title: Puerto Rican Man Who Manufactured Machine Guns, Trafficked Methamphetamine and Cocaine Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: Spartanburg, S.C. — Esteban Colon Pacheco, 27, of Ponce, Puerto Rico, was sentenced to more than 23 years in federal prison after he pled guilty to possessing a machine gun in furtherance of drug trafficking, distributing methamphetamine, and conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Evidence presented to the Court showed that in 2022 and 2023, Pacheco was a cocaine and methamphetamine dealer in the Upstate of South Carolina. While dealing drugs, Pacheco also conscripted women to purchase guns for him so that he could modify them into fully automatic weapons. Law enforcement learned that Pacheco sold some of the machine guns that he illicitly manufactured, and he kept at least one of the machine guns with him during his drug deals. On one occasion, Pacheco shot the machine gun within a neighborhood to demonstrate its capabilities. Noraimi Burgos Torres and Elizabeth Delzo Jaramillo pled guilty to charges related to purchasing firearms for Pacheco. Delzo, who also pled guilty to drug trafficking related charges, was sentenced to 102 months in federal prison. Torres, who pled guilty to a firearms charge on August 21, 2024, is awaiting sentencing. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Esteban Pacheco to 276 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 5-year term of court-ordered supervision. “People who sell illegal guns and drugs are a threat to the safety of our communities and must be stopped,” said United States Attorney Adair Boroughs. “I’m proud and grateful for the collaboration of so many law enforcement partners to achieve this significant measure of justice.” “Putting criminal organizations like this out of business greatly reduces the flow of drugs, violence and crime into our communities, which makes everyone safer,” said Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “HSI is a proud partner in the fight to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for flooding our streets with illicit drugs.” ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims said, “Possessing or selling firearms that have been modified to function as fully automatic weapons is a serious threat and an issue law enforcement around the country is currently dealing with. We’re proud to be a part of this collaborative effort to identify and apprehend those that threaten our community.” This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Two Indian Men Indicted for Delivering Over 400 Kilograms of Cocaine and 30 Kilograms of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Two Indian nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston yesterday in connection with the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine. Simranjit Singh, 28, and Gusimrat Singh, 19, of Fresno, Calif. were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Both men were arrested on July 29, 2024 and have remained in federal custody since their arrests. According to the charging documents, investigators became aware of a California-based drug-trafficking organization (“DTO”) interested in transporting methamphetamine and other drugs to Boston. A member of the DTO agreed to sell 65 pounds (approximately 30 kilograms) of methamphetamine to undercover agents. On July 29, 2024, at approximately 10:15 p.m., a white tractor trailer arrived at a planned Andover address to deliver methamphetamine to the undercover agents. The driver and passenger of that tractor trailer, later identified as Gusimrat Singh and Simranjit Singh, allegedly handed off 65 pounds of suspected methamphetamine to the undercover agents. The men were immediately taken into custody. According to court documents, while searching the cab of the tractor trailer, over 400 kilogram bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered, worth more than $10.5 million. The charges provide for a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Andover Police Department, Milton Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: United States Attorney Chris Kavanaugh Announces Departure at Year’s End

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – United States Attorney Chris Kavanaugh released the following statement: "Today, I am announcing my plans to resign from my position as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia effective at year’s end, following the commencement of my wife Jasmine Hyejung Yoon’s service as a United States District Court Judge this September. During this brief period of overlap, any cases in which the United States is a party, including all criminal matters, will be assigned to the other judges within the Western District of Virginia in accordance with the Court’s standing order for assignment of cases. Serving as United States Attorney has been the highlight of my professional life. I am grateful to President Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and Senators Warner and Kaine for the opportunity to serve as the chief federal law enforcement official for the Western District of Virginia, and to lead an Office full of public servants dedicated to the rule of law and the pursuit of justice." As the United States Attorney since October 2021, Kavanaugh has supervised the investigation and prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters in which the United States has an interest within the Western District of Virginia, which comprises 52 counties and 17 independent cities in Virginia. In addition to being United States Attorney, Kavanaugh also serves on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), chair of the AGAC’s National Security Subcommittee, co-chair of the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, and as a member of the Corporate Crime Enforcement Policy Working Group. Prior to becoming United States Attorney, Kavanaugh was Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for 14 years in both Charlottesville, Virginia and Washington, D.C.


title: Mifflin County Man Pleads Guilty To Filing False Tax Return

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Vincent Minervini, age 49, of Reedsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on August 27, 2024, to filing a false tax return in 2018. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, from 2014 through 2018, Minervini, operated various companies that he either owned on his own or controlled through a partnership. These businesses included VM Holdings, LLC; Supreme Star Property Management, LLC; Boomer Builders LLC; Debt Free Partnerships, LP; Boomer Ranches DS, LLC; and VMJH Holdings, LLC. Minervini filed personal and business tax returns in each of these years. Minervini made it appear that his businesses were incurring expenses, which were deducted from his businesses’ taxable income, by moving money from one of his companies to another and labeling such payments “Management Services,” “Management Fees,” “Operating Expenses,” “Operating Budget,” and “Transfers.” For example, in 2016, VMJH Holdings and Boomer Ranches made $134,500 worth of transfers to Boomer Builders that were labeled “Operating Budget” and “Operating Expenses,” but Boomer Builders did not declare any of these transfers as gross receipts on its own tax return. Minervini’s actions therefore reduced the amount of income that was subject to taxation by the IRS. In addition, Minervini made payments from his companies to himself without reporting such transfers as income in his personal tax returns. For instance, in 2017, VM Holdings transferred approximately $809,648.22 to Minervini’s personal bank account, and Minervini deducted this amount as an expense on VM Holdings’ tax return, but he did not declare it as income on any other return, personal or business. As a result of these actions, Minervini underreported approximately $2,102,512 in income. Minervini submitted his tax returns to the IRS under penalty of perjury. As part of his guilty plea, Minervini admitted that the tax returns for 2014 to 2018 contained knowingly false information. Minervini also admitted and accepted responsibility for $266,618 in unpaid taxes, which was the full amount of unpaid taxes for 2014 to 2018. He also agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in that amount prior to the date of sentencing. The IRS will also assess penalties and interest on Minervini’s back taxes following the completion of the criminal case. The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for filing a false tax return is three years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: Ohio Man Arrested With Methamphetamine And An Illegal Firearm Is Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Lamar Gaines, 40, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court records, on February 6, 2023, a deputy with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Gaines’s vehicle on I-77 for a traffic violation. Gaines did not comply and instead fled at a high rate of speed. Court records show that the deputy reported that Gaines had left the roadway multiple times and nearly struck other vehicles in his attempt to evade law enforcement. Ultimately, Gaines crashed his vehicle after exiting I-77 and running a stop sign. Gaines then attempted to flee on foot before he was apprehended. After Gaines was taken into custody, law enforcement searched his vehicle and found a handgun with an extended magazine and two bags that contained nearly half a kilogram of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized $8,940 in cash that Gaines had on his person. Court records show that Gaines has multiple prior criminal convictions including drug trafficking and theft and he is prohibited from possessing firearms. On February 2, 2024, Gaines pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The ATF and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Laplace Resident Sentenced for Role in Preparing and Submitting Fraudulent Cares Act Financial Assistance Applications

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MUNIRA SCHOFIELD (“SCHOFIELD”) , age 28, a resident of LaPlace, La., was sentenced by United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to four years of probation, with twelve months to be served on home confinement, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. The charges stem from SCHOFIELD’s role in a conspiracy to prepare and file fraudulent applications for loans related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Judge Fallon also ordered SCHOFIELD to pay over $219,000 in restitution and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. SCHOFIELD’s co-conspirators, her mother, Lynn Schofield (“Lynn”), and brother, Bashir Schofield (“Bashir”), were convicted separately for their respective roles in the offense. According to court documents, SCHOFIELD, Lynn and Bashir submitted fraudulent applications to obtain money from Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans. Each defendant submitted at least one loan. All applications falsely represented that the applicant had a sole proprietorship and generated substantial income from the business, by overinflating gross receipts. The entities either did not exist or earned far less money than reported. They also misrepresented that the loan proceeds would be used for business related purposes, when, in fact, the defendants intended to use the money for personal reasons. SCHOFIELD submitted a fraudulent application for an EIDL loan for a business she claimed to own, “Just Jocin.” In conjunction with her mother, Lynn, SCHOFIELD also gave false material information to the Small Business Administration. This false information included the gross inflation of monthly gross receipts to support still other loans, including for an entity named “Afromerica Touch 360, LLC,” and used some of the resulting funds for herself. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, was in charge of the prosecution.


title: San Antonio Woman Arrested for Fraudulently Selling $18 Million Worth of Counterfeit Retail Store Coupons

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A San Antonio, Texas, woman was arrested and charged with fraudulently selling over $18 million worth of counterfeit coupons used at various retail stores across the United States for the purchase of household items, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Janet Bernal, aka “Rocky,” aka “Rocky G,” aka “Rocky Gee,” aka “RockyG-Kruella,” of San Antonio, Texas, is charged by complaint with three counts of wire fraud. She appeared on Aug. 27, 2024, in the Western District of Texas, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Farrer in San Antonio federal court, and was released on $15,000 secured bond. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From June 2020 through June 2024, Bernal orchestrated a scheme to produce and sell fraudulent, counterfeit coupons for use by purchasers at retail stores throughout the United States, including large pharmacies and grocery stores. Bernal offered counterfeit coupons through a monthly fee-based subscription group that was available on a commonly used Internet cloud-based messaging application. Purchasers subscribed to the group, paid a monthly fee, and then had unlimited access to numerous types of counterfeit coupons that Bernal posted for download on the application. Members paid the monthly fee to mobile cash accounts associated directly with Bernal. Members downloaded tens of thousands of counterfeit coupons and redeemed them at retail stores throughout New Jersey and elsewhere. The loss to 156 retail stores and to the manufacturers whose products were covered by the counterfeit coupons was approximately $18 million. The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the arrest. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Charlotte Man Is Sentenced To Prison For Stealing And Cashing Checks Valued At $300,000

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – John Calvin Davis, III, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for executing a scheme involving stolen checks, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court records and court proceedings, from August 2022 to January 2023, Davis obtained approximately 50 checks that were stolen from U.S. Postal Service mail collection boxes in Charlotte. Davis fraudulently endorsed the stolen checks, used ATMs to deposit the checks into bank accounts he controlled, and quickly withdrew the funds via ATMs or mobile transfers before the victims or the bank discovered the checks were stolen. Through this scheme, Davis fraudulently obtained $304,355.56 in fraudulent proceeds. In February 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to wire fraud. He will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney King thanked the USPIS and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Westwego Woman Guilty of Theft of Government Funds

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PENELOPE PASSERO (“PASSERO”) , age 50, of Westwego, Louisiana, pled guilty on August 27, 2024 to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. PASSERO faces up to ten (10) 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 any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571, up to three years of supervised release and, a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court documents, from February 2016 to December 2020, PASSERO knowingly accessed and converted approximately $59,320.97 in Social Security Administration and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES ACT”) funds. Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2024 before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter. On May 17, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources, and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Connecticut Dentists Pay $1.7 million to Settle False Claims Allegations

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and William Tong, Connecticut Attorney General, today announced that STANISLAV GINTAUTAS, DDS and TATIANA AGABABAEVA, DDS, and their businesses, FAMILY DENTISTRY OF BRIDGEPORT PC, FAMILY DENTISTRY OF HARTFORD PLLC, and FAMILY DENTISTRY OF STAMFORD, PC, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and have paid $1.7 million to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts. Gintautas and Agababaeva are both licensed to practice dentistry in Connecticut. Gintautas, Agababaeva, Family Dentistry of Bridgeport PC (“FD Bridgeport”), Family Dentistry of Hartford PLLC (“FD Hartford”), and Family Dentistry of Stamford PC (“FD Stamford”) are enrolled as dental providers in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (“CTMAP”), which includes the state’s Medicaid program. It is alleged that, in violation of their CTMAP provider agreements and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, FD Bridgeport, FD Hartford, FD Stamford, and Gintautas submitted claims to the CTMAP related to dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to the businesses by a third-party “patient recruiting” company. FD Bridgeport, FD Hartford, FD Stamford, and Gintautas paid a patient recruiter $115 for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the recruiter referred to them whenever the patient received services over and above routine preventative care, such as dental cleanings and exams, and submitted claims for dental services rendered to those patients. With each submitted claim, they impliedly certified that the conditions of receiving payment were met, including, but not limited to, that they did not pay kickbacks or violate any terms or provisions of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (“CTDHP”) provider manual concerning the submitted claim. The CTDHP provider manual, which is an addendum to both the CTMAP provider agreement and the CTMAP provider manual, expressly prohibits per-patient compensation for individuals referred to CMAP providers. To resolve the allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts, FD Bridgeport, FD Hartford, FD Stamford, Gintautas, and Agababaeva agreed to pay $1.7 million to reimburse the Medicaid program for conduct occurring from February 2016 through August 2018. Under the False Claims Act, the government can recover up to three times its actual damages, plus penalties of $13,946 to $27,894 for each false claim. This case stems from a larger investigation into fraudulent activity by health care providers who submit kickback-tainted claims to the CTMAP for services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred by third-party patient recruiting companies. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office; and the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Thidemann, and Assistant Attorney General Joshua L. Jackson of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


title: Former Employee of National Industrial Company Arrested for Attempted Data Extortion

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Missouri man was arrested for an attempted data extortion campaign targeting his former employer, a U.S.-based industrial company with its headquarters located in Somerset County, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Daniel Rhyne, 57, of Kansas City, Missouri, is charged by complaint with one count of extortion in relation to a threat to cause damage to a protected computer, one count of intentional damage to a protected computer, and one count of wire fraud. He was arrested in Missouri on Aug. 27, 2024, had an initial appearance in Kansas City federal court and was released. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Rhyne was employed by a U.S.-based industrial company in New Jersey as a core infrastructure engineer. On Nov. 25, 2023, certain employees of the company received an extortionate e-mail. The email warned the employees that all of the company’s IT administrators had been locked out or deleted from the company’s computer network; backups of the company’s servers had been deleted; and additional servers belonging to the company would be shut down each day for a period of 10 days if a ransom of 20 Bitcoin, equivalent at the time to $750,000, was not paid. The investigation revealed that Rhyne gained unauthorized access to the company’s computer systems by remotely accessing the a company administrator account. Rhyne then, without authorization, scheduled several computer tasks to be carried out on the network, including changing the company administrator passwords and shutting down its servers. Rhyne controlled the email address used to send the November 25 extortion email to the company’s employees. The charge of extortion in relation to a threat to cause damage to a protected computer carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of intentional damage to a protected computer carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The wire fraud offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the arrest. He also thanked the FBI Kansas City, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. rhyne.complaint.pdf


title: Dallas Man Pleads Guilty in $27M Oil & Gas, Water Rights Fraud

body_text: A Dallas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding investors out of more than $27 million in various oil and gas and water rights scams, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Dennis James Rogers, II, 35, originally of Las Cruces, NM, was charged via felony information. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to two counts of securities fraud. “This defendant lined his own pockets at the expense of would-be investors, lying and cheating his way to a life of luxury,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Today’s plea is a step towards justice for his victims.” “Investment and securities scams result in high volumes of complaints and high loss amounts to victims, and also undermine the integrity of our financial markets at-large,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “The FBI is committed to investigating criminal activity that is designed to defraud unsuspecting individuals and will continue to dedicate substantial resources to investigating ever-evolving fraud schemes like those perpetrated by the defendant.” According to plea papers, in August 2019, Mr. Rogers successfully solicited $10 million from an investor, purportedly so that his company, Oregon Mountain Trading Company, could purchase fuel. The investor, identified in court documents by the initials J.I., handed over the funds after the pair agreed he would receive a fifty percent return on investment. Instead of purchasing fuel as promised, Mr. Rogers diverted the funds to a private jet service, a custom home builder, a law firm, an investment account, business entities, credit card companies, and other personal expenditures. Ten months later, Mr. Rogers solicited $4.1 million and $2.1 million from investors S.W. and D.W., respectively. He told the investors that a large international fuel company was exiting its stock position in Brownsville, Texas and planned to dispose of its fuel via an exclusive, invitation-only auction. (In reality, the company never held an auction and had no relationship with Mr. Rogers.) Instead of purchasing fuel at auction, Mr. Rogers diverted the money to fund an unrelated investment account, purchase real estate, and pay personal expenses. Mr. Rogers also successfully collected $11 million in investments for a purported water rights deal associated with a dairy farm in New Mexico. In furtherance of the scheme, he held a call with an investor and an alleged member of the dairy farmer family. He also told investors he had an account worth $5 million that could be used as collateral. In reality, Rogers never had a relationship with the dairy farmer, the account had no collateral value, and there was never a contract for water rights. Mr. Rogers now faces up to ten years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 18, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch is prosecuting the case.


title: Columbus man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sex trafficking women

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Terrael A. Alls, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison for sex trafficking and use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering. According to court documents, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force first received a tip about Alls in February of 2022. Alls provided a business card advertising a modeling agency to a woman when she was staying at the Red Roof Inn on Renner Road in Columbus. The woman found the interaction suspicious and called law enforcement. The business card was for a company called Elite Diamond Studios and the advertised phone numbers were ultimately linked to Alls and various online sex escort advertisements. Alls, who is also known as “Rell” and “Ace,” recruited women under the guise of modeling for him as a photographer. He lured them in with promises of being “star players” who, as part of his team, would work with his marketing and advertising agency. In reality, Alls served as a manager for his victims, advertising them for sexual escort services on various websites and often filming their sexual exploitation. Alls controlled some of his victims with drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, then later used their drug dependency against them to continue profiting from their sexual exploitation. For other victims, Alls controlled them with physical violence and threats. He fired a gun near one victim’s head and threatened to pistol-whip her, punched the victims and slammed them onto tables. The defendant’s laptop had more than 42,000 sexually explicit images, videos and advertisements, including images and videos of the victims identified in this case. Alls used many of those videos to continue to earn money from the exploitation of his victims and revictimize them in the process. Alls was arrested in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office. # # #


title: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison for Possessing “Glock Switch”

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

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS—Jaquan Robinson, 21 of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of a machine gun. According to court documents, on December 28, 2023, Marion County Probation officers conducted a compliance visit at Robinson’s apartment in Indianapolis. During the compliance visit, a backpack containing the frame of a Glock handgun and mail addressed to the defendant was found in a closet in the living room. During a court-authorized search of the apartment, officers located a safe in Robinson’s bedroom containing his identification documents and a Glock switch. Robinson admitted to knowingly possessing the machinegun conversion device and knowing that it was exclusively designed to convert an ordinary semiautomatic firearm into a fully-automatic machinegun. A review of Robinson’s Facebook messages revealed that Robinson was seeking to purchase additional handgun parts in order to have a fully-functional machinegun. Machinegun conversion devices, sometimes called “Glock switches” or “auto-sears,” are devices that convert ordinary semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machineguns. Machinegun conversion devices are themselves considered machineguns under federal law, even when not installed, and are illegal for individuals to possess or sell. Robinson has a history of firearms convictions. In September 2021, Robinson was convicted of a felony in Marion County for illegally bringing a firearm into a school. In June 2022, while Robinson was still on probation for his first firearms offense, he was convicted of another firearms offense in Marion County after he was found in possession of two more firearms and fled from police on foot after the vehicle he was in was pulled over. Robinson was still on probation for this second Marion County offense when he was arrested with the machinegun conversion device. At the time of his most recent Indiana arrest there were also firearms charges against Robinson pending in Michigan. As a convicted felon, Robinson is prohibited under federal law from ever lawfully possessing a firearm again. “Illegally armed criminals are a grave danger to our families and neighbors—especially when they have machineguns capable of spreading carnage in mere seconds,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Having or using a ‘Glock switch’ is a serious crime. The federal prison sentence imposed here should send the message that these weapons will not be accepted in our community. Our federal prosecutors, in partnership with the ATF and the City of Indianapolis, are committed to bringing these important federal prosecutions and making Marion County a safer place.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Walter, who prosecuted this case. SAUSA Walter is prosecuting violent crime cases as a part of the partnership with the City of Indianapolis to identify, investigate, and federally prosecute violent crimes taking place in Marion County. This case is also 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: Two Individuals Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Defraud Rideshare Customers, Drivers and Others

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging Eliahou Paldiel and Carlos Arturo Suarez Palacios (Suarez) with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies relating to a wide-ranging scheme in which the defendants sold hacked smartphones and fraudulent applications to more than 800 rideshare drivers (Driver Co-conspirators). The applications enabled the Driver Co-conspirators to “spoof” GPS locations to fraudulently obtain “surge” fees and to otherwise manipulate legitimate rideshare applications to enrich themselves to the detriment of riders, law-abiding drivers and rideshare companies. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts. This morning, Paldiel was arrested in Brooklyn and Suarez was arrested in Brick Township, New Jersey. The defendants will be arraigned later this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged, the defendants sought to enrich themselves by corrupting the rideshare market at the expense of unsuspecting passengers and hardworking drivers who play by the rules,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office remains steadfast in ensuring that, no matter how complex the scheme, individuals who violate the law will be caught and held accountable. The defendants learned an important lesson in these charges: there is no such thing as a free ride.” “Eliahou Paldiel and Carlos Suarez allegedly developed a rideshare application that fraudulently manipulated a driver’s GPS location to obtain unlawful surge fare pricing, defrauding customers and legitimate drivers. For almost six years, this alleged conspiracy offered an unfair financial advantage to more than 800 participants and disrupted the integrity of nationwide rideshare services, earning the participants more than $40 million. The FBI will continue to dismantle all fraudulent schemes, even as criminals attempt to create innovative scams for selfish gains,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis. Rideshare Company-1 is a multinational company headquartered in the United States that provides ridesharing services. It operates primarily through its smartphone application (the Rideshare Company-1 Application), connecting users with drivers for on-demand transportation and delivery services. As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, between November 2018 and August 2024, Paldiel and Suarez engaged in a scheme to defraud Rideshare Company-1’s users and drivers by causing passengers to collectively pay millions of dollars in fraudulent “surge” fees to hundreds of participating Driver Co-conspirators, and depriving legitimate rideshare drivers of their true share of “surge” fares and the most lucrative trips. In addition, the fraudulent devices and applications sold by the defendants for profit enabled the Driver Co-conspirators to cherry-pick high-fare rides by obtaining proprietary information and to “queue” in areas where they were not physically present. The defendants allegedly sold scheme applications to Driver Co-conspirators on manipulated—also known as “jailbroken” or “rooted”—cellular devices (the Scheme Devices). A jailbroken or rooted cellular device has had its operating system security restrictions modified or removed, thereby allowing the installation of software, including applications, that the device manufacturer had not made available for the device. Driver Co-conspirators utilized the Rideshare Company-1 Application on their Scheme Devices. Fake GPS “Spoofing” App Fake GPS was a GPS spoofing application developed by the defendants and others. Fake GPS enabled Driver Co-conspirators to manipulate or “spoof” their locations within the Rideshare Company-1 Application and make it appear as if they were located in an area with surging fares when, in fact, they were not. Screwber App Screwber is an application developed by the defendants and others that provided Driver Co-conspirators with information about prospective Rideshare Company-1 rides that was not otherwise available to Rideshare Company-1 drivers prior to accepting such rides. For example, Screwber enabled Driver Co-conspirators to obtain prospective riders’ destinations and approximate fares for prospective trips, thereby allowing Driver Co-conspirators to accept or decline the prospective rides based on information to which they were otherwise not entitled and, in turn, cherry-pick only the most profitable and lucrative rides offered to them through the Rideshare Company-1 Application. Rideshare Application The defendants caused outdated versions of the Rideshare Company-1 Application to be downloaded onto the Scheme Devices provided to Driver Co-conspirators. By installing outdated versions of the Rideshare Company-1 Application, the defendants ensured that the Fake GPS and Screwber applications were not detected by security features implemented in newer versions of the Rideshare Company-1 Application. As part of the scheme, the defendants sent Driver Co-conspirators information about how to avoid detection, such as the following: “Using 2 iphones with FakeGPS is very very risky. If you need FakeGPS for airport I recommend doing it one time a day. Do it when you wake up in the morning before you go to the airport.” The defendants also spoke with one another about their strategy to profit from the Driver Co-conspirators. For example, on or about November 2, 2018, Suarez wrote to Paldiel, “You know Screwber is like drugs .. once you get into it you’ll get withdrawals when you can’t get your fix.” In another message, Paldiel wrote to Suarez regarding the Driver Co-conspirators, “I get them hooked on the software, even a drug deal[er] throws in a few extra grams of weed in the beginning.” During the course of the scheme, the Driver Co-conspirators, using the defendants’ fraudulent devices and applications, allegedly earned over approximately $40 million from rideshare customers. The defendants received more than $1.5 million from Driver Co-conspirators through one peer-to-peer payment service alone. If you have information related to this case, please contact FBI at NY_RideShareTips@fbi.gov The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison on each of the two counts. In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies—the crimes that the defendants committed in this case. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. Galeotti, Dana Rehnquist and Elias Laris are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Madison Bates. The Defendants: ELIAHOU PALDIEL Age: 52 Queens, New York CARLOS ARTURO SUAREZ PALACIOS Age: 54 Brick Township, New Jersey E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-329 (MMH) (ARR)


title: Detroit Man Sentenced for Armed Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit man, Jarrett Howard, 56, was sentenced on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, to 300 months, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms as a convicted felon, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to testimony at trial, in November 2021, law enforcement received information that Howard was responsible for distributing fentanyl in Madison County. They then conducted a search of Howard’s residence, finding 285 grams of fentanyl, 416 grams of cocaine, and two loaded firearms. Law enforcement also discovered a digital scale and $34,450 at the residence. Under federal law, Howard must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP); Chief Rodney Richardson, Richmond Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff's Office, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by DEA, ATF, KSP, Richmond Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Former Massachusetts Police Officer Arrested in Connection with Murder of Young Woman

body_text: BOSTON – A former Stoughton, Mass. police officer has been charged in federal court in Boston with allegedly murdering a young woman to prevent her from disclosing information about his longstanding sexual exploitation of her while he was on duty, beginning when she was a minor. Matthew Farwell, 38, of North Easton, Mass., has been indicted on one count of killing a witness or victim. Farwell was arrested this morning and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 2:30 p.m. today. According to the indictment, on or about Feb. 1, 2021, Farwell allegedly killed Sandra Birchmore by strangulation. It is alleged that Farwell staged her body and apartment to make it appear as if Birchmore had committed suicide. The indictment alleges that Farwell killed Birchmore with the intent to prevent law enforcement from learning about Farwell’s commission or possible commission of federal offenses. According to court documents, Farwell was a sworn officer of the Stoughton Police Department beginning on or about March 27, 2012, until on or about April 1, 2022. In his capacity as a police officer, Farwell served as an instructor for the Stoughton Police Department’s Explorer’s Program, which is a vocational education program designed for youth to learn about careers in law enforcement. Sandra Birchmore joined the Stoughton Explorers Program in 2010, when she was 12 years old. Farwell allegedly used his authority and access to groom, sexually exploit and ultimately sexually abuse Birchmore when she was 15 years old and continued to have sex with her when she became an adult. On several occasions, Farwell allegedly engaged in sex acts with Birchmore while on duty as a Stoughton police officer. To conceal this activity, it is alleged that Farwell falsely represented that he had worked certain hours, when in fact he was not working but engaging in sex acts with the then-minor victim. Farwell’s sexual contact with Birchmore continued until her death on Feb. 1, 2021. In December 2020, Birchmore learned that she was pregnant. According to court documents, she was excited about the pregnancy: scheduling doctors’ appointments, purchasing items for childcare and telling loved ones how happy she was to become a mother. Soon after she learned she was pregnant, Birchmore told Farwell that he was the father of the child and that she expected him to be involved, at least in part, in the child’s life. Birchmore disclosed to loved ones that Farwell allegedly became violent with her when they discussed the pregnancy and his role in the child’s life. At one point while she was pregnant, Farwell allegedly held Birchmore in a headlock and told her that he wished she were dead. On or about Jan. 20, 2021, Birchmore’s friend called the Stoughton Police Department and referenced Farwell and Birchmore’s sexual relationship. Upon learning this, Farwell allegedly then sent Birchmore angry text messages and, a few days later – approximately one week prior to Birchmore’s death – Farwell visited Birchmore at her apartment in Canton and asked her if she could give him a spare apartment key and keep it a secret. It is further alleged that one week prior to her death, Farwell visited Birchmore’s apartment and began looking through her closets and bathroom, conduct which made her uncomfortable. The court documents allege that, on Feb. 1, 2021, facing perceived imminent disclosure of his criminal conduct, Farwell murdered Birchmore to silence her. According to court documents, while Birchmore’s death was initially ruled a suicide, the federal investigation probed old evidence and revealed critical new evidence leading to the charge against Farwell. The charge of killing a witness or victim carries a mandatory sentence of death or life in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, Stoughton Police Department and Norfolk District Attorney’s Office provided assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley, Torey B. Cummings and Brian A. Fogerty of the office’s Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Indictment Charges Santa Clarita Man, 6 Others with Facilitating Crime Tourism Group That Took in More Than $5 Million in Illicit Proceeds

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: INDICTMENT LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement today arrested six defendants that a federal grand jury charged in a 46-count indictment alleging a Santa Clarita Valley man facilitated a crime tourism group of South Americans and other individuals who engaged in burglaries, thefts, and other crimes throughout the United States, then laundered millions of dollars in illicit proceeds. The indictment, returned on August 1 and unsealed today, charges seven defendants with multiple felony offenses, including wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and structuring transactions to avoid federal financial reporting requirements. Crime tourism theft groups are comprised of individuals, often originating from outside of the United States, including from South America and elsewhere, who engage in burglaries, thefts, and other crimes throughout the U.S. As part of the modus operandi of crime tourism theft groups, individuals would enter the United States and engage in theft crime sprees. The fruits of the thefts were often shared with facilitators and co-conspirators who assisted the crime tourists in the commission of their crimes, as well as others, both inside and outside the United States. “Crime tourism is a major problem impacting not just Southern California, but our entire nation,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “These defendants facilitated and directed crime tourists who committed hundreds of robberies across the country – in essence, they acted as quarterbacks for a team of thieves. We will continue to work with our local partners to hold accountable those who would come to our country and take advantage of our liberties to steal from the American people.” “Today, we dismantled a non-traditional facilitator of organized crime, and now we have a blueprint for future investigations,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “We hope these arrests will discourage future businesses from conducting similar operations, thus reducing the number of thefts and burglaries in our communities.” “This investigation required years of hard work and dedication on behalf of the Los Angeles Police Department and our partners,” said LAPD Chief, Dominic Choi. “I’m pleased that our collective efforts have resulted in the apprehension of these career criminals who have made it their business to victimize our residents and facilitate the movement of foreign criminals. I’m convinced that having them off the streets makes our communities safer.” According to the indictment, Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 57, a.k.a. “Parcero,” of Canyon Country, and his live-in girlfriend, Ana Maria Arriagada, 41, a.k.a. “Parcera,” controlled and operated defendant Driver Power Rentals (DPR), a Van Nuys-based car rental or dealership business. Arriagada was DPR’s registered owner. From at least January 2018 to July 2024, Thola-Duran directed associates, often members of crime tourism theft groups traveling from South America, to travel to various parts of the United States to commit thefts, including shoplifting goods from stores, burglarizing residences and commercial businesses, and stealing victims’ credit cards and debit cards. Thola-Duran, Arriagada, and DPR provided DPR vehicles for the thief co-conspirators to drive throughout the United States to commit thefts and burglaries and – to make the car rentals appear legitimate and maintain anonymity – require their co-conspirators to provide false identification when renting a vehicle for DPR’s records. Thola-Duran and Arriagada directed the thief co-conspirators who stole credit or debit cards to immediately go to stores such as Target, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others to max out the stolen cards by purchasing electronics, gift cards, designer purses and other high-end luxury goods before the stolen cards could be frozen or cancelled. Then, Thola-Duran arranged to the thieves to deliver stolen or fraudulently obtained goods to associates at DPR or to mail them to other co-conspirators, including defendant Miguel Angel Barajas, 57, of Northridge, or to other conspirators at a FedEx store in Sherman Oaks. At Thola-Duran’s direction, defendants Barajas, John Carlo Thola, 33, of Canoga Park, and others picked up the parcels then delivered them to Thola-Duran and other conspirators. Thola-Duran then acted as a “fence” to buy the goods – at a fraction of their retail value – and pay the thieves a percentage of the items’ value. He then sold the stolen goods to other buyers for approximately $5.5 million over the course of the conspiracy, including approximately $5.1 million sent to various bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators. The defendants allegedly used their ill-gotten gains to purchase and maintain assets, including real estate and horses, and structured cash withdrawals to avoid triggering the requirement that banks report transactions exceeding $10,000 to the U.S. Treasury Department. The indictment further alleges that Thola-Duran, Arriagada, and others from May 2020 to June 2021 conspired to fraudulently obtain $274,998 in COVID-19 business relief loans. “Since 2019, we have arrested over 130 suspects responsible for perpetrating these crimes, with the vast majority using cars supplied by Driver Power Rentals,” said Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff. “Our efforts aren’t stopping there. We formally partnered with the FBI, creating the Ventura County Major Theft Task Force. This task force has been instrumental in pursuing federal charges against Thola-Duran and other members of his criminal organization.” “Driver Power Rentals provided cars that were allegedly used to take high-end merchandise and jewelry from Ventura County homeowners,” said Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “Taking down a key operator who fueled crime tourism is essential to neighborhood safety, and I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Estrada and his team for aggressively prosecuting this network.” “These criminals were running a burglary operation with a sophistication that rivals Amazon and instead of dispatching delivery drivers, they were dispatching trained thieves throughout Southern California to steal from what should be where we are safest – our homes,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “Crime doesn’t pay in Orange County and individuals who engage in crime tourism are on notice that my office will work with our local and federal partners to continue demanding accountability and bringing those who victimize our community to justice.” An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud- and money laundering-related count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each structuring count, and up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate count. The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office are investigating this matter. The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Meriwether County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office and the Scottsdale (Arizona) Police Department provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Chou and Lindsay M. Bailey of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan J. Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Richland Man Indicted for Stealing More than $339,000 in COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington - On August 21, 2024, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an Indictment charging Gilbert Orosco, of Richland, Washington, with ten counts of conspiracy, fraud, and aggravated identify theft. Orozco made his first appearance in Federal Court on August 27, 2024. The Indictment alleges that, beginning in July 2020, Orosco took part in a scheme in which he defrauded the United States government and the governments of California, Nevada, and Arizona to obtain money from the states’ COVID relief programs in the form of unemployment insurance proceeds funded, in part, by the United States government. Specifically, Orosco conspired with co-conspirators who acquired personal information from others and used it to fraudulently make mass online applications for money earmarked by the states to provide unemployment insurance relief for those who lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic. The indictment alleges Orosco’s co-conspirators created and submitted false and fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance on behalf of individuals who were not seeking or eligible for the benefits, and did not know that their identities were being used to obtain benefits. Acting on the fraudulent applications, the states then mailed debit cards to Orosco’s home in Richland, Washington. According to the indictment, Orosco used the debit cards to withdraw cash from ATMs. After withdrawing the cash, Orosco would convert the money into cryptocurrency or money orders. Orosco would then allegedly use those assets himself or transfer them to co-conspirators. The indictment alleges, between July 2020 and December 2021, unemployment insurance claims on behalf of approximately 70 different individuals were filed with state work force agencies, including in California, Nevada, and Arizona, that listed Orosco’s residence in Richland, Washington. Debit cards were then mailed to Orosco’s residence in the names of these individuals. According to the indictment, during this period, Orosco used the debit cards in other people’s names to make 347 ATM withdrawals totaling approximately $282,814. Orosco also made another approximately 30 transactions using the debit cards at Winco, Albertson’s, and USPS locations in the Eastern District of Washington totaling approximately $57,095. “Many people who lost their jobs during the pandemic were dependent on COVID-19 relief programs for financial support during an unprecedented time of uncertainty,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the COVID-19 Fraud Strike force to protect everyone who relied on those critical funds and to combat pandemic-related fraud.” This case was investigated by the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General COVID Fraud Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Chatham County man awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to making a bomb threat

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: A Chatham County man faces a possible five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to making a bomb threat. Mohammed Arafat Afaneh , 28, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to False Information and Hoaxes, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Afaneh to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison and substantial financial penalties, and up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Bomb threats terrorize innocent people and needlessly burden first responders with identifying and investigating the reported danger,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Such threats exacerbate tensions in a world already on edge; this defendant and any other person considering a similar course of conduct will face serious consequences for their actions.” As described in court documents and testimony, on Nov. 17, 2023, Afaneh wrote and published a social media post on Facebook and Instagram stating, “They said there is a BOMB inside the WTOC Center on Chatham Parkway that will detonate at 3 p.m. It’s in one of the employees (sic) trunks. #Helpppppp!!!!! My friends are housed in the jail next door.” Afaneh’s hoax resulted in evacuations of the office park – which houses the federal courthouse and a television station – and caused emergency responses from multiple agencies including the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Savannah Police Department, and the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators determined the threat was a hoax. Afaneh was later located and arrested on unrelated state charges in Louisville, Kentucky, and remanded to the custody of U.S. Marshals. “We will not normalize violent threats in America, whether targeting businesses, federal courthouses, or average citizens,” said FBI Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brian Ozden. “The FBI will pursue to the fullest extent of the law anyone who threatens violence.” The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and L. Alexander Hamner.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced For Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $3.5 Million In Covid-19 Cares Act Loans

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, the Honorable Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Rudolph Brooks, age 48, of Cheltenham, Maryland, to 18 months in federal prison followed by 2 years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining over $3.5 million in COVID-19 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. The Court also ordered Brooks to forfeit all property and assets derived from or obtained as a result of his criminal activity, including a 2018 Tesla Model 3, property located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and at least $2,231,141.49 from 17 bank accounts controlled by Brooks. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge, Jeffrey D. Pittano, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region; Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Region Investigations Division of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG). The CARES Act was enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic consequences of COVID-19. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for employee retention and certain business expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). According to court documents, between April 2020 and September 2021, Brooks, who at times served as pastor at Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries, participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain PPP loans, used the loan proceeds for his personal enrichment, and concealed his misappropriation of the funds by laundering the loan proceeds. As stated in the plea agreement, Brooks used several entities to apply for PPP loans, including Cars Direct by Gavawn HWD Bob’s Motors (Cars Direct), Kingdom Tabernacle of Restoration Ministries, and Madaro, LLC. In each case, Brooks grossly inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll, and submitted fraudulent IRS Forms 940, Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return, and other fraudulent IRS forms to support the loan applications. For example, on May 12, 2020, Brooks received $1,556,589 in fraudulently-obtained PPP loan proceeds, deposited directly into a Cars Direct bank account on which Brooks was the sole signator. He also received $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained PPP loan proceeds, deposited directly into a Kingdom Tabernacle bank account on which Brooks was the sole signator. Similarly, on May 13, 2020, Brooks received $204,266 in such proceeds, deposited directly into a Madaro bank account in which Brooks was the sole signator. Brooks admitted that he used the loan proceeds for his personal benefit and on payments and purchases not permissible under PPP, such as for a residence; for a luxury vehicle; and, for restaurant, retail store and grocery purchases. Brooks also made cash withdrawals and transfers to other accounts under his control. For example, Brooks opened a bank account in the name of Payroll by BJM, into which he transferred $500,000 of the Cars Direct PPP loan proceeds. Brooks also registered Payroll by BJM with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, listing himself as “member” and sole signator. Although the name Payroll by BJM created the appearance that the account was associated with a payroll company, there were no payroll or payroll-related expenses paid from this account. In addition, Brooks initiated numerous transfers of PPP loan funds, totaling approximately $196,000, from the Cars Direct account to his personal bank accounts. Of this amount, Brooks wired $60,407 to Tesla Motors Inc. on July 30, 2020, to purchase a 2018 Tesla Model 3 in the name of Brooks’ son, which was ultimately registered in Maryland in Brooks’ own name. On February 5, 2021, Brooks transferred $750,000 in proceeds from the Kingdom Tabernacle PPP loan to a bank account in the name of Madaro, for which Brooks was the sole signator. On May 17, 2021, Brooks initiated a wire transfer of $507,010 to a title company to purchase property in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in the name of “Rudolph Brooks.” The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of three strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FDIC OIG, the IRS-CI, the FBI, and the SBA OIG for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach .


title: Former MPD Officer Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Scheme that Sold Personal Data of Traffic Crash Victims

body_text: WASHINGTON – Vincent Forrest, 36, a former patrol officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 20 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme in which he unlawfully provided non-public police information in exchange for cash payments. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office. On January 11, 2024, Forrest, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty of conspiracy, bribery, and making false statements following a jury trial. In addition to the prison term, Forrest was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit $15,000.01. According to the government’s trial evidence, beginning in April 2019, Forrest -- in violation of his official duties -- used his official access to MPD’s law enforcement sensitive database to review and record victim contact information from traffic accident reports that contained the names and contact information of individuals involved in traffic accidents. Forrest sent the victim contact information to Raquel DePaula, 43, of Beltsville, Maryland, using an encrypted communications application. DePaula, who owned RD Legal Solutions, LLC, acted as a “runner,” providing victim contact information to local attorneys in exchange for referral fees. The attorneys then reached out to the accident victims within days of their traffic accidents in violation of D.C. law. DePaula testified at trial that she paid Forrest between approximately $1,200 and $1,800 in bribe payments per week in exchange for the victim contact information. The evidence at trial showed that over the course of the scheme, she paid Forrest over $15,000 and received contact information for 2,667 traffic crash victims. On October 6, 2021, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, DePaula pleaded guilty to one count of bribery of a public official. On April 1, 2024, she was sentenced to five years of probation. DePaula and Forrest are the sixth and seventh defendants to be convicted in connection with the illegal sale of traffic crash reports by MPD officers. Previously, MPD Officers Walter Lee and Kendra Coles, MPD employee Aaron Willis, business owner Marvin Parker and law firm employee Michelle Cage pleaded guilty to related charges. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD’s Internal Affairs Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Rothstein and Madhu Chugh of the Fraud, Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with valuable assistance provided by Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe. 21cr431


title: Former Church Office Manager Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Ordered to Repay more than $910k

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Katrenia Hartman, 55, of Sand Springs for Bank Fraud and Willfully Making and Subscribing a False Federal Income Tax Return. Judge Frizzell ordered Hartman to be imprisoned for 30 months, followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, Hartman is ordered to pay the IRS more than $177k in restitution and more than $735k to the church she defrauded. According to court documents, Hartman was a church office manager for over 16 years. She was entrusted with various duties, including payroll, church bills, and bank deposits. In 2016, Hartman began abusing the trust bestowed upon her. As an authorized signatory, Hartman would sign checks she made out to herself and forge the additional signature needed. Hartman then tried to conceal her tracks by entering false descriptions into the church’s bookkeeping system. While Hartman was receiving the fraudulent funds, she failed to report the increase in her income to the IRS. She also claimed more than $78k in fake medical and dental expenses in order to reduce her tax liability. Hartman was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The U.S. Secret Service, IRS - Criminal Investigations, and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple prosecuted it.


title: Seven-Time Convicted Felon Found Guilty Following Federal Jury Trial

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Anthony Tyrone Mackey (41, Jacksonville) guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mackey faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to the indictment and evidence presented at trial, on March 29, 2023, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office stopped Mackey for a traffic infraction near the 5800 block of University Boulevard in Jacksonville. At the time, Mackey was the sole occupant of the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located a 12-gauge shotgun on the back passenger-side floorboard and a .25 caliber pistol in a backpack on the back passenger seat. DNA analysis later showed that Mackey’s DNA was found on the shotgun and the shotgun’s magazine. Mackey was barred from possessing firearms because he had been previously convicted of seven felonies, including possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, aggravated assault, and aggravated fleeing or attempted to elude a law enforcement officer. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Cannizzaro and Brenna Falzetta. 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: Secret North Carolina Fentanyl Lab Gets Armed Trafficker 27 Years

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Quavion Maurice Pickett, a/k/a “Q,” a 30-year-old resident of Rock Hill, South Carolina has been sentenced to 324 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release, and a forfeiture of over $72,000, for trafficking fentanyl pills in the Fayetteville area which he manufactured in a makeshift lab in a laundry room. Pickett pled guilty on April 24, 2024. “Counterfeit pills made with deadly fentanyl in filthy makeshift labs are turning up everywhere. This trafficker was caught with three kilos of fentanyl, a high-capacity pill press, cash, and tens of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “These pills are made with zero quality-control, with narcotics being mixed in plastic bins and store-bought blenders by reckless, money-hungry narcotics dealers who care only about money and care nothing for human life. Never, ever, take a pill bought on the street or online that isn’t prescribed by a real doctor. You are gambling with your life.” “The Fayetteville Police Department continues to work collaboratively with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we continue to aggressively combat narcotic trafficking affecting our community,” said Kemberle Braden, Fayetteville Chief of Police. According to the court documents and other information presented in court, in April 2022, officers with the Fayetteville Police Department became aware of the drug distribution activities of Pickett through information provided by a confidential informant. Ultimately, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Pickett’s residence in Fayetteville and observed what appeared to be drug transactions conducted by Pickett on multiple occasions. Law enforcement searched a residence where Pickett was living. While executing the search warrant, law enforcement discovered a counterfeit pill making operation in the laundry room of the residence complete with a pill press, large plastic tote containers covered in light blue powder residue, multiple digital scales, multiple knotted plastic baggies containing pressed tablets, plastic baggies, a blender covered in powder residue, various full and empty bags containing different colored cutting agents, a money counter covered in powder residue, various metal hand tools, a funnel, pill press die molds, loose blue tablets, and a baggie containing yellow, white, and blue tablets. In Pickett’s bedroom law enforcement located and seized baggies containing 157 pressed pills, over $70,000 in cash in a shoe box, a loaded .45 caliber handgun, and a jar and baggie containing an unspecified amount of marijuana. Additionally, officers recovered an additional $1,760 in cash on Pickett. The amount of fentanyl seized from the residence totaled 3.1 kilos of fentanyl. The fentanyl pills seized had pressed markings of “A215,” designed to appear to be oxycodone hydrochloride 30 milligram pills. Following his arrest by state officials, investigators received reliable information that he had purchased the pill press used in this operation about eight months prior to his arrest and was responsible for purchasing multiple kilograms of fentanyl used for making these pills. Pickett was subsequently indicted by the Eastern District of North Carolina after which federal arrest warrants were issued for Pickett’s arrest. Law enforcement arrested Pickett on October 26, 2022, in South Carolina where he was residing at the time. During the arrest law enforcement located and seized a duffle bag with 11 baggies containing a total of 19,016 pressed fentanyl pills inside, as well as two baggies of fentanyl powder weighing approximately 294.85 grams, a sifter, a grinding bowl, three plastic containers with powder residue, and drug packaging materials. A digital scale, marijuana, two cellphones, and $5,525 in cash were also seized. Between September 30, 2021, until October 26, 2022, Pickett was found to be responsible for possession with intent to distribute 8,706.98 grams of fentanyl and 10.50 grams of marijuana. Pickett also maintained a premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing a controlled substance, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Furthermore, based upon Pickett’s imprinting the pills with specific numbers associated with prescription pills for distribution, as well as text messages seized from Pickett’s cellphone the Court found that Pickett knowingly misrepresented a substance containing fentanyl as something other than fentanyl. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci 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 number 5:22-CR-00259-M-RJ.


title: Three Men Indicted In Marion County For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of three indictments separately charging Devin Joseph Rivera (24, Ocala), Rickey Lee Miller, Jr. (45, Ocala), and Obdy Mencia Guerrero (40, Honduras) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Mencia Guerrero has been charged with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. If convicted of the enticement offense, Rivera, Miller, and Mencia Guerrero each face a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Mencia Guerrero also faces up to an additional 2 years’ imprisonment for the illegal re-entry offense. All three individuals are currently detained pending the resolution of their criminal cases. Devin Joseph Rivera According to court records, on July 26, 2024, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations posed undercover (UC) as a 13-year-old girl on an online social media platform. Rivera contacted the undercover agent’s account. The conversation between Rivera and the UC spanned three different online messaging platforms. Rivera engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the UC, whom Rivera believed was a 13-year-old girl. Rivera and the UC agreed to meet at a predetermined location in Marion County to have sex. When Rivera arrived at that location, he was arrested by law enforcement. A search of Rivera’s person revealed an opened condom and a cellphone. The cellphone was confirmed to be the same one used to communicate with the undercover detective. Rickey Lee Miller, Jr. According to court records, on July 27, 2024, a detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging platform. Miller contacted the undercover detective’s account and asked if she wanted to “hang out.” Miller then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the detective. During the conversation, Miller asked the detective if she would be interested in having “some fun” with himself and a friend. Miller asked the detective to lie to his friend, stating, “and one more thing will you tell my friend your 18 I really don’t want her to know your real age.” Ultimately, Miller and his friend arrived at a predetermined location to meet with the minor. Miller was arrested by law enforcement. The cellphone in Miller’s vehicle was confirmed to be the same one used to communicate with the undercover detective. Obdy Mencia Guerrero According to court documents, on July 27, 2024, Mencia Guerrero contacted an undercover MCSO deputy who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. After acknowledging the undercover deputy’s age, Mencia Guerrero told her they could have sex. Mencia Guerrero and the deputy arranged to meet at a location in Marion County. Upon his arrival at the location, Mencia Guerrero was arrested. Mencia Guerrero is a citizen of Honduras. He was previously deported from the United States on four occasions—January 16, 2003, April 11, 2011, August 8, 2011, and June 2, 2014. He never had obtained permission to lawfully re-enter the United States. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. These cases were investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Post Falls Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: COEUR D’ALENE – Kevin Richmond, 63, of Post Falls, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the crime of sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced Richmond to 20 years in federal prison with a lifetime of supervision to follow. Richmond was also ordered to pay $38,000 in restitution to his victims. According to court records, in December 2022, law enforcement received several tips that Richmond was uploading child pornography to a data storage service. Based on the tips, a federal magistrate judge issued a search warrant for Richmond’s online account. Law enforcement executed the search warrant and examined the contents of his online data storage account. In Richmond’s online accounts, law enforcement confirmed that he was in possession of child pornography. Law enforcement additionally discovered that Richmond was not only possessing child pornography, but he was also producing child pornography with a victim child. Based on this discovery, a federal magistrate judge issued an additional search warrant authorizing law enforcement to seize digital devices from Richmond’s residence in Post Falls. Law enforcement executed this search warrant at Richmond’s residence where they found a cell phone belonging to him. Law enforcement forensically analyzed the phone and found child pornography on the device. Law enforcement also discovered that Richmond had online communications where he claimed he had access to a minor child for sexual purposes. Law enforcement interviewed Richmond on the same day law enforcement executed the search warrant on his home. After law enforcement advised Richmond of his Miranda rights, he consented to an interview. During the interview, he admitted that he received child pornography from an internet application. Richmond also admitted to producing child pornography with an actual child using his cell phone. He admitted that he had the child engaged in a sexual act as part of a sexual fantasy. He admitted to adding the child’s name to the child pornography that he produced. “We hope for healing for the victims of this horrific case,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Idahoans should know our office and our law enforcement partners have no higher calling than protecting children, and anyone out there engaging in the abuse of children should know that we will spare no effort to find them and hold them accountable just like this defendant.” “The sentencing of Mr. Richmond to federal prison for sexual exploitation of children represents a significant step in our ongoing efforts to protect the community, particularly our children, from those who pose a severe threat,” said Post Falls Police Chief Greg McLean. “This case underscores the importance of vigilance and collaboration among law enforcement agencies to ensure that individuals who engage in such heinous crimes are held accountable”. “It took the dedicated teamwork of ICAC and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and all our partner agencies working together to put this predator behind bars where he can no longer hurt our kids,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “I’m grateful for the hard work of everyone involved – the prosecutors, the investigators, and the judge who clearly saw the danger presented to our community.” “The U.S. Secret Service will continue to use all the tools, resources and expertise at our disposal to ensure that individuals, such as Mr. Richmond, are held accountable for crimes against children,” said Special Agent in Charge Glen T. Peterson. “The U.S. Secret Service stands firmly with our law enforcement partners like the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Post Falls Police Department and the ICAC Task Force as we investigate these crimes and bring these offenders to justice.” U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Post Falls Police Department, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the U.S. Secret Service, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Johnson, Kassandra McGrady, and David Robins prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Federal judge convicts Great Falls woman for 2021 crash on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation that resulted in serious bodily injury

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A U.S. District Court judge on Aug. 27 convicted a Great Falls woman for a December 2021 crash on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation that resulted in serious bodily injuries to a juvenile passenger, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. After a one-day bench trial on Aug. 27, Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris found the defendant, Noblee Rose Littledog, 23, of Great Falls, guilty of assault resulting in serious bodily injury as charged in an indictment. Littledog faces a maximum of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Jan. 9, 2025, and continued Littledog’s release pending further proceedings. “Reckless driving often ends tragically, but driving recklessly while also consuming alcohol almost always guarantees someone will be severely injured, which is exactly what happened here. Our office, as well as the victim’s family, are relieved and thankful for the guilty verdict because accountability will now rightfully occur for Littledog. I applaud and thank the entire Blackfeet prosecution team, including Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, the Montana Highway Patrol, and the FBI for their outstanding work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Dec. 1, 2021, Littledog was driving a 2019 Jeep Cherokee on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation with the victim, a passenger identified as Jane Doe, who was 17 years old. While driving on a secondary highway between BIA Route 1 and U.S. Highway 89, Littledog passed two vehicles at a high rate of speed in a no passing zone. Littledog failed to negotiate the corner, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway, rolling approximately five times. The vehicle was destroyed and both occupants were injured. Jane Doe was pinned in the passenger seat. Emergency responders had to cut Jane Doe from the car before they could triage her injures. Jane Doe suffered severe trauma to her lower extremities that has caused permanent damage. Law enforcement seized the vehicle’s event data recorder and analyzed the data. At trial, the government presented evidence that the data captured by the vehicle showed that seconds before the crash, Littledog was traveling at a minimum speed of 105.6 mph. The data also showed that both occupants were restrained at the time of the crash. Jane Doe reported that Littledog had consumed alcohol on the drive, and Littledog told law enforcement at the hospital that she had consumed two alcoholic beverages approximately 30 to 40 minutes before the crash. Evidence at the scene of the crash matched her description of the alcohol she reported consuming. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Montana Highway Patrol and the FBI conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Cut Bank Police Department. XXX