title: Non-Profit Middle East Institute to Pay $718,558 to Resolve PPP Fraud Allegations

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON –The Middle East Institute, a Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization, has agreed to pay $718,558 to settle allegations that the organization violated the False Claims Act when it applied for and received a $359,279 second-draw loan under the Paycheck Protection Act Program of the CARES Disaster Relief Program, and when it further applied for and was granted forgiveness of the entire amount of the loan. The agreement was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Eastern Region. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small business and other entities, including non-profit organizations, struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. Under the applicable provision of the CARES Act, a business concern or other entity, including a nonprofit organization, is not eligible to receive a second draw loan if it is primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, which shall include any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public document. At the time it applied for the second draw PPP loan, the Middle East Institute certified to the SBA in the loan application that it was “not a business concern or entity primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including any entity that is organized for research or for engaging in advocacy in areas such as public policy or political strategy or otherwise describes itself as a think tank in any public documents.” It further certified in the loan forgiveness application that it met the conditions for receiving the second draw PPP loan. The Middle East Institute contends that any misstatements in this application were inadvertent. Under the False Claims Act, a party found to violate the Act must pay three-times the amount of damage to the United States. Had the Middle East Institute been found liable to the United States under the False Claims Act, it would have been ordered to pay three times the amount of the loan and lost interest, along with civil penalties for each certification made in the loan application and forgiveness application. In connection with this settlement, the Middle East Institute agreed to pay an amount equal to two-times the loan amount, or $718,558. The settlement announced today stems from a Federal investigation that was initiated when another public interest group, TZAC, filed a whistleblower complaint pursuant to the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability in the civil case. The civil settlement was the result of an investigation by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez and Auditor Timothy Hurley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. U.S. Attorney Graves commended Attorneys Gary Fox and Kandace Zeyala of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for their assistance in the investigation and settlement negotiations. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. TZAC v. The Middle East Institute . Tips and complaint regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . 21cr3405


title: Staten Island Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and the Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl Causing Death and Serious Injury

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Keith Wyche was sentenced by United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry to 40 years in prison for distribution of heroin and fentanyl causing the death of a Staten Island man, distribution of heroin causing the overdose of a Staten Island woman, conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and distribution of heroin and fentanyl. Wyche and co-defendant Oneil Allen were convicted by a federal jury in February 2023 following a three-week trial. Allen was previously sentenced to 30 years in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence. “Both defendants have been punished with very long jail sentences for pushing drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, which tragically claimed the life of one victim and nearly killed another member of our Staten Island community,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I commend the outstanding work of the NYPD and the FBI in determining who was responsible for trafficking these drugs and holding them accountable for the pain, death and harm they caused.” “Addiction is an unbelievably insidious and grotesque demon. Drugs envelop and take over people's lives, and the criminals who supply them use the disease to cash in on everyone else's pain. Both Wyche and Allen have now been served justice for the injustice they inflicted on their victims,” stated FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Dennehy. “Today’s sentencing marks a victory in the NYPD’s battle against illicit drug trafficking and serves as a reminder of our unwavering commitment to hold accountable anyone who puts monetary gain above the lives of New Yorkers,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “We vow to keep pursuing those who peddle illegal drugs in our neighborhoods, and we commend all of our law enforcement partners for their continuing efforts to help stem the opioid crisis.” Between February 2017 and September 2018, the defendants operated a drug delivery service in Staten Island selling heroin and fentanyl and preying upon those suffering from narcotics addiction. Each day, Wyche and Allen sent out a mass text message advertising that they were open for business. After receiving orders from their customers, the defendants would drive to a preselected location and hand deliver drugs. The defendants would then return to a New Jersey apartment where they packaged the narcotics. On April 18, 2017, a 43-year-old Staten Island man (John Doe) was found dead in his bathroom by his father. When NYPD detectives responded, they found a syringe containing fentanyl on the floor near the deceased victim’s body along with glassines containing fentanyl. The detectives reviewed the victim’s phone and found recent text messages between him and a person named “Marco 5” who was later revealed to be Wyche. On October 27, 2017, a then-28-year-old Staten Island woman (Jane Doe) purchased heroin from the defendants, ingested it, and promptly suffered an overdose. First responders saved her life by quickly administering Narcan and transporting her to the hospital. A review of text messages in Jane Doe’s phone showed messages similar to those found in John Doe’s phone. Jane Doe testified at trial that she frequently purchased heroin from the defendants and later assisted law enforcement in gathering additional evidence against them. The case is being handled by the Organized Crime and Gangs Section and the General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Irisa Chen and Gilbert Rein are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Teri Carby. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendants : KEITH WYCHE Age: 38 Staten Island, New York ONEIL ALLEN Age: 31 Staten Island, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-561 (S-1) (DLI)


title: Mexican citizen sent to prison after sharing child pornography on peer-to-peer network

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 33-year-old Mexican national residing illegally in the United States has been sentenced for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Juan Francisco Meza-Chavez pleaded guilty Sept. 5, 2023. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Meza-Chavez to serve 97 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court considered victim impact statements and ordered $45,000 in restitution to be paid to them. Meza-Chavez was further ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release to be served following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. The investigation began in May 2022 following an investigation into the BitTorrent network in which they were able to identify the IP addresses of individuals sharing child pornography. They linked one of the IP addresses to Meza-Chavez. On Oct. 13, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Meza-Chavez’s residence. There, authorities seized numerous electronic devices capable of storing child pornography. A forensic analysis of the devices resulted in the discovery of 40 videos and 11 images of child pornography. Meza-Chavez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Browning man sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting elderly small business owner on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted to beating an elderly small business owner while demanding money was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Frederick Melvin Noon, Jr., 39, pleaded guilty in January to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court also ordered Noon pay $2,500 for reported lost wages. In court documents, the government alleged that on March 21, 2023, Noon assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, a small business owner who was in his 70s, while demanding money. Noon was intoxicated when he walked into the business and demanded money. When Doe refused, Noon became angry and started demanding that Doe retrieve money from a back room. Doe gave Noon a few dollars, but Doe was unsatisfied and began assaulting Doe. Noon grabbed Doe by the head and started scratching him, then threw him to the ground. Doe suffered broken bones and underwent surgery for injuries from the assault. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Central American Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally  Reentering the United States After Being Deported Four Times

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison. Manuel De Jesus Segovia, age 48, a citizen of El Salvador illegally present in the United States and residing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 3, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Segovia admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Segovia first illegally entered the United States in October 2004 and was apprehended by immigration officials at the border. Segovia was released on his own recognizance and absconded from ICE supervision. Segovia was not found by immigration officials until March 2007 and was first deported in June 2007. Segovia was again deported in March 2014 after illegally reentering the United States. On two consecutive days in June 2022, Segovia was apprehended at the border and returned to Mexico. On March 13, 2024, immigration officials learned Segovia had illegally returned to the United States and arrested him near his residence in Cedar Rapids. Segovia was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Segovia was sentenced to 98 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Segovia is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-23. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: MS-13 members and associates sentenced for racketeering and narcotics conspiracies and four murders

component: Criminal - Violent Crime and Racketeering Section

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The last defendant of the six La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members who were convicted at two separate federal trials was sentenced today. The six defendants were sentenced for racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and offenses related to the murders of four men in 2019. According to court documents and evidence presented in the two trials, the six defendants were members of MS-13’s Sitios Locos Salvatrucha clique (STLS), which operated in Northern Virginia and elsewhere for years. From at least 2017 through 2020, MS-13 members and associates regularly travelled to and from Long Island, New York, for the purpose of obtaining cocaine from Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez, STLS’s leader in the United States. From there, MS-13 members would transport the cocaine to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to be sold in nightclubs and bars. STLS used the proceeds of their cocaine sales to purchase more cocaine to sell, to buy weapons, and to support other MS-13 members in the United States and El Salvador. “These defendants—members of the violent MS-13 gang—sold drugs to fuel the gang’s business, surveilled and tracked rival gang members, and even murdered innocent victims, all to increase the grip that MS-13 had on the community,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With today’s sentencing, we are holding these defendants accountable for the havoc they wreaked. The Criminal Division, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, is committed to combatting violent criminal organizations that victimize our communities.” In the spring of 2019, Menjivar and Melvin Canales Saldana, STLS’s second-in-command in the United States, ordered members to begin committing murders so that the junior members could rise in rank within MS-13 and amplify STLS’s prestige and control. In June 2019, three MS-13 members, including Cristian Arevalo Arias and Carlos Turcios Villatoro, lured Victim 1 and Victim 2 to a wooded area and murdered them by shooting and stabbing the victims. The MS-13 members believed Victim 1 belonged to a rival gang, and then murdered Victim 2 to avoid leaving any witnesses to Victim 1’s murder. “MS-13 represents a cycle of death in our society that cannot be tolerated and must be eradicated. MS-13 sells the poisons that destroy communities, families, and lives, and uses the profits to purchase the weapons they use to kill our people in the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is why federal, state, and local law enforcement employ a coordinated, comprehensive, and strategic approach to systematically dismantle these organizations and end their ability to do harm.” In August 2019, Canales ordered an MS-13 member to provide Arevalo with a firearm so that Arevalo, Manilester Andrade Rivas, and other MS-13 members could find and kill any rival gang member. Arevalo, Andrade, and others travelled to the Glen Arbor Apartments in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the hopes of encountering and murdering a rival. They encountered Victim 3, and Arevalo shot him to death. In September 2019, Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado travelled to Woodbridge from New York and spent hours driving around Northern Virginia and Maryland with two other MS-13 members, looking for a rival gang member to murder at random so that they could rise in rank. Unable to find a rival, the group finally decided to murder Victim 4, whom they observed walking home from a 7-Eleven in Dumfries, Virginia. Aguilera and another MS-13 member shot Victim 4 multiple times, killing him. “Today’s sentencing is another example of the FBI’s relentless commitment to bringing an end to violent transnational criminal enterprises like MS-13,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “If you engage in racketeering in the advancement of distributing narcotics, rest assured that we will not stop until you face the consequences of your actions.” “Members of MS-13 spread fear and violence throughout the country—often through senseless murders—but their control is not limitless,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “As evidenced by this case, the FBI will pursue individuals or groups who traffic in violence. We vow to continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational gangs that terrorize our neighborhoods.” Multiple MS-13 members and associates pleaded guilty prior to trial. Below is additional information about the defendants, all of whom are Salvadoran nationals, who were convicted at trial and have been sentenced. Name Age Residing in Convictions Sentence Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez 32 New York Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death Multiple life sentences Melvin Canales Saldana 32 New York Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution Multiple life sentences Cristian Arevalo Arias 28 Virginia Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing; cocaine distribution Multiple life sentences Carlos Turcios Villatoro 26 Maryland Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing Multiple life sentences Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado 28 New York Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death Multiple life sentences Manilester Andrade Rivas 34 Virginia Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution 14 years in prison The FBI and Prince William County Police Department investigated the case, with significant assistance from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Prince William County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Northern Virginia Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Cain for the Eastern District of Virginia and Deputy Chief Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, Operation City of Bridges. 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-cr-260.


title: MS-13 Members and Associates Sentenced for Racketeering and Narcotics Conspiracies and Four Murders

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

body_text: The last defendant of the six La Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang members who were convicted at two separate federal trials was sentenced today. The six defendants were sentenced for racketeering conspiracy, narcotics conspiracy, and offenses related to the murders of four men in 2019. According to court documents and evidence presented in the two trials, the six defendants were members of MS-13’s Sitios Locos Salvatrucha clique (STLS), which operated in Northern Virginia and elsewhere for years. From at least 2017 through 2020, MS-13 members and associates regularly travelled to and from Long Island, New York, for the purpose of obtaining cocaine from Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez, STLS’s leader in the United States. From there, MS-13 members would transport the cocaine to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area to be sold in nightclubs and bars. STLS used the proceeds of their cocaine sales to purchase more cocaine to sell, buy weapons, and support other MS-13 members in the United States and El Salvador. “These defendants—members of the violent MS-13 gang—sold drugs to fuel the gang’s business, surveilled and tracked rival gang members, and even murdered innocent victims, all to increase the grip that MS-13 had on the community,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With today’s sentencing, we are holding these defendants accountable for the havoc they wreaked. The Criminal Division, along with our federal and local law enforcement partners, is committed to combating violent criminal organizations that victimize our communities.” In the spring of 2019, Menjivar and Melvin Canales Saldana, STLS’s second-in-command in the United States, ordered members to begin committing murders so that the junior members could rise in rank within MS-13 and amplify STLS’s prestige and control. In June 2019, three MS-13 members, including Cristian Arevalo Arias and Carlos Turcios Villatoro, lured Victim 1 and Victim 2 to a wooded area and murdered them by shooting and stabbing the victims. The MS-13 members believed Victim 1 belonged to a rival gang, and then murdered Victim 2 to avoid leaving any witnesses to Victim 1’s murder. “MS-13 represents a cycle of death in our society that cannot be tolerated and must be eradicated. MS-13 sells the poisons that destroy communities, families, and lives, and uses the profits to purchase the weapons they use to kill our people in the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This is why federal, state, and local law enforcement employ a coordinated, comprehensive, and strategic approach to systematically dismantle these organizations and end their ability to do harm.” In August 2019, Canales ordered an MS-13 member to provide Arevalo with a firearm so that Arevalo, Manilester Andrade Rivas, and other MS-13 members could find and and kill any rival gang member. Arevalo, Andrade, and others travelled to the Glen Arbor Apartments in Woodbridge, Virginia, in the hopes of encountering and murdering a rival. They encountered Victim 3 and Arevalo shot him to death. In September 2019, Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado travelled to Woodbridge from New York and spent hours driving around Northern Virginia and Maryland with two other MS-13 members, looking for a rival gang member to murder at random so that they could rise in rank. Unable to find a rival, the group finally decided to murder Victim 4, whom they observed walking home from a 7-Eleven in Dumfries, Virginia. Aguilera and another MS-13 member shot Victim 4 multiple times, killing him. “Today’s sentencing is another example of the FBI’s relentless commitment to bringing an end to violent transnational criminal enterprises like MS-13,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “If you engage in racketeering in the advancement of distributing narcotics, rest assured that we will not stop until you face the consequences of your actions.” “Members of MS-13 spread fear and violence throughout the country—often through senseless murders—but their control is not limitless,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “As evidenced by this case, the FBI will pursue individuals or groups who traffic in violence. We vow to continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational gangs that terrorize our neighborhoods.” Multiple MS-13 members and associates pleaded guilty prior to trial. Below is additional information about the defendants, all of whom are Salvadoran nationals, who were convicted at trial and have been sentenced. Name Age Residing in Convictions Sentence Marvin Menjivar Gutierrez 32 New York Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death Multiple life sentences Melvin Canales Saldana 32 New York Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution Multiple life sentences Cristian Arevalo Arias 28 Virginia Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing; cocaine distribution Multiple life sentences Carlos Turcios Villatoro 26 Maryland Racketeering conspiracy; two counts of murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; two counts of use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death; witness tampering by killing Multiple life sentences Jairo Aguilera Sagastizado 28 New York Racketeering conspiracy; murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; use of firearm in federal violent crime resulting in death Multiple life sentences Manilester Andrade Rivas 34 Virginia Racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; cocaine distribution 14 years in prison The FBI and Prince William County Police Department investigated the case, with significant assistance from the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Prince William County Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, Northern Virginia Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Force, Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and U.S. Marshal Service. Deputy Chief Matthew Hoff of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Blanchard and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Cain for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, Operation City of Bridges. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Former Naples Airport Customs Officer Pleads Guilty To Stealing Cash From Airline Passengers

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that William Joseph Timothy (43, Ave Maria), a former Naples Airport U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer, today pleaded guilty to stealing cash from arriving international airline passengers during the course of his official duties. Timothy faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, between mid-2023 and early-2024, Timothy stole approximately $18,700 in cash from airline passengers during 17 incidents of theft uncovered by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility investigators. Evidence collected during the investigation showed that Timothy was surreptitiously stealing cash from arriving international passengers during border enforcement examinations and currency verifications performed as part of his official duties as an assigned CBP Officer at Naples Airport. As part of his plea agreement, Timothy has agreed to pay full restitution to the victims of his thefts, and he has further agreed to immediately resign from his employment with CBP. This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Child Pornography Sabin Francis Donohoe, 26, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Jun. 13. According to court documents, the defendant was a seasonal employee for a concessionaire in Yellowstone National Park in 2019. In August of 2019, he and his girlfriend visited the Fort Collins, Colorado area for a weekend where Donohoe lost his phone. Someone found the phone and saw child pornography on it while trying to identity the owner. They handed it over to the Loveland Police Department. The Loveland Police Department secured a search warrant and saw evidence of child pornography and a text message to call a number if the phone was found. The number belonged to Donohoe’s girlfriend. She identified him as the phone’s owner and gave the officer, who concealed his identity at the time, their address in Yellowstone. Officers from Loveland Police Department then contacted the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch, and a joint investigation was initiated. Detectives conducted a non-custodial interview of Donohoe. The next day he fled to Canada. He was eventually arrested in Canada on Jul. 25, 2022, and extradited back to the U.S. on Nov. 27, 2023 to face charges. This crime was investigated by the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch, the Loveland Police Department, and Yellowstone law enforcement officers. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne M. Martens. David Robert Land , 34, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment for access with intent to view child pornography. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Jun. 12. According to court documents, a Cybertip was sent to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) regarding an IP address and an email address that was downloading pre/early pubescent pornographic images. The investigation led officers to Land, who is a registered sex offender. Investigators found numerous images of child sexual abuse material on Land’s phone. He pleaded guilty to the sole count of the indictment on Jan. 16. This crime was investigated by DCI and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne M. Martens. Violent Crime Coal Donavan Weed , 34, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 31 months’ imprisonment for involuntary manslaughter with three years of supervised release. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Jun. 12. According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2022, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents were called to the scene of a fatal vehicle crash in Fort Washakie, located on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The victim, a passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene and Weed, the driver, was taken to the hospital. Weed consented to a blood draw that resulted in a blood alcohol concentration of .216%. Weed pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge on Mar. 4. This crime was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist. Leo Ernest Barnaby, Jr , 46, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced to time served, which at the time of sentencing was 13 months and 11 days in custody, and two years of supervised release for threatening a federal law enforcement officer. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Jun. 11. According to court documents, on Apr. 29, 2023, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation went to Barnaby’s house seeking additional information regarding a shooting that occurred the previous night. Barnaby wanted to take them to the location, but the agents did not want him to return to the scene. He became agitated and threated to kill the agents several times saying he had guns in the house and would use them. Unable to diffuse the situation, the agents left and obtained an arrest warrant. The FBI’s Colorado SWAT team was deployed to make the arrest, along with local law enforcement. Barnaby was taken into custody without incident. He pleaded guilty on Mar. 27. This crime was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist. Drug Trafficking Lane Scott Huntington , 43, of Bar Nunn, Wyoming, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison on two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, in Aug. 2023, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation was conducting a controlled purchase from a group of suspected drug dealers in Casper. After purchasing drugs from Huntington on Aug. 11., 2023, agents alerted the Wyoming Highway Patrol who conducted a traffic stop. At the same time, they requested a search warrant for his residence. They seized 30 fentanyl pills during the traffic stop and nearly 2,000 fentanyl pills in his residence. On Sept. 13, they conducted another search on his residence and seized another 680 fentanyl pills. Huntington was interviewed and admitted to being a drug dealer. He pleaded guilty on Mar. 24. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Jun 14. The crime was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ava Covert. Illegal Re-entry of a Previously Deported Alien Luis Juarez-Gavito, 28, of Cordoba, Veracruz, Mexico was sentenced to time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings, for illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, on Feb. 5, Juarez-Gavito was arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) for driving while under the influence. He was booked into Platte County Jail. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained his fingerprints. They matched pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating he had previously been deported. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Jun 13. About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Environmental Justice The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Victim Witness Assistance The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking


title: St. Paul Man Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Ammunition as a Felon and other Violations

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 77 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, and to a consecutive 10 months in prison for violating his conditions of federal supervised release, followed by three years of additional supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on July 5, 2023, Nakia Marquire Martin, 31, a female acquaintance, and her seven-year-old daughter, went to a sporting goods store in Woodbury, MN. While at the store the female purchased a semiautomatic .40-caliber firearm, while Martin walked into the ammunition section, took a 50-round box of.40-caliber ammunition from the shelf, and left the store with the ammunition without paying for it. Martin was on federal supervised release at the time for a 2018 firearms conviction. Because Martin has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. Martin pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024, to one count of felon in possession of ammunition. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Ann D. Montgomery. Martin was also sentenced to an additional 10 months, to be served consecutively to his 77 months in prison, for violating his supervised release terms and conditions resulting from the 2018 federal conviction. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Saint Paul Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors and Celebrates Historical Legacy of Juneteenth

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced today that she will join with Federal, State, and Local leaders, in celebrating Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. “Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865, more than two years after the emancipation proclamation took effect, when Major General Gordon Granger landed troops in Galveston, Texas and announced all enslaved persons in that state were now free,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “It is a chance to celebrate the progress made in the fight for civil rights. It is also a day to recognize the work still to be done and recommit ourselves to ensuring freedom and justice for all.” As part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office commitment to vigorously enforcing civil rights laws, the office’s United Against Hate program directly connects the United States Attorney’s Office and its local and federal law enforcement partners with a diverse group of community organizations to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. This community outreach program seeks to address the chronic underreporting of hate crimes and hate incidents and build strong relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve to share resources and respond to potential unlawful acts of hate more effectively. Consistent with this program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office created a dedicated hotline and online portal for complaints of civil rights violations in Eastern Washington. U.S. Attorney Waldref further emphasized everyone has a duty to help realize the goal of protecting marginalized groups and the public from hate-motivated crimes. “Working together we can create an Eastern Washington of shared values and foster hope that our communities can be safer, stronger, and more inclusive.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s online civil rights complaint form is available here . The form can be emailed to USAWAE.CivilRights@usdoj.gov, or concerns can be shared by leaving a voice mail for our Civil Rights Team at (509) 835-6306.


title: West Haven Woman Pleads Guilty to Diverting Narcotics from Dying VA Medical Center Patients

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office, announced that TARA SEVERINO, 58, of West Haven, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a charge of stemming from her diversion of narcotics from veterans under her care while she worked as a nurse at the West Haven VA Medical Center. According to court documents and statements made in court, from January to July 2023, Severino was employed as a registered nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (the “VA”) in West Haven and was assigned to the VA’s Intensive Care Unit (“ICU”) for sick or dying patients. While employed at the VA ICU, Severino ingested fentanyl, hydromorphone, and oxycodone intended for patients in her care. In some instances, Severino ingested the “waste” of a substance, meaning she administered part of the substance to a patient and ingested the remaining portion not used by the patient. In one instance, Severino repeatedly introduced fentanyl into the system of a braindead patient after claiming she observed him in pain and having a seizure. She introduced fentanyl to this patient approximately 19 times over a nine-day period so that she could divert some for herself. In other instances, Severino ingested doses of hydromorphone and fentanyl meant for dying veterans. This affected treatment decisions made by other medical staff who believed that the patients had been receiving, and were unresponsive to, their prescribed narcotics. In another instance, Severino volunteered to care for a patient not formally assigned to her, and diverted pain medication from him before he died. In order to cover up her crimes, Severino misrepresented in VA medical records and tracking systems that the narcotics been properly administered to the patient or, in the case of excess narcotics, had been properly disposed of. Severino pleaded guilty to obtaining controlled substances by fraud or subterfuge, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of four years. She is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on September 12. She is released on a $25,000 bond pending sentencing. If you or someone you know may have been victimized by the actions of the Tara Severino while she was employed at the VA, please contact Special Agent Abraham Raymond at (202) 262-2337 or abraham.raymond@va.gov . This matter is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Christopher Lembo.


title: Mexican National Who Illegally Reentered U.S. is Sentenced

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CARLOS FERNANDEZ-BARRITOS, also known as “Ricardo Fernandez,” 30, a citizen of Mexico formerly residing in East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 16 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 11, 2014, Fernandez was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to approximately 14 months of imprisonment, time already served, for his role in a narcotics trafficking ring. He was removed from the U.S. to Mexico in January 2015. On November 4, 2022, Fernandez was arrested by Hartford Police for disorderly conduct, threatening, assault in the third degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree, and interfering with police. He was released on a $20,000 bond shortly thereafter. On March 15, 2023, the East Hartford Police Department responded to a report that Fernandez had stabbed his domestic partner. Fernandez fled before police arrived. Fernandez has been detained since August 15, 2023, when he was arrested on federal criminal complaint charging him with illegally reentering the U.S. He pleaded guilty to the offense on May 3, 2024. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.


title: Malta man admits illegal possession of silencer

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Malta man admitted today to illegally possessing a silencer after law enforcement served a search warrant at his residence and found numerous firearms, a suppressor, drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Deric Ron Welch, 36, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered silencer. Welch faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 23. Welch was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on May 27, 2023 in Malta, law enforcement responded to a domestic violence call at Welch’s residence, and a state search warrant was obtained for the residence. Law enforcement recovered numerous firearms, one suppressor, drug paraphernalia and meth. An investigation determined that the silencer found in the search was a device for silencing or muffling a firearm and was not registered as required by federal law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Phillips County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN. XXX


title: Woman going to prison for her role in narcotics conspiracy operating in Jamestown, NY, area

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Kylie Reeves, 31, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that Reeves was part of a drug trafficking ring led by co-defendant Rocco Beardsley. Reeves distributed methamphetamine and heroin for Beardsley, who controlled the supply and set the prices. Reeves also allowed Beardsley to utilize her residence in Jamestown and she communicated with others on his behalf. In March 2020, Beardsley was arrested on New York State warrants following a traffic stop. Law enforcement officers recovered large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, hydrocodone, and other controlled substances from Beardsley’s vehicle. Investigator’s then searched Beardsley’s residence, recovering methamphetamine, a glass plate with white powder material, digital scale, and $185.00 in United States currency. Reeves and her three minor children also lived at the residence. Following Beardsley’s arrest, Reeves conducted drug trafficking activities on his behalf, communicating with co-conspirators, associates, suppliers, and customers in order to continue receiving proceeds. Beardsley was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Fort Hall Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Causing the Death of Her 7-Week-Old Baby by Methamphetamine Exposure

body_text: POCATELLO – Keisha Cody, 27, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for felony injury to a child, following the death of her seven-week-old baby boy on December 10, 2019, at Fort Hall, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, Cody admitted to recklessly causing the health of her child to be injured by willfully exposing the child to methamphetamine and causing the child to become malnourished, which resulted in the child’s death. On December 10, 2019, Fort Hall Police and an ambulance were called to Cody’s residence on the Fort Hall Reservation of the Shoshone‑Bannock Tribes because of a report of a child who was not breathing. A person staying at the residence that night told police that she woke up about 9:00 am and Cody was crying, stating that her baby would not wake up. Emergency medical personnel performed life-saving measures on the child, but the seven-week-old boy was later declared dead. An autopsy concluded that the cause of death was malnutrition, and that the child had a significant level of methamphetamine in his blood, which contributed to his malnutrition and death. Cody admitted in an interview with the FBI that she used methamphetamine around the child and otherwise exposed the child to methamphetamine. “This case painfully demonstrates the deadly consequences of substance abuse and drug addiction,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We stand with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, as well as the law enforcement officers and emergency personnel who responded to this tragedy, in mourning this loss of life.” “The loss of her innocent newborn is something this mother will now have to live with for the rest of her life,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “This case shows the unintended and devastating consequences of drug addiction. The FBI and our partners are continuously working to combat this problem which has resulted in so much pain and destruction in our communities.” Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ordered that the five-year prison sentence be followed by three years of supervised release. Cody pleaded guilty to the charge on December 21, 2023. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the FBI, the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Coroner’s Office, CARES at St. Luke’s in Twin Falls, and the Ada County Coroner’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock prosecuted the case. ###


title: Amsterdam Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Thomas Love, age 35, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 121 months in prison for receiving child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his prior guilty plea, Love admitted that from January 2017 through October 2020, he used the internet to access the “dark web” and download depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant also admitted to distributing child pornography on Twitter (now known as X). A subsequent search of Love’s electronic devices revealed that he received and possessed over 300 files depicting child pornography, including videos of toddlers being sexually abused. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 20-year term of supervised release, which will start after Love is released from prison, and ordered him to pay restitution to victims in the amount of $9,000. Love will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. The FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Bloods gang member going to prison on drug and gun charges

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Rasheem “Coop” Sullivan, 31, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and being a felon in possession of a firearm, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas E. Gregory, who handled the case, stated that Sullivan is a member of the nationally recognized Bloods Gang, and the self-proclaimed leader of a local subset known as the Immortal Stone Gorilla Gang. In December 2022, following a lengthy investigation into narcotics trafficking, weapons possession, and associated violence, Sullivan and several of his fellow Blood Gang members were arrested. On December 14, 2022, several locations associated with Sullivan’s enterprise were searched, during which investigators recovered narcotics, cash, and numerous firearms. Inside Sullivan’s residence, a Glock 10 mm pistol loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition was recovered. The investigation began in the aftermath of the murder of Rochester Police Department Investigator Anthony Mazurkewicz and the assault of Investigator Sino Seng in July 2022. It was alleged that individuals associated with Sullivan were engaged in a violent feud with another group led by Brandon “B-Mack” Washington. In September 2022, Washington and several associates were charged with federal drug and weapons offenses. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Michigan Man Who Orchestrated International Computer Fraud and Online Drug Distribution Schemes Sentenced to Decade in Prison

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today for defrauding internet users through scam virus alerts and distributing controlled substances online. Doyal Kalita, 37, of Redford, Mich., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Kalita was also ordered to pay $272,293 in restitution to victims in this case and forfeiture of $2,542,784. In February 2024, Kalita pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to import Schedule II and Schedule IV controlled substances, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. In 2015, Kalita and co-conspirators organized a scheme to defraud internet users through the use of deceptive pop-up screens that falsely told victims that their computers were infected with viruses (or were otherwise damaged) and directed the victims to call for technical support. In fact, the victims were connected to Kalita’s call centers in India and in Michigan and were scared or deceived into buying products and services that they did not need. Contemporaneously, Kalita and his co-conspirators launched an online drug distribution scheme that sold prescription drugs, including opioids and other controlled substances, that were shipped from suppliers in India and Europe to individuals in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States. Kalita and his co-conspirators facilitated online sales from multiple foreign drug suppliers and received controlled substances from abroad before repackaging and distributing them throughout the United States. To conceal the nature of the transactions, Kalita and his co-conspirators used PayPal and merchant accounts that purported to belong to non-existent consulting companies, health supplement stores, auto parts suppliers and travel agencies. In some instances, Kalita and his co-conspirators created fake travel itineraries and receipts to deceive credit card processors in the United States in order to keep the drug business from being detected. Two of Kalita’s alleged co-conspirators remain fugitives. In January 2023, Manish Kumar – a partner in a Mumbai-based prescription drug company and one of Kalita’s suppliers – was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf to 87 months in prison, three months of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $100,000. In June 2023, Robert Polanco, one of Kalita’s co-conspirators in the money laundering scheme, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release and was later ordered to pay $216,900 in restitution to fraud victims. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and the United States Food & Drug Administration made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations; United States Customs & Border Protection; United States Marshals Service in Boston; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Roseville Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alex Altoh, 64, of Roseville, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit money laundering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between January 2021 and November 2021, Altoh and his co-defendant Oumar Sidibe, 30, were involved in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds from two large business email compromise schemes, in which two corporate victims were tricked into making payments to bank accounts controlled by Altoh and another person, rather than to the intended beneficiaries of the payments. Altoh, Sidibe, and others then quickly withdrew a large portion of the funds by way of check deposits, which effectively transferred the funds, concealed their unlawful nature, and prevented them from being clawed back. Law enforcement traced Altoh and Sidibe to about $3.9 million in laundered fraud proceeds. As part of his plea agreement, Altoh agreed to pay restitution on an amount of at least $1,478,000. Sidibe is yet to be apprehended. The charges against him are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise N. Yasinow and Matthew Thuesen are prosecuting the case. Altoh is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Sept. 24, 2024. Altoh faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the money laundering conspiracy. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Drug courier imprisoned for attempting to smuggle 23 pounds of cocaine through POE

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 36-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Matamoros, Mexico, has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Gilberto Lugo pleaded guilty Feb. 15, 2023. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Lugo to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the prison term, Judge Olvera noted Lugo had a criminal history that included a felony assault upon a family household member. On July 21, 2022, Lugo drove into the United States through the Veterans Port of Entry (POE) in Brownsville. Law enforcement noticed he appeared nervous and avoided eye contact. He was also the sole occupant and owner of the vehicle. Lugo claimed he lived in Matamoros and was making entry to search for a “welding course.” During inspection of his vehicle, law enforcement found 10.46 kilograms (or 23 pounds) of cocaine behind the door panels. As the investigation continued, authorities discovered Lugo had owned the vehicle since December 2021 and had been crossing POE bridges since at least January 2022. A search of Lugo’s cellphone revealed photos of different vehicles crossing the POE, large bundles of cash and zip-lock baggies of a white powder believed to be cocaine. Lugo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.


title: Indian-National Pleads Guilty to Sexually Extorting Minors through Social Media

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – SAI KUMAR KURREMULA , 31, an Indian-national living in Edmond on an immigrant VISA, has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of three children and transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On April 22, 2024, Kurremula was charged by Information with sexual exploitation of children and transportation of child pornography. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, in October 2023, the FBI began investigating an account on the social media messaging app, Snapchat, involving a user who was sexually exploiting minor girls. The Internet Protocol address used to create the account led federal authorities to Kurremula. Public documents allege Kurremula had sexually exploited multiple minors through Snapchat, often posing as a 13-15-year-old boy to gain the trust of his victims. When the victims refused his requests, Kurremula would manipulate, threaten, and extort his victims to produce even more child pornography. On June 18, 2020, Kurremula pleaded guilty and admitted to sexually exploiting three minor victims and to knowingly transporting images of child pornography. Specifically, Kurremula admitted that, to ensure the minor victims complied, he: threatened Jane Doe #1 that he would drive to her house and show her parents sexually explicit images of her; threatened Jane Doe #2 that he would come to her house and shoot her family; and threatened Jane Doe #3 that he would publicly post sexually explicit images and videos of her. At sentencing, Kurremula faces not less than 15 years in federal prison and up to 50 years in federal prison, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and fines up to $250,000, special assessments of up to $55,100 on Count 1, and up to $40,100 on Count 2, as well as a restitution order to the victims. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Joynes is prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Justice Department secures agreement with Texas county to make election website accessible to people with disabilities

body_text: HOUSTON — Colorado County has entered into a settlement agreement which resolves findings it violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by maintaining an election website that discriminates against individuals with vision or manual disabilities, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “The right to vote is a right all American citizens exercise, including individuals with visual or manual disabilities,” said Hamdani. “Election websites provide crucial voting information and must be accessible so that voters with disabilities have equal access to information.” The county’s election website provides essential information about how to vote, such as registration requirements, identification requirements and voting information for people with disabilities. The website also links to other critical information, including details about early voting and voting on election day. Under the settlement agreement, Colorado County agreed to make all future and existing online election content accessible to people with disabilities. The county also agreed to hire an independent auditor to evaluate the accessibility of their election website’s content, provide notice to visitors and users of the website to solicit comments and requests about any accessibility barriers, designate an employee to coordinate its efforts, revise its procedures and train relevant personnel. This investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s ADA Voting Initiative, which safeguards the voting rights of individuals with disabilities. To read more about the ADA and how it applies to voting, please visit Voting and Polling Places . This settlement agreement is also part of the Department of Justice’s Tech Equity Initiative to combat disability discrimination that occurs through technology such as websites and mobile apps. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Elizabeth Karpati handled the matter.


title: Justice Department Announces Extradition of Indian National Charged in Connection with Foiled Plot to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York City

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: An Indian national was extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic to face murder-for-hire charges. Nikhil Gupta, also known as Nick, 53, an Indian national, was arrested and detained in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and extradited pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic. Gupta arrived in the United States on June 14 and was presented on the charges today. “This extradition makes clear that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Nikhil Gupta will now face justice in an American courtroom for his involvement in an alleged plot, directed by an employee of the Indian government, to target and assassinate a U.S. citizen for his support of the Sikh separatist movement in India. I am grateful to the Department’s agents who foiled this assassination plot and to our Czech partners for their assistance in this arrest and extradition.” “This murder-for-hire plot — allegedly orchestrated by an Indian government employee to kill a U.S. citizen in New York City — was a brazen attempt to silence a political activist for exercising a quintessential American right: his freedom of speech,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The extradition of the defendant is a vital step toward justice, and I am grateful to our Czech partners for their assistance in this matter. We will continue working relentlessly to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable those who seek to harm American citizens here or abroad.” “This defendant has been extradited for his alleged role in a plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil,” said Director Christopher Wray of the FBI. “The FBI will not tolerate attempts by foreign nationals, or anyone else for that matter, to repress constitutionally-protected freedoms in the United States. We will continue to work with our partners at home and abroad to protect our citizens and these sacred rights.” “As alleged, the defendant conspired from India with an Indian government employee to in an unsuccessful assassination plot, right here in New York City, against a U.S. citizen of Indian origin,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s extradition makes clear our unwavering resolve to investigate, thwart, and prosecute those who seek to harm and silence U.S. citizens here and elsewhere. We thank our Czech government counterparts for their close cooperation in this extradition.” “Last year, the DEA uncovered an assassination plot orchestrated by an Indian government employee and Nikhil Gupta, an international narcotics trafficker. Gupta is alleged to have orchestrated a dangerous plot to murder a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil. DEA’s number one priority is always the health and safety of the American people,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “This extradition is the result of the hard work and commitment of the DEA New York Division’s Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of DEA, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department. This case is also a testament to the partnerships DEA has built with our law enforcement partners around the globe, like the Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters, as well as our federal law enforcement partners here at home.” According to court documents, last year, an Indian government employee (CC-1) worked together with Gupta and others in India and elsewhere to direct an assassination plot against an attorney and political activist, who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin, on U.S. soil. Gupta is an Indian national who resides in India, is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others. CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence” and has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer [] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” CC-1 directed the assassination plot from India. In or about May 2023, CC-1 recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the victim in the U.S. The victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the victim and his separatist organization from India. At CC-1’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate but was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA (the CS) for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). CC-1 subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the victim. On or about June 9, 2023, CC-1 and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan. In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address, phone numbers associated with the victim and details about the victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed to the UC. CC-1 directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to CC-1, among other things, surveillance photographs of the victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of anticipated engagements scheduled to occur in the ensuing weeks between high-level U.S. and Indian government officials. On or about June 18, 2023, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim, and like the victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the victim. On or about June 20, 2023, CC-1 sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.” Gupta is charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and DEA are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Czech authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Gupta. Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Robert McCullers of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas and Alexander Li for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: न्याय विभाग ने न्यूयॉर्क शहर में अमेरिकी नागरिक की हत्या की नाकाम साजिश के सिलसिले में आरोपी भारतीय नागरिक के प्रत्यर्पण की घोषणा की

body_text: एक भारतीय नागरिक को चेक गणराज्य से संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका प्रत्यर्पित किया गया, ताकि उस पर हत्या के लिए पैसे देने का आरोप लगाया जा सके। निखिल गुप्ता उर्फ निक, 53 वर्षीय भारतीय नागरिक को 30 जून, 2023 को चेक गणराज्य में गिरफ्तार कर हिरासत में लिया गया और संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका और चेक गणराज्य के बीच द्विपक्षीय प्रत्यर्पण संधि के अनुसार प्रत्यर्पित किया गया। गुप्ता 14 जून को अमेरिका पहुंचे और आज उन पर आरोप लगाएगए। अटॉर्नी जनरल मेरिक बी. गारलैंड ने कहा, "इस प्रत्यर्पण से यह स्पष्ट हो जाता है कि न्याय विभाग अमेरिकी नागरिकों को चुप कराने या उन्हें नुकसान पहुंचाने के प्रयासों को बर्दाश्त नहीं करेगा।" “निखिल गुप्ता को अब एक अमेरिकी अदालत में न्याय का सामना करना पड़ेगा, क्योंकि वह एक कथित साजिश में शामिल था, जिसका निर्देशन भारत सरकार के एक कर्मचारी द्वारा किया गया था, जिसमें भारत में सिख अलगाववादी आंदोलन का समर्थन करने वाले एक अमेरिकी नागरिक को निशाना बनाकर उसकी हत्या करने की साजिश रची गई थी। मैं विभाग के एजेंटों का आभारी हूं जिन्होंने इस हत्या की साजिश को नाकाम कर दिया और हमारे चेक साझेदारों का भी इस गिरफ्तारी और प्रत्यर्पण में उनकी सहायता के लिए आभारी हूं।” डिप्टी अटॉर्नी जनरल लिसा मोनाको ने कहा, "यह हत्या की साजिश - जिसे कथित तौर पर न्यूयॉर्क शहर में एक अमेरिकी नागरिक की हत्या के लिए भारतीय एक सरकारी कर्मचारी द्वारा रचा गया था - एक राजनीतिक कार्यकर्ता को एक सर्वोत्कृष्ट अमेरिकी अधिकार: अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता का प्रयोग करने पर चुप कराने का एक बेशर्म प्रयास था।" "प्रतिवादी का प्रत्यर्पण न्याय की दिशा में एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम है, और मैं इस मामले में सहायता के लिए हमारे चेक भागीदारों का आभारी हूं। हम यहां या विदेश में अमेरिकी नागरिकों को नुकसान पहुंचाने की कोशिश करने वालों की पहचान करने, उन्हें रोकने और उन्हें जवाबदेह ठहराने के लिए लगातार काम करते रहेंगे।” FBI के निदेशक क्रिस्टोफर रे ने कहा, "इस प्रतिवादी को अमेरिकी धरती पर एक अमेरिकी नागरिक की हत्या की साजिश में उसकी कथित भूमिका के लिए प्रत्यर्पित किया गया है।" “FBI संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका में संवैधानिक रूप से संरक्षित स्वतंत्रता को दबाने के लिए विदेशी नागरिकों या किसी अन्य व्यक्ति के प्रयासों को बर्दाश्त नहीं करेगी। हम अपने नागरिकों और इन पवित्र अधिकारों की रक्षा के लिए देश और विदेश में अपने साझेदारों के साथ मिलकर काम करना जारी रखेंगे।” न्यूयॉर्क के दक्षिणी जिले के अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी डेमियन विलियम्स ने कहा, "जैसा कि आरोप लगाया गया है, प्रतिवादी ने भारत से एक भारतीय सरकारी कर्मचारी के साथ मिलकर न्यूयॉर्क शहर में भारतीय मूल के एक अमेरिकी नागरिक की हत्या की असफल साजिश रची।" "आज का प्रत्यर्पण उन लोगों की जांच करने, उन्हें विफल करने और उन पर मुकदमा चलाने के हमारे अडिग संकल्प को स्पष्ट करता है जो यहां और अन्य जगहों पर अमेरिकी नागरिकों को नुकसान पहुंचाने और चुप कराने की कोशिश करते हैं। हम इस प्रत्यर्पण में अपने चेक सरकार के समकक्षों के घनिष्ठ सहयोग के लिए उन्हें धन्यवाद देते हैं।” “पिछले वर्ष, DEA ने एक भारतीय सरकारी कर्मचारी और अंतरराष्ट्रीय मादक पदार्थ तस्कर निखिल गुप्ता द्वारा रची गई हत्या की साजिश का पर्दाफाश किया था। गुप्ता पर आरोप है कि उन्होंने अमेरिकी धरती पर एक अमेरिकी नागरिक की हत्या की खतरनाक साजिश रची थी। DEA की पहली प्राथमिकता हमेशा अमेरिकी लोगों का स्वास्थ्य और सुरक्षा है,” DEA प्रशासक ऐनी मिलग्राम ने कहा। "यह प्रत्यर्पण DEA न्यूयॉर्क डिवीजन के ड्रग एन्फोर्समेंट टास्क फोर्स की कड़ी मेहनत और प्रतिबद्धता का परिणाम है, जिसमें DEA, न्यूयॉर्क राज्य पुलिस और न्यूयॉर्क सिटी पुलिस विभाग शामिल हैं। यह मामला DEA द्वारा दुनिया भर में हमारे कानून प्रवर्तन साझेदारों, जैसे चेक गणराज्य के राष्ट्रीय ड्रग मुख्यालय, और साथ ही यहां हमारे संघीय कानून प्रवर्तन साझेदारों के साथ बनाई गई साझेदारियों का भी प्रमाण है।” अदालती दस्तावेजों के अनुसार, पिछले वर्ष एक भारतीय सरकारी कर्मचारी (CC-1) ने गुप्ता तथा भारत और अन्य स्थानों पर अन्य लोगों के साथ मिलकर, अमेरिकी धरती पर एक वकील और राजनीतिक कार्यकर्ता, जो भारतीय मूल का अमेरिकी नागरिक है, की हत्या की साजिश रची थी। गुप्ता एक भारतीय नागरिक है जो भारत में रहता है, CC-1 का सहयोगी है, तथा उसने CC-1 और अन्य के साथ अपने संचार में अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मादक पदार्थों और हथियारों की तस्करी में अपनी संलिप्तता का उल्लेख किया है। CC-1 एक भारतीय सरकारी एजेंसी का कर्मचारी है, जिसने खुद को "सुरक्षा प्रबंधन" और "खुफिया" जिम्मेदारियों वाले एक "वरिष्ठ क्षेत्र अधिकारी" के रूप में वर्णित किया है और पहले भारत के केंद्रीय रिजर्व पुलिस बल में सेवा करने और "युद्ध शिल्प" और "हथियारों" में "अधिकारी प्रशिक्षण" प्राप्त करने का संदर्भ दिया है। CC-1 ने भारत से हत्या की साजिश का निर्देशन किया था। मई 2023 में या उसके आसपास, CC-1 ने गुप्ता को अमेरिका में पीड़ित की हत्या की योजना बनाने के लिए भर्ती किया। पीड़ित भारत सरकार का मुखर आलोचक है और एक अमेरिकी-आधारित संगठन का नेतृत्व करता है जो पंजाब के अलगाव की वकालत करता है, जो उत्तर भारत का एक राज्य है जो भारत में एक जातीय-धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यक समूह सिखों की एक बड़ी आबादी का घर है। पीड़ित ने सार्वजनिक रूप से पंजाब के कुछ या पूरे हिस्से को भारत से अलग करने और खालिस्तान नामक एक सिख संप्रभु राज्य की स्थापना करने का आह्वान किया है, और भारत सरकार ने पीड़ित और उसके अलगाववादी संगठन पर भारत में प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है। CC-1 के निर्देश पर, गुप्ता ने एक व्यक्ति से संपर्क किया, जिसके बारे में गुप्ता का मानना था कि वह एक आपराधिक सहयोगी है, लेकिन वास्तव में वह एक गोपनीय स्रोत था, जो न्यूयॉर्क शहर में पीड़ित की हत्या करने के लिए एक हत्यारे को अनुबंधित करने में सहायता के लिए DEA (CS) के साथ काम कर रहा था। CS ने गुप्ता को एक कथित हिटमैन से मिलवाया, जो वास्तव में डीईए का एक अंडरकवर अधिकारी (UC) था। इसके बाद CC-1 ने गुप्ता द्वारा मध्यस्थता करते हुए, पीड़ित की हत्या के लिए UC को 100,000 डॉलर का भुगतान करने पर सहमत हुआ। 9 जून, 2023 को या उसके आसपास, CC-1 और गुप्ता ने एक सहयोगी के माध्यम से हत्या के लिए अग्रिम भुगतान के रूप में UC को 15,000 डॉलर नकद पहुंचाने की व्यवस्था की। इसके बाद CC-1 के सहयोगी ने मैनहट्टन स्थित UC को 15,000 डॉलर की राशि पहुंचा दी। जून 2023 में या उसके आसपास, हत्या की साजिश को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए, CC-1 ने गुप्ता को पीड़ित के बारे में व्यक्तिगत जानकारी प्रदान की, जिसमें पीड़ित का घर का पता, पीड़ित से जुड़े फोन नंबर और पीड़ित के दिन-प्रतिदिन के आचरण के बारे में विवरण शामिल थे, जिसे गुप्ता ने फिर UC को दे दिया। CC-1 ने गुप्ता को हत्या की साजिश की प्रगति पर नियमित अपडेट देने का निर्देश दिया, जिसे गुप्ता ने अन्य चीजों के अलावा, पीड़ित की निगरानी तस्वीरें CC-1 को भेजकर पूरा किया। गुप्ता ने UC को यथाशीघ्र हत्या को अंजाम देने का निर्देश दिया, लेकिन गुप्ता ने UC को यह भी स्पष्ट निर्देश दिया कि वह उच्च-स्तरीय अमेरिकी और भारतीय सरकारी अधिकारियों के बीच आगामी सप्ताहों में होने वाली संभावित बैठकों के समय के आसपास हत्या न की जाए। 18 जून 2023 को या उसके आसपास, नकाबपोश बंदूकधारियों ने कनाडा के ब्रिटिश कोलंबिया में एक सिख मंदिर के बाहर हरदीप सिंह निज्जर की हत्या कर दी। निज्जर पीड़िता का सहयोगी था और पीड़िता की तरह ही सिख अलगाववादी आंदोलन का नेता तथा भारत सरकार का मुखर आलोचक था। निज्जर की हत्या के अगले दिन यानी 19 जून 2023 को गुप्ता ने UC को बताया कि निज्जर भी “लक्ष्य था” और “हमारे पास बहुत सारे लक्ष्य हैं।” गुप्ता ने कहा कि निज्जर की हत्या के मद्देनजर, अब पीड़ित को मारने में “इंतजार करने की कोई जरूरत नहीं है।” 20 जून 2023 को या उसके आसपास, CC-1 ने गुप्ता को पीड़िता के बारे में एक समाचार लेख भेजा और गुप्ता को संदेश दिया, “यह अब [एक] प्राथमिकता है।” गुप्ता पर भाड़ेपरहत्या करने और भाड़ेपरहत्या की साजिश रचने का आरोप है। यदि वह दोषी पाया जाता है तो उसे प्रत्येक आरोप के लिए अधिकतम 10 वर्ष की जेल की सजा हो सकती है। संघीय जिला न्यायालय का न्यायाधीश अमेरिकी सजा संबंधी दिशानिर्देशों और अन्य वैधानिक कारकों पर विचार करने के बाद ही कोई सजा निर्धारित करेगा। FBI और DEA मामले की जांच कर रहे हैं। न्याय विभाग के अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मामलों के कार्यालय ने गुप्ता की गिरफ्तारी और प्रत्यर्पण सुनिश्चित करने के लिए चेक अधिकारियों के साथ काम किया। राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा प्रभाग के प्रति-खुफिया और निर्यात नियंत्रण अनुभाग के ट्रायल अटॉर्नी क्रिस्टोफर कुक और रॉबर्ट मैककुलर्स, राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा प्रभाग के आतंकवाद निरोधक अनुभाग के ट्रायल अटॉर्नी ए.जे. डिक्सन और न्यूयॉर्क के दक्षिणी जिले के सहायक अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी केमिली एल. फ्लेचर, एशले सी. निकोलस और अलेक्जेंडर ली इस मामले की पैरवी कर रहे हैं। अभियोग केवल एक आरोप है। सभी प्रतिवादियों को तब तक निर्दोष माना जाता है जब तक कि उन्हें न्यायालय में उचित संदेह से परे दोषी साबित नहीं कर दिया जाता है।


title: ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਨੇ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਨਾਕਾਮ ਸਾਜਿਸ਼ ਦੇ ਸਬੰਧ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਦੀ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਦਾ ਐਲਾਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ

body_text: ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਰਾਏ ਦੇ ਬਦਲੇ ਕਤਲ ਦੇ ਦੋਸ਼ਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਚੈੱਕ ਗਣਰਾਜ ਤੋਂ ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਜ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਹਵਾਲੇ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ। ਨਿਖਿਲ ਗੁਪਤਾ, ਜਿਸਨੂੰ ਨਿਕ, 53, ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਵਜੋਂ ਵੀ ਜਾਣਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਨੂੰ 30 ਜੂਨ, 2023 ਨੂੰ ਚੈੱਕ ਗਣਰਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਨਜ਼ਰਬੰਦ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਜ ਅਤੇ ਚੈੱਕ ਗਣਰਾਜ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਦੁਵੱਲੀ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਸੰਧੀ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਗਈ ਸੀ। ਗੁਪਤਾ 14 ਜੂਨ ਨੂੰ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਪਹੁੰਚੇ ਸਨ ਅਤੇ ਅੱਜ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦੋਸ਼ਾਂ ਤਹਿਤ ਪੇਸ਼ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ। ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਜਨਰਲ ਮੈਰਿਕ ਬੀ. ਗਾਰਲੈਂਡ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ, “ਇਹ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਚੁੱਪ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਜਾਂ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਪਹੁੰਚਾਉਣ ਦੀਆਂ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਬਰਦਾਸ਼ਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰੇਗਾ”। ਨਿਖਿਲ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਹੁਣ ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿੱਖ ਵੱਖਵਾਦੀ ਅੰਦੋਲਨ ਦੇ ਸਮਰਥਨ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਾ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ, ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਇੱਕ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਤ ਇੱਕ ਕਥਿਤ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹੋਣ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਸਾਹਮਣਾ ਕਰਨਾ ਪਵੇਗਾ। ਮੈਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੇ ਏਜੰਟਾਂ ਦਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦੀ ਹਾਂ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਨਾਕਾਮ ਕੀਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਇਸ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਲਈ ਸਾਡੇ ਚੈੱਕ ਭਾਈਵਾਲਾਂ ਦਾ। ਡਿਪਟੀ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ, "ਭਾਰਤੀ ਕਤਲ ਦੀ ਇਹ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ - ਕਥਿਤ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰਨ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਰਚੀ ਗਈ ਸੀ - ਇੱਕ ਉੱਚਤਮ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਵਰਤੋਂ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਰਾਜਨੀਤਿਕ ਕਾਰਕੁਨ ਨੂੰ ਚੁੱਪ ਕਰਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਬੇਸ਼ਰਮੀ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਸੀ: ਉਸਦੀ ਬੋਲਣ ਦੀ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀ," ਡਿਪਟੀ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ। ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਜਨਰਲ ਲੀਜ਼ਾ ਮੋਨਾਕੋ। “ਮੁਦਾਇਕ ਦੀ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਨਿਆਂ ਵੱਲ ਇੱਕ ਮਹੱਤਵਪੂਰਨ ਕਦਮ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਮੈਂ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਲਈ ਸਾਡੇ ਚੈੱਕ ਭਾਈਵਾਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦੀ ਹਾਂ। ਅਸੀਂ ਇੱਥੇ ਜਾਂ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਪਹੁੰਚਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਪਛਾਣ ਕਰਨ, ਵਿਘਨ ਪਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਜਵਾਬਦੇਹ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਨਾ ਜਾਰੀ ਰੱਖਾਂਗੇ।” FBI ਦੇ ਡਾਇਰੈਕਟਰ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਟੋਫਰ ਵੇਅ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ, "ਇਸ ਮੁਦਾਲਾ ਨੂੰ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਧਰਤੀ 'ਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਸਦੀ ਕਥਿਤ ਭੂਮਿਕਾ ਲਈ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਗਈ ਹੈ”। "FBI ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਾਂ, ਜਾਂ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਲਈ ਕਿਸੇ ਹੋਰ ਦੁਆਰਾ, ਸੰਯੁਕਤ ਰਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੰਵਿਧਾਨਕ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਆਜ਼ਾਦੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਦਬਾਉਣ ਦੀਆਂ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਬਰਦਾਸ਼ਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰੇਗੀ। ਅਸੀਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਅਧਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਲਈ ਦੇਸ਼ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪਣੇ ਭਾਈਵਾਲਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਕੰਮ ਕਰਨਾ ਜਾਰੀ ਰੱਖਾਂਗੇ।” ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਦੇ ਦੱਖਣੀ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਲਈ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਡੈਮਿਅਨ ਵਿਲੀਅਮਜ਼ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ, "ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਿ ਕਥਿਤ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ, ਬਚਾਓ ਪੱਖ ਨੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ ਇੱਥੇ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ, ਭਾਰਤੀ ਮੂਲ ਦੇ ਇੱਕ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਦੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ ਇੱਕ ਅਸਫਲ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚੀ ਸੀ।" “ਅੱਜ ਦੀ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ, ਅਸਫਲ ਅਤੇ ਮੁਕੱਦਮਾ ਚਲਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਸਾਡੇ ਅਟੱਲ ਸੰਕਲਪ ਨੂੰ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਇੱਥੇ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਕਿਤੇ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਪਹੁੰਚਾਉਣ ਅਤੇ ਚੁੱਪ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਅਸੀਂ ਇਸ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਡੇ ਚੈੱਕ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਹਮਰੁਤਬਾ ਦੇ ਨਜ਼ਦੀਕੀ ਸਹਿਯੋਗ ਲਈ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ”। “ਪਿਛਲੇ ਸਾਲ, ਡੀਈਏ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਨਸ਼ੀਲੇ ਪਦਾਰਥਾਂ ਦੇ ਤਸਕਰ ਨਿਖਿਲ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਰਚੀ ਗਈ ਇੱਕ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜਿਸ਼ ਦਾ ਪਰਦਾਫਾਸ਼ ਕੀਤਾ ਸੀ। ਗੁਪਤਾ 'ਤੇ ਦੋਸ਼ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਦੀ ਧਰਤੀ 'ਤੇ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਖ਼ਤਰਨਾਕ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚੀ ਸੀ। DEA ਦੀ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਤਰਜੀਹ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਲੋਕਾਂ ਦੀ ਸਿਹਤ ਅਤੇ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ,” DEA ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ਾਸਕ ਐਨੀ ਮਿਲਗ੍ਰਾਮ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ। “ਇਹ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ DEA ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੀ ਡਰੱਗ ਇਨਫੋਰਸਮੈਂਟ ਟਾਸਕ ਫੋਰਸ ਦੀ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਮਿਹਨਤ ਅਤੇ ਵਚਨਬੱਧਤਾ ਦਾ ਨਤੀਜਾ ਹੈ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ DEA, ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਟੇਟ ਪੁਲਿਸ, ਅਤੇ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਹਨ। ਇਹ ਕੇਸ DEA ਦੁਆਰਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਵ ਭਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਡੇ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਲਾਗੂ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਭਾਈਵਾਲਾਂ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਿ ਚੈੱਕ ਗਣਰਾਜ ਦੇ ਨੈਸ਼ਨਲ ਡਰੱਗ ਹੈੱਡਕੁਆਰਟਰ, ਅਤੇ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਇੱਥੇ ਘਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਾਡੇ ਸੰਘੀ ਕਾਨੂੰਨ ਲਾਗੂ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਭਾਈਵਾਲਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਬਣਾਈਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ ਭਾਈਵਾਲੀ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣ ਵੀ ਹੈ।" ਅਦਾਲਤੀ ਦਸਤਾਵੇਜ਼ਾਂ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ, ਪਿਛਲੇ ਸਾਲ, ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ (CC-1) ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਜਨੀਤਿਕ ਕਾਰਕੁਨ, ਜੋ ਕਿ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਮੂਲ ਦਾ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਹੈ, ਦੇ ਖਿਲਾਫ ਇੱਕ ਕਤਲ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚਣ ਲਈ ਭਾਰਤ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਥਾਵਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਕੰਮ ਕੀਤਾ ਸੀ। ਗੁਪਤਾ ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਨਾਗਰਿਕ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ, CC-1 ਦਾ ਇੱਕ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਉਸਨੇ CC-1 ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਆਪਣੇ ਸੰਚਾਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਨਸ਼ੀਲੇ ਪਦਾਰਥਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਹਥਿਆਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਤਸਕਰੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪਣੀ ਸ਼ਮੂਲੀਅਤ ਦਾ ਵਰਣਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ। CC-1 ਇੱਕ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਸਰਕਾਰੀ ਏਜੰਸੀ ਦਾ ਕਰਮਚਾਰੀ ਹੈ ਜਿਸਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ "ਸੁਰੱਖਿਆ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਨ" ਅਤੇ "ਖੁਫੀਆ" ਵਿੱਚ ਜ਼ਿੰਮੇਵਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ "ਸੀਨੀਅਰ ਫੀਲਡ ਅਫਸਰ" ਵਜੋਂ ਦਰਸਾਇਆ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੇ ਕੇਂਦਰੀ ਰਿਜ਼ਰਵ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਬਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਨ ਅਤੇ "ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ [] ਸਿਖਲਾਈ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਹਵਾਲਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ”। "ਲੜਾਈ ਕਰਾਫਟ" ਅਤੇ "ਹਥਿਆਰਾਂ" ਵਿੱਚ। CC-1 ਨੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚੀ ਸੀ। ਮਈ 2023 ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾਂ ਇਸ ਦੇ ਲਗਭਗ, CC-1 ਨੇ ਯੂ.ਐੱਸ. ਵਿੱਚ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਜਾਮ ਦੇਣ ਲਈ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਭਰਤੀ ਕੀਤਾ, ਪੀੜਤ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਇੱਕ ਜ਼ਬਰਦਸਤ ਆਲੋਚਕ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਯੂਐਸ-ਅਧਾਰਤ ਸੰਗਠਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਉੱਤਰੀ ਰਾਜ, ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਵੱਖ ਹੋਣ ਦੀ ਵਕਾਲਤ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ। ਭਾਰਤ ਜੋ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀ ਇੱਕ ਵੱਡੀ ਆਬਾਦੀ ਦਾ ਘਰ ਹੈ, ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਨਸਲੀ ਧਾਰਮਿਕ ਘੱਟ ਗਿਣਤੀ ਸਮੂਹ। ਪੀੜਤ ਨੇ ਜਨਤਕ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਕੁਝ ਜਾਂ ਪੂਰੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਨੂੰ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਖ ਕਰਨ ਅਤੇ ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ ਨਾਮਕ ਸਿੱਖ ਪ੍ਰਭੂਸੱਤਾ ਸੰਪੰਨ ਰਾਜ ਸਥਾਪਤ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਕਿਹਾ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਨੇ ਪੀੜਤ ਅਤੇ ਉਸਦੀ ਵੱਖਵਾਦੀ ਸੰਗਠਨ ਨੂੰ ਭਾਰਤ ਤੋਂ ਪਾਬੰਦੀ ਲਗਾ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ। CC-1 ਦੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ 'ਤੇ, ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਿਸਨੂੰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਇੱਕ ਅਪਰਾਧਿਕ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਮੰਨਦਾ ਸੀ ਪਰ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਹ ਇੱਕ ਗੁਪਤ ਸਰੋਤ ਸੀ ਜੋ DEA (CS) ਨਾਲ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਸਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੀੜਤ ਨੂੰ ਕਤਲ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਇੱਕ ਹਿੱਟਮੈਨ ਨੂੰ ਕਰਾਰ ਦੇਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਲਈ ਕੰਮ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ। CS ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਦੀ ਜਾਣ-ਪਛਾਣ ਇੱਕ ਕਥਿਤ ਹਿੱਟਮੈਨ ਨਾਲ ਕਰਵਾਈ, ਜੋ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਡੀਈਏ ਅੰਡਰਕਵਰ ਅਫਸਰ (UC) ਸੀ। CC-1 ਬਾਅਦ ਵਿੱਚ, ਗੁਪਤਾ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਦਲਾਲਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ, ਪੀੜਤ ਦੀ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ UC ਨੂੰ $100,000 ਦਾ ਭੁਗਤਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਸਹਿਮਤ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ। 9 ਜੂਨ, 2023 ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂ ਲਗਭਗ, CC-1 ਅਤੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਨੂੰ ਕਤਲ ਲਈ ਪੇਸ਼ਗੀ ਭੁਗਤਾਨ ਵਜੋਂ UC ਨੂੰ $15,000 ਨਕਦ ਦੇਣ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਧ ਕੀਤਾ। CC-1 ਦੇ ਸਹਿਯੋਗੀ ਨੇ ਫਿਰ ਮੈਨਹਟਨ ਵਿੱਚ UC ਨੂੰ $15,000 ਡਿਲੀਵਰ ਕੀਤਾ। ਜੂਨ 2023 ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾਂ ਇਸ ਦੇ ਆਸ-ਪਾਸ, ਕਤਲ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਾਉਣ ਲਈ, ਸੀਸੀ-1 ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਪੀੜਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਨਿੱਜੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕੀਤੀ, ਜਿਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੇ ਘਰ ਦਾ ਪਤਾ, ਪੀੜਤ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜੇ ਫ਼ੋਨ ਨੰਬਰ ਅਤੇ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੇ ਰੋਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਦੇ ਵਿਹਾਰ ਬਾਰੇ ਵੇਰਵੇ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਸਨ। ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਫਿਰ UC. CC-1 ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਗਤੀ ਬਾਰੇ ਨਿਯਮਤ ਅੱਪਡੇਟ ਪ੍ਰਦਾਨ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ, ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੀਆਂ ਨਿਗਰਾਨੀ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਤਸਵੀਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ-ਨਾਲ CC-1 ਨੂੰ ਅੱਗੇ ਭੇਜ ਕੇ ਪੂਰਾ ਕੀਤਾ। ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ UC ਨੂੰ ਇਸ ਕਤਲ ਨੂੰ ਜਲਦੀ ਤੋਂ ਜਲਦੀ ਅੰਜਾਮ ਦੇਣ ਦੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤੇ, ਪਰ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ UC ਨੂੰ ਇਹ ਵੀ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਉੱਚ ਪੱਧਰੀ ਅਮਰੀਕੀ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਆਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਹਫ਼ਤਿਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਨੁਮਾਨਿਤ ਰੁਝੇਵਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਸਮੇਂ ਦੇ ਆਲੇ-ਦੁਆਲੇ ਕਤਲ ਨਾ ਕਰਨ। 18 ਜੂਨ, 2023 ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂ ਲਗਭਗ, ਨਕਾਬਪੋਸ਼ ਬੰਦੂਕਧਾਰੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਬ੍ਰਿਟਿਸ਼ ਕੋਲੰਬੀਆ, ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਸਿੱਖ ਮੰਦਰ ਦੇ ਬਾਹਰ ਹਰਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਿੱਝਰ ਦਾ ਕਤਲ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਨਿੱਝਰ ਪੀੜਤ ਦਾ ਸਾਥੀ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਪੀੜਤ ਦੀ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ, ਸਿੱਖ ਵੱਖਵਾਦੀ ਲਹਿਰ ਦਾ ਆਗੂ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਦਾ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ ਆਲੋਚਕ ਸੀ। 19 ਜੂਨ, 2023 ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂ ਲਗਭਗ, ਨਿੱਝਰ ਦੇ ਕਤਲ ਤੋਂ ਅਗਲੇ ਦਿਨ, ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਯੂਸੀ ਨੂੰ ਦੱਸਿਆ ਕਿ ਨਿੱਝਰ “ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨਾ ਵੀ ਸੀ” ਅਤੇ “ਸਾਡੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨੇ ਹਨ।” ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ, ਨਿੱਝਰ ਦੇ ਕਤਲ ਦੇ ਮੱਦੇਨਜ਼ਰ, ਪੀੜਤ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰਨ ਲਈ "ਹੁਣ ਇੰਤਜ਼ਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਕੋਈ ਲੋੜ ਨਹੀਂ" ਸੀ। 20 ਜੂਨ, 2023 ਨੂੰ ਜਾਂ ਲਗਭਗ, CC-1 ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਪੀੜਤ ਬਾਰੇ ਇੱਕ ਖ਼ਬਰ ਭੇਜੀ ਅਤੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਨੇਹਾ ਭੇਜਿਆ, “[i]t’s [a] ਹੁਣ ਪਹਿਲ ਹੈ।” ਗੁਪਤਾ 'ਤੇ ਕਿਰਾਏ 'ਤੇ ਕਤਲ ਕਰਨ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਰਾਏ 'ਤੇ ਕਤਲ ਕਰਨ ਦੀ ਸਾਜ਼ਿਸ਼ ਰਚਣ ਦਾ ਦੋਸ਼ ਹੈ। ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਸਾਬਤ ਹੋਣ 'ਤੇ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਹਰੇਕ ਦੋਸ਼ ਲਈ ਵੱਧ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਧ 10 ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਕੈਦ ਦੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਹੋ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ। ਇੱਕ ਸੰਘੀ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹਾ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਦਾ ਜੱਜ ਯੂ.ਐੱਸ. ਸਜ਼ਾ ਸੁਣਾਉਣ ਦੇ ਦਿਸ਼ਾ-ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਅਤੇ ਹੋਰ ਕਾਨੂੰਨੀ ਕਾਰਕਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਕਰਨ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਕੋਈ ਵੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਨਿਰਧਾਰਤ ਕਰੇਗਾ। FBI ਅਤੇ DEA ਮਾਮਲੇ ਦੀ ਜਾਂਚ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਨਿਆਂ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦੇ ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਮਾਮਲਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਦਫਤਰ ਨੇ ਗੁਪਤਾ ਦੀ ਗ੍ਰਿਫਤਾਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਹਵਾਲਗੀ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਰੱਖਿਅਤ ਕਰਨ ਲਈ ਚੈੱਕ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਕੰਮ ਕੀਤਾ। ਨੈਸ਼ਨਲ ਸਕਿਓਰਿਟੀ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਕਾਊਂਟਰ ਇੰਟੈਲੀਜੈਂਸ ਅਤੇ ਐਕਸਪੋਰਟ ਕੰਟਰੋਲ ਸੈਕਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਟ੍ਰਾਇਲ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਟੋਫਰ ਕੁੱਕ ਅਤੇ ਰੌਬਰਟ ਮੈਕੁਲਰਜ਼, ਟ੍ਰਾਇਲ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਏ.ਜੇ. ਨੈਸ਼ਨਲ ਸਕਿਓਰਿਟੀ ਡਿਵੀਜ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਅੱਤਵਾਦ ਰੋਕੂ ਸੈਕਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਡਿਕਸਨ ਅਤੇ ਨਿਊਯਾਰਕ ਦੇ ਦੱਖਣੀ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਲਈ ਸਹਾਇਕ ਯੂਐਸ ਅਟਾਰਨੀ ਕੈਮਿਲ ਐਲ ਫਲੇਚਰ, ਐਸ਼ਲੇ ਸੀ. ਨਿਕੋਲਸ ਅਤੇ ਅਲੈਗਜ਼ੈਂਡਰ ਲੀ ਇਸ ਕੇਸ ਦੀ ਪੈਰਵੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਇਲਜ਼ਾਮ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਇਲਜ਼ਾਮ ਹੈ। ਸਾਰੇ ਬਚਾਓ ਪੱਖ ਉਦੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਨਿਰਦੋਸ਼ ਮੰਨੇ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਜਦੋਂ ਤੱਕ ਕਨੂੰਨ ਦੀ ਅਦਾਲਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਾਜਬ ਸ਼ੱਕ ਤੋਂ ਪਰੇ ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਸਾਬਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ।


title: Clive Insurance Salesperson Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Elderly Individuals and for Contempt of Court

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Clive man was sentenced on June 12, 2024, to 18.5 years in federal prison for wire fraud and an additional six months for criminal contempt of court. He also was ordered to pay over $2.4 million in restitution to the victims of his fraud. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Zachary James Flaherty, 48, conducted a vast fraud over the course of seventeen years. From 2006 to 2023, Flaherty defrauded over thirty individuals out of all or portions of their retirement savings and other monies—in all, Flaherty’s victims lost over $3 million. Flaherty’s victims were from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; nearly all the victims were elderly, with the oldest being ninety-three years old at the time of the fraud. Most of the victims had limited financial knowledge. Flaherty developed close relationships with his victims—he took them out to eat, bought them gifts, and helped with chores around their house. At least six of Flaherty’s victims were recently widowed when he exploited them, and Flaherty assisted with funeral arrangements or related matters for multiple victims’ spouses. To gain access to his victims’ monies, Flaherty lied to his victims about numerous matters, including information about the returns and bonuses they could receive by investing with him, their ability to make penalty-free withdrawals of their funds, and the losses they could incur. Once his victims had “invested” with him, he continued to misrepresent and conceal information about the returns the victims were earning, the amount of money victims had invested, and the costs and penalties associated with the investments. Flaherty primarily used two approaches to defraud his victims. His first approach was to encourage his victims to write checks to him or one of his businesses and promise his victims that he would invest the funds on their behalf. Victims trusted Flaherty’s statements and wrote him numerous checks. But Flaherty did not invest the funds on his victims’ behalf as he had stated; instead, he spent the money on himself, his family, and his businesses. Flaherty’s second approach was to invest his victims’ funds into annuities. Flaherty was licensed to sell annuities in multiple states, and by purchasing annuities for his clients, Flaherty received over $1 million in commission payments from insurance companies. To obtain annuities on his victims’ behalf, however, Flaherty submitted documents to insurance companies which contained false misrepresentations, including forged signatures for his victims. Flaherty’s elderly victims were not financially situated to invest in annuities. Annuities are long-term investments which typically take years to fully vest. If the owner of the annuity withdraws or cancels the annuity before it vests, then the owner usually must pay penalties, taxes, and other fees. Flaherty misrepresented the extent of the penalties, taxes, and fees his victims would suffer by investing with him, and he repeatedly encouraged his victims to withdraw funds and cancel annuities. Taking Flaherty at his word, his victims withdrew money and cancelled annuities, resulting in victims suffering massive amounts of losses. Numerous victims spoke at sentencing about how Flaherty’s actions had betrayed their trust in him, shattered their faith in other people, and left them with limited financial resources. Several victims lost nearly all their life savings; others can no longer afford medical or assisted-living care. Victims also reported suffering health problems as a result of the increased anxiety and stress caused by Flaherty’s crimes. Flaherty’s conviction for criminal contempt of court resulted from his violations of court orders issued in February 2024. Those orders prohibited Flaherty from selling or dissipating his personal property, which could be used to pay some of the money back to victims. Yet, Flaherty sold and attempted to sell and conceal several assets in March and April 2024, including guitars. Evidence at sentencing established that since being charged with federal crimes in April 2023, Flaherty repeatedly violated court orders applicable to him. “Elder financial fraud causes devastating losses to its victims. Zachary Flaherty’s actions targeting the retirement savings and fixed incomes these victims spent a lifetime earning were an unprecedented betrayal of the trust they placed in him. The severity of Flaherty’s 228 months’ sentence, and $2.4 million in restitution, only partially compensates for the deep financial harm caused by his conduct. The heartbreaking impact of this type of crime can leave victims fearful for the future and wondering who to trust. Some helpful keys to combat these crimes are accountability and awareness,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal for the Southern District of Iowa. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case, with assistance from the Ankeny Police Department, the Clive Police Department, the Des Moines Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation. To report elder fraud, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov . To learn more about the Department of Justice elder justice efforts please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice .