez, aka Canche, 38, and Juan Gutierrez Castro, aka Andres, 46, were both sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison. “The four defendants sentenced in this case were part of a deadly human smuggling operation that endangered vulnerable migrants for profit and cost one woman her life,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “When I directed the formation of Joint Task Force Alpha in 2021, I said that the Justice Department would combat the threats posed by dangerous human smuggling networks where they originate and operate. Since then, the Justice Department has made over 260 domestic and international arrests and secured 150 convictions on human smuggling charges. The Justice Department will continue to disrupt and dismantle the threat posed by human smuggling and trafficking operations.” “Human smugglers will do anything to make a profit and the Department of Homeland Security will do everything in its power to stop them,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The sentencing of these four individuals is the direct result of an unprecedented, whole-of-government effort to prevent these crimes and seek justice for victims. In close partnership with the Justice Department and others through JTFA, our Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents will continue to investigate and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations that prey on vulnerable people.” “Tragedies like this serve as a stark reminder of the dangers human smugglers pose to migrants,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Joint Task Force Alpha, with our international law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and take down dangerous transnational operations that undermine our lawful immigration system and exploit migrants in the name of profit.” According to court documents, the defendants admitted to conspiring with other smugglers to facilitate the movement of large numbers of migrants from Guatemala through Mexico and ultimately into the United States. They charged the migrants and their families approximately $10,000 to $12,000 for the perilous journey. One of the journeys resulted in the death of a young indigenous Guatemalan woman, who died in Texas in April 2021. The woman’s family paid the defendants approximately $10,000 to smuggle her into the United States. The defendants arranged for her to be guided for several days on foot through the desert from Mexico into Texas and then driven to a stash house in Odessa, Texas, where she ultimately died. The defendants and their co-conspirators dumped her body on the side of a rural road outside Odessa, Texas. The defendants and their co-conspirators also arranged to pay off the victim’s family in Guatemala. “These sentences reflect the lengths and degrees this office and the overall Justice Department will go to seek justice for the victims of heinous crimes and prevent further harm,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Smuggling rings like these operate, not with any concern for their victims’ lives, but rather their greed and desire for cold, hard cash. In coordination with our partners, both in the United States and worldwide, we will continue to do everything in our power to dismantle these networks and hold smugglers accountable.” “HSI will continue to apply its broad investigative authority and international footprint to ensure members of these transnational criminal networks are held accountable for preying upon and abusing a vulnerable population,” said Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola of HSI El Paso. “Our message is clear: If you’re running one of these elicit organizations that are moving human cargo, we will find you no matter how near or far you are.” Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death. As announced last year , extensive coordination between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities led to the indictment and arrest of these four defendants, as well as the apprehension of 15 additional co-conspirators in Guatemala. Pursuant to an extradition request, in March, Guatemalan authorities extradited Mateo Mateo, Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, and Gutierrez Castro to the United States – the first Guatemalan human smuggling extraditions to the United States in nearly five years, and the first ever extraditions from Guatemala to the United States on charges of human smuggling resulting in death. HSI Midland led the investigation, working in concert with HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; ICE’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Marshals Service; the Odessa and Midland Police Departments; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Ector County, Midland County, and Crane County Sheriffs’ Offices. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance to secure the arrest and extradition of the four defendants. The Criminal Division’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) provided case-based mentoring to support the investigation. The Justice Department is grateful to Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation. JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Luis Acosta and John Fedock for the Western District of Texas prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Gallegos for the Western District of Texas and HRSP Historian and Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall. This prosecution and the collaboration with Guatemalan law enforcement were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Garland created JTFA in June 2021 in partnership with DHS to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by HRSP, and supported by ODPAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 260 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; over 150 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.


title: Cuatro acusados extraditados de Guatemala condenados por participar en una asociación delictuosa internacional de tráfico de personas con resultado mortal

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia, junto con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional y sus socios, anunciaron hoy importantes sentencias obtenidas a través del procesamiento por parte de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa (JTFA) de líderes, organizadores y miembros de un prolífico ardid de tráfico de personas que resultó en la muerte de un migrante guatemalteco en 2021. Cuatro acusados han sido condenados hoy en el Distrito Oeste de Texas por su participación en el ardid de tráfico de personas. López Mateo Mateo, alias Bud Light, de 43 años, fue condenado a 30 años de prisión; Felipe Diego Alonzo, alias Siete, de 40 años, fue condenado a 19 años y siete meses de prisión; y Nesly Norberto Martínez Gómez, alias Canche, de 38 años, y Juan Gutiérrez Castro, alias Andrés, de 46 años, fueron condenados a 10 años y un mes de prisión. “Los cuatro acusados sentenciados en este caso formaban parte de una mortífera operación de tráfico de personas que ponía en peligro a migrantes vulnerables con fines lucrativos y que le costó la vida a una mujer”, dijo el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland. “Cuando dirigí la formación de la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa en 2021, dije que el Departamento de Justicia combatiría las amenazas planteadas por las peligrosas redes de tráfico de personas allí donde se originaran y operaran. Desde entonces, el Departamento de Justicia ha realizado más de 260 aprehensiones nacionales e internacionales y ha logrado 150 condenas por cargos de tráfico de personas. El Departamento de Justicia seguirá desarticulando y desmantelando la amenaza que representan las operaciones de tráfico y trata de personas”. “Los traficantes de personas harán cualquier cosa para obtener beneficios y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional hará todo lo que esté en su poder para detenerlos”, declaró el secretario de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “La condena de estas cuatro personas es el resultado directo de un esfuerzo sin precedentes de todo el Gobierno para prevenir estos delitos y buscar justicia para las víctimas. En estrecha colaboración con el Departamento de Justicia y otros organismos a través de la JTFA, nuestros agentes de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) seguirán investigando y desmantelando las organizaciones delictivas transnacionales que se aprovechan de personas vulnerables”. “Tragedias como esta nos recuerdan crudamente los peligros que los traficantes de personas representan para los migrantes”, declaró la fiscal general auxiliar en funciones Nicole M. Argentieri, de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “La Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa, junto con nuestros socios internacionales encargados de la aplicación de la ley, seguirá persiguiendo y desarticulando peligrosas operaciones transnacionales que socavan nuestro sistema de inmigración legal y explotan a los migrantes con fines lucrativos”. Según documentos del tribunal, los acusados admitieron haberse unido en una asociación delictuosa con otros traficantes para facilitar el traslado de un gran número de migrantes desde Guatemala a través de México y, en última instancia, a los Estados Unidos. Ellos les cobraron a los migrantes y a sus familias entre $10,000 y $12,000 dólares estadounidenses por el peligroso viaje. Uno de los viajes resultó en la muerte de una joven indígena guatemalteca, quien falleció en Texas en abril de 2021. La familia de la mujer pagó a los acusados unos $10,000 dólares estadounidenses para que la introdujeran ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos. Los acusados se encargaron de guiarla durante varios días a pie por el desierto desde México hasta Texas y luego la condujeron a una casa clandestina en Odessa, Texas, donde finalmente murió. Los acusados y sus coconspiradores arrojaron su cuerpo a un lado de una carretera rural en las afueras de Odessa, Texas. Los acusados y sus coconspiradores también coordinaron para sobornar a la familia de la víctima en Guatemala. “Estas sentencias reflejan hasta qué punto esta oficina y el Departamento de Justicia en general harán justicia a las víctimas de crímenes atroces y evitarán más daños”, dijo el fiscal de los EE. UU. Jaime Esparza para el Distrito Oeste de Texas. “Las redes de tráfico como estas operan, no con preocupación por las vidas de sus víctimas, sino más bien su codicia y el deseo de dinero contante y sonante. En coordinación con nuestros socios, tanto en los Estados Unidos como en todo el mundo, seguiremos haciendo todo lo que esté en nuestras manos para desmantelar estas redes y hacer que los traficantes rindan cuentas”. “HSI continuará aplicando su amplia autoridad investigadora y su presencia internacional para garantizar que los miembros de estas redes delictivas transnacionales rindan cuentas por aprovecharse y abusar de una población vulnerable”, declaró el agente especial a cargo Francisco B. Burrola, de HSI El Paso. “Nuestro mensaje es claro: si diriges una de estas organizaciones ilícitas que trasladan cargamentos de personas, te encontraremos, no importa lo cerca o lejos que estés”. Cada uno de los acusados se declaró culpable de un cargo de asociación delictuosa para introducir a un extranjero en los Estados Unidos con resultado mortal. Como se anunció el año pasado , la amplia coordinación entre las autoridades del orden público estadounidenses y guatemaltecas condujo a la acusación formal y aprehensión de estos cuatro acusados, así como a la aprehensión de 15 coconspiradores más en Guatemala. En virtud de una solicitud de extradición, las autoridades guatemaltecas extraditaron en marzo a Mateo Mateo, Diego Alonzo, Martínez Gómez y Gutiérrez Castro a los Estados Unidos, la primera extradición de guatemaltecos por tráfico de personas a los Estados Unidos en casi cinco años y la primera extradición de Guatemala a los Estados Unidos por cargos de tráfico de personas con resultado mortal. HSI Midland dirigió la investigación, trabajando en colaboración con HSI Guatemala y la Unidad de Tráfico de Personas de HSI en Washington, D.C. HSI recibió una asistencia sustancial de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley y Expulsiones del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE.UU. (ICE); Unidad de Programas de Libertad Supervisada y Aplicación de la Ley de ICE; Centro Nacional de Objetivos/Operación Centinela del Servicio de Aduanas y Protección de Fronteras de los EE. UU.; la Patrulla Fronteriza de EE. UU.; el Servicio de Alguaciles de EE. UU.; los Departamentos de Policía de Odessa y Midland; el Departamento de Seguridad Pública de Texas; y las oficinas de los alguaciles de los condados de Ector, Midland y Crane. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA) del Departamento de Justicia proporcionó una importante asistencia para garantizar la aprehensión y extradición de los cuatro acusados. La Oficina de Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación de Fiscales (OPDAT) de la División Penal proporcionó tutoría basada en casos para apoyar la investigación. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a las autoridades del orden público de Guatemala, quienes fueron fundamentales para proseguir con la investigación. El codirector de la JTFA, James Hepburn, de la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales (HRSP) de la División Penal, y los fiscales auxiliares de los EE. UU. José Luis Acosta y John Fedock, del Distrito Oeste de Texas, procesaron el caso, con la importante asistencia del fiscal auxiliar de los EE. UU. Adrián Gallegos, del Distrito Oeste de Texas, y de la historiadora y especialista en América Latina de la HRSP Joanna Crandall. Este procesamiento y la colaboración con las autoridades del orden público de Guatemala se coordinaron bajo la Fuerza de Tarea Conjunta Alfa (JTFA). El fiscal general Garland creó la JTFA en junio de 2021 en colaboración con el DHS para reforzar los esfuerzos del Departamento de Justicia en la lucha contra el aumento del prolífico y peligroso tráfico procedente de Centroamérica y que afecta a nuestras comunidades fronterizas. La JTFA está compuesta por agentes de las Fiscalías de los EE. UU. a lo largo de la frontera suroeste, incluidos el Distrito Sur de Texas, el Distrito Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Nuevo México, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. También proporcionan apoyo específico numerosos componentes de la División Penal que forman parte de la JTFA, dirigidos por la HRSP, y apoyados por ODPAT, la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas, la Sección de Lavado de Dinero y Recuperación de Activos, la Oficina de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley, la OIA y la Sección de Delitos Violentos y Delincuencia Organizada. La JTFA también cuenta con una importante colaboración para la aplicación de la ley por parte del DHS, el FBI, la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA) y otros socios. Hasta la fecha, el trabajo de la JTFA ha dado como resultado más de 260 aprehensiones nacionales e internacionales de dirigentes, organizadores y facilitadores importantes del tráfico de personas; más de 150 condenas; importantes penas de cárcel impuestas; y decomisos de bienes sustanciales.


title: Federal Jury Finds Former Fort Hood Texas Soldier Guilty on 5 Child Exploitation Counts

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A former Fort Hood, Texas soldier was found guilty today of one count of enticement of a child, two counts of travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The verdict came after a two-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court in Bangor with Judge Lance E. Walker presiding. According to evidence presented during the trial, between February and December 2021, Christopher Meza , 22, interacted with a 13-year-old from Maine on a popular online gaming platform. The conversations included descriptions of sex as well as Meza’s acknowledgement of the victim’s age. Meza twice traveled from Texas to Maine to meet with the then 14-year-old victim, and on both occasions was successful in leaving the state with the victim. Of the five counts for which Meza was found guilty, three counts carry a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison while the remaining two counts have maximum penalties of 30 years. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was the lead law enforcement agency. Additional investigative resources were provided by U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and multiple police departments in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Texas. Reports of child sexual exploitation are increasing: In 2022, The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received 32 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. That included more than 80,000 reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts, an increase of 82% from 2021 to 2022, and more than 31 million reports of child sexual abuse materials. Victimization can take place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. To make a CyberTipline Report, visit https://report.cybertip.org / . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###